The two pictures below – taken by Felix Majawa, the University Librarian – provide a great view of the front of the new library and show the progress that continues to be made.
The Front of the Library
January 2023 Construction Update
Progress continues to be made on the construction of Mzuzu University’s new library. The images below show how the construction of the second half (on the left) of the library is progressing. The first floor is complete and the columns/supporting walls are now being installed on the second floor. Malawi is also in the middle of its wet season, which is characterized by high temperatures and humidity and regular afternoon downpours. The clouds in the images point to some of this weather, which will hopefully not disrupt construction over the next couple of months.
A Campus View of the New Library
The image below provides a campus view of the new Mzuni library. The construction of the third-floor (on the righthand side of the building) is now underway. The road to the left of the image will pass through the building when it is complete, making for a rather unique main entrance to the university.
September 2022 Construction Update
July 2022 Construction Update
Library Construction Continues
Library Construction Update
The construction of the new library at Mzuzu University is underway. The images below were shared by Felix Majawa (Mzuzu University’s Chief Liberian). We will share more updates as the construction progress continues.
Establishing Data Centre at Mzuzu University
The presentation below was recorded for the International Association of Social Sciences Information Service and Technology (IASSIST), 1st African Regional Workshop, from January 11-13, 2021. In the presentation, Felix Majawa (Mzuzu University, Malawi) and Ralph Hall (Virginia Tech, USA) discuss the findings from a stakeholder survey that was sent to faculty and staff at Mzuzu University and Virginia Tech about a proposed data centre that could be located in Mzuzu University’s new library. The abstract form a report on the survey responses is provided below.
REPORT ABSTRACT
Mzuzu University lost its Library as a result of a fire that took place on 18th December 2015. In response, the university decided to establish two processes. The first was to restore information services within six months by creating an interim Library. The second was to design a new library in collaboration with Virginia Tech’s School of Architecture and Design in the United States. A total of three conceptual designs were developed, from which Mzuzu University selected a final design. One key aspect of each conceptual design was a dedicated space for a Data Centre. The initial concept was that the centre will support research activities at the university, within the Malawi, and with international partners outside Malawi, such as Virginia Tech. This paper captures the anticipations and aspirations of the key stakeholders involved with the library design project at Mzuzu University and Virginia Tech. They were captured by a survey that was shared via email with 29 stakeholders. A total of 10 responded at Mzuzu University, and 12 responded at Virginia Tech. A key finding from the survey is the need to create clear plans for each aspect of the project, from the effective implementation of the data center, to staffing and equipment procurement and management, to data literacy programming, and to the long-term sustainability of the centre. Developing a policy/process to guide the operations of the data centre was also considered to be critical. The library construction began in November 2020 and is expected to end in November 2022. Having a clear plan for how the data centre could be operationalized will be essential to ensuring the centre is successful. The data centre will be a new facility for the university and this report should be considered as a first step towards shaping the centre’s requirements and future potential.
Construction of the Mzuni Library and Auditorium Begins
The construction of the new Mzuzu University library and auditorium reached a major milestone last week when Agnes NyaLonje (the Minister of Education in Malawi) laid the first foundation stone of the new facility.
The construction of the facility is expected to take around two years and is scheduled for completion in November 2022.
VT’s Navy ROTC Helps Organize Next Shipment of Books
We would like to thank the Midshipmen in Bravo Company from Virginia Tech’s Navy ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps) unit for helping us organize our second shipment of books to Mzuzu University. The video below provides some insight into what it takes to process over 100 boxes of books (weighing over 4,000 lbs) in 1.5 hours. We could not have done this so efficiently without the help of the NROTC. We plan to ship these books later this fall.
The Mzuni Library Initiative 