By Sileshi Yilma/ Public and International Relations Directorate

Haramaya University’s Library and Information Services Directorate (LISD) signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on forming partnership with Information Training and Outreach Center for Africa (ITOCA) on August 13, 2014.

Mikiyas Hailu, director of LISD, AND Gracian Chimwaza, executive director of ITOCA, signed the MOU.

According to the information HU Online obtained, the main goal of the partnership is to establish academic and research relations between the two organizations. In addition, the linkage would also promote direct cooperation and communication in the disciplines of electronic library resources, research, information access and related fields.

LISD believes that the partnership will enable it to be centre of excellence in TEEAL (The Essential Electronic Agricultural Library), AGORA (Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture) and other information resources as well as services.

As the Directorate indicated, the agreement would be effective from March 1, 2014 to December 31, 2016 with possible renewal as deemed by the parties.

HU Online was able to learn that previously ITOCA has partnered with Mekelle. Haramaya University’s agreement with ITOCA makes it the second academic institution in Ethiopia to form linkage with the organization.

ITOCA has also partnered with Albert R. Mann Library, Cornell University’s TEEAL project as part of the Scientific Information for Agricultural Education in Africa project. It is funded by a grant from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Selected academic, government departments and research institutions from Africa were invited by the project to take part in the initiative.

As it is indicated in the MOU, the ultimate goal of the project is to place 300 of the new redesigned TEEAL sets in selected institutions as well as providing training for more than 22,000 faculty researchers, students, extension staff and government officials in six countries.

The project activities led by ITOCA international and local experts aim to increase the number of researchers trained at the selected institutions, along with using Web 2.0 tools, mobile-enabled interface design, and other strategies for enhancing information literacy among the intended users.

Based in South Africa, ITOCA was established in February 1999. As indicated in its official website, it is a capacity building organization aimed at enhancing information and communications technology skills for librarians, information specialists, scientists, researchers and students in Sub-Sahara Africa.