WELCOME TO WSU LIBRARY SERVICES

WSU Libraries is made up of ten fully operational sites that spread across WSU campuses.
There are four sites at Buffalo City (The Potsdam, College Street, Chiselhurst and Cambridge Street libraries); three at the Mthatha campus (Sasol, Medical & Zamukulungisa libraries); one main library at Whittlesea (Masibulele) with a branch in Grey Street, Queenstown. In 2013, we officially opened the doors for the very first time to our new and modern academic library for the very first time at the Ibika campus in Butterworth.
All our libraries strive for open access to the world of quality information and you can expect the friendly and knowledgeable librarians to welcome and guide you throughout.


We achieve this by being an intellectual common that preserves and makes accessible learning materials and services that are led by innovators in information and information technology, intellectual freedom and the open exchange of ideas essential to a democratic society.


OUR VISION
The Walter Sisulu University (WSU) Library will provide and promote quality information services that will support the teaching, learning and research activities of the university and the wider community, using modern technologies and indigenous knowledge systems to achieve life-long learning.


OUR MISSION
In pursuit of its vision the Library and Information Services Unit:
• Renders relevant, dynamic and up to date library and information services to the WSU clientele and general public based on accepted practices and standards.
• Enhances the teaching and research capacity of staff and students through provision of information relevant to the academic aspirations of the University.
• Provides education and training programmes on the effective use of information, for life-long learning.
• Contributes to the process of educational, social, economic and technological development towards the upliftment of society.


WSU LIBRARY VALUES
• A caring and supportive environment in which service to students and staff is paramount.
• Timely and appropriate response to academic support needs, meeting the expectation of students and faculty alike.




OUR LEARNING RESOURCES
WSU library collections cater for a wide spectrum of scholarship ranging from the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate information needs.


In addition to our local collections we expose our learners to resources held in other academic Libraries like Fort Hare, NMMU and Rhodes in the Eastern Cape.


These academic libraries including WSU are members of a consortium called “South East Academic Library System” (SEALS), whose agenda is to make their holdings accessible on a shared database library system “Siera”.


In addition to print and other resources that are currently available from the WSU Library sites, we also provide access to electronic scholarly databases and peer reviewed journals that add value to teaching, learning and research experience at WSU.


In 2013, the Library piloted with few e-books and will be exploring more of this e-book concept in 2014.


TRAINING
WSU Libraries devote time to in-house orientation programmes for all first year students from the beginning of the academic term until March of every year.


As a follow-up to these orientation sessions, the library conducts ongoing Information Literacy/management skills training sessions, some timetabled some as ad-hoc, these sessions help users to navigate the information environment easily using a variety of sources.


These learning experiences can be repeated throughout the year as the need arises and are necessary for survival as one advance from one level of learning to the other, both as a learner in a higher education institution and a life-long learner citizen.

FOR MORE DETAILS, SEE THE LIBRARY GUIDE.