Prof I Schellnack-Kelly

Qualifications

1990 - BA (Honours) from University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg

1997 - National Diploma in Archival Science from Technikon SA

1999 - MA (History) from University of South Africa

2014 - DLITT ET PHIL (INF SCIENCE). Thesis entitled: The role of records management in governance-based evidence, service delivery and development in South African communities.

Currently teaching

• The management and utilisation of archives
• Records management
• Electronic records management
• Oral history
• Preservation of archives and records

Fields of academic interests

Records management, oral history and archives, archives for education purposes, archives relating to historical studies, information seeking behaviour associated with archival collections, collection of indigenous knowledge for nature conservation and protection of environment.

Field of Specialisation

Records management, archives management, oral history, archives for educational purposes, archival management collection development, information seeking behaviour associated with archives and social media

Journal articles

ICA-REQ LIAISON WORKGROUP International Council of Archives (ICA) South African Working Group Co-written with Louisa Venter and Patricia Stabbins: Module 3: Standardising a training manual and workbook for records management: Principles and Functional Requirements for Records in Electronic Office Environments (2010 – 2012)

Paper presented at the ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN AFRICAN INDEXERS AND BIBLIOGRAPHERS (ASAIB) on 10 May 2012, in Pretoria: entitled: Are we listening? Essential collaborations

Paper presented for ASM Communication:  Records and Information Management Conference in Sandton, 15 and 16 May 2012 entitled: Records management in the digital age, embedding sustainable practices and contending with the changing roles of records managers.

Co-presented SASA Pre-Conference Marketing Workshop on 11 July 2012 at UNISA, Pretoria, entitled Who Are We?

Poster presentation at the LIS Conference on 26 July 2012 at UNISA, Pretoria entitled, Essential collaborations for effective management of electronic records management solution.s

Poster at ICA Brisbane Conference on 23 August 2012, present by Jonathan Parr, entitled: Essential partnerships when selecting, implementing and maintaining EDRMS.

Article published in Information and Records Management Bulletin, Issue 170 November 2012, pages 30-42. Entitled: Public archivists and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in South Africa.

TP Training Workshop at the Birchwood Hotel, Boksburg, on 29 & 30 November 2012, entitled Archives and records management practices.

Paper co-presented at the Water Research Commission Dialogue: Our Water History & the Future of its Preservation, on 22 February 2013 at the Emerald Resort & Casino in Vanderbijlpark, entitled Importance of archives and records management.

Paper presented at ProLissa Doctoral Forum on 5 March 2013 at the St George’s Hotel in Centurion, entitled: “Postmodernism versus Deconstructionist: Compliance versus narratives.”

Invited to present a Records Management Master Class in Nairobi on 18 and 19 July 2013.

Article in the International Journal of Science, Commerce and Humanities (ISN 2052-6164), included in 2013. Vol. 1(7):88-103. Entitled: “Information management and the case study of the South African local governments.” 

Book review in The Electronic Library: “Ned Potter, The Library Marketing Toolkit” (2014)

Book review in The Electronic Library: “Adrian Brown, Practical Digital Preservation: A how-to guide for organizations of any size” (2014)

Book review in The Electronic Library: “Personal Archiving. Preserving our digital heritage” (2015).

Book review in The Electronic Library: “Records management and Information Culture: Tackling the People Problem”, (2016) Volume 34, issue 3, pp. 548-549. 

Paper presented at South African Museum Association National Conference in Kimberley on 24 October 2013, entitled: “Capturing digital narratives: Displaced communities, tracing histories in the Information Age.”

Paper presented at ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN AFRICAN INDEXERS AND BIBLIOGRAPHERS (ASAIB) conference, 9 May 2014, entitled: “Power play in public records taxonomies and accessing information.”

Paper presented at the Amabhubesi Conference in Sunninghill, 29 to 31 January 2014, entitled: “Narratives and information management conundrums in the SA local government sector.”

Paper presented at the Historical Association of South Africa Biennial Conference in Durban, 26-28 June 2014, entitled “Lost archives and forgotten narratives in the South African war on poverty.”

Paper presented at the Historical Association of South Africa Conference held in Vanderbijlpark on 22 – 25 June 2016, entitled: “Back to basics in the digital age: tackling environmental issues through oral and other histories in the iSimangaliso wetland.”

Paper presented at the Library and Information Science 7^th Research Symposium on 28 and 29 July 2016 at Unisa Muckleneuck Campus, entitled: “Linking the Past with the Future: Ensuring the longevity of archival collections and accessions.”

Paper presented at the Seminar on Children and the Conservation of Cultural and Natural Heritage, held in Nelspruit on 8 to 9 September 2016, entitled: “The lion and the lamb: Importance of storytelling in preserving Africa’s soul.”

Co-Paper presented at the School of Arts 2016 Conference on 14 to 15 September 2016 entitled: Sound governance for support and funding of school libraries: lessons learnt from the Pretoria East Rotary Club and Nyankala School in Hammanskraal.”

Paper presented at the 4^th Regional History Conference on 29 and 30 November 2018 in Vanderbijlpark, entitled: “The role of shamans and shamanism in African folklore and mythology.”

Co-published with Prof TB van der Walt: "South Africa's water heritage and its future preservation: establishing a water research archive for water-related information sources", June 2015 edition of the Journal for Contemporary History, Vol 40, Issue 1, pp. 195-207;

Article with Prof TB van der Walt: “Role of public archivists and records managers in governance and local development under a democratic dispensation in South Africa” Esarbica Journal. 2015.

Article “Role of public archivists in post-apartheid South Africa: passive custodians or proactive narrators” Archives and Records, 2017. Volume 37 issue 2, pp. 1-23.

Article: “The role of storytelling in preserving Africa’s spirit by conserving the continent’s fauna and flora,” Mousaion 2017, Volume 35, issue 2, pp. 17-27.

Article with Prof VR Jiyane: “Tackling environmental issues in the digital age through oral histories and oral traditions from the iSimangaliso Wetland”, Historia 2017, Vol. 62, Issue 2, pp. 112-129.

Article with C. Bassett: “Risks associated with cloud computing in pursuit of effective records management,” ESARBICA Journal, 2018. Vol. 37, pp. 89-110.

Article: “Making history a compulsory school subject – opportunities for memory institutions,” Journal for Contemporary History, 2019. Vol. 44, Issue 1, pp. 134 – 154.

Article with N. Molefe: “User perceptions of services at the National Archives and National Film, Video and Sound Archives,” Innovation, 2019. Vol. 58, Issue 2, pp. 1-13.

Paper presented at the “Designing the Archives Conference in Adelaide, Australia from 21 – 25 October 2019 with a paper entitled “Decolonising the archives, languages as enablers and barriers to accessing public archives in South Africa.

Article: “Decolonising the archives: languages as enablers and barriers to accessing public archives in South Africa,” Archives and Manuscripts, 2020, vol. 48, Issue 3, pp. 291-299.

Article with FF Dubale and W Ngwawu. “Use of Electronic Information Resources in a Special Library in Ethiopia,” Library Philosophy and Practice, 2021, vol. 6, issue 2, pp. 1-24.

Paper presented at the 8^th Annual National History Conference in October 2021 entitled “Research ethics to consider when collecting oral histories in wilderness areas such as the Kruger Park.”

Article: “Research ethics to consider when collecting oral histories in wilderness areas such as the Kruger National Park,” HTS Teologie Studies / Theology Studies, 2022, vol 78, issue 3, pp. 1-7.

Article: “Information sharing on social media pages related to wildlife conservation in a South African national game reserve,” Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, 2022, vol. 78, Ahead of publication.

Article with Ndudzo Simpiwe Sithole entitled: “Records management system used by eNews Channel Africa archivists in South Africa to manage their records” Esarbica Journal, 2022, 41. pp. 200-221.

Article: “Public archives determination of social memory in appraising local government records in South Africa,” Journal of the South African Society of Archivists, 2022, pp. 147 – 156.

Article with N Saurombe entitled: “The role of historians in guiding archivists to open up collections and promoting access to archives in South Africa,” Comma, 2022, pp. 49-61.

Paper presented at the South African Society of Archivists Conference in Bloemfontein, July 2022 entitled: “History, a compulsory component of basic education in South Africa from 2023 – are South African archivists ready?”

Paper to be co-presented at the Unilisa Conference in March 2023 entitled: “Using creative art subject to inculcate love of oral history: what lessons can be learnt from the primary school educators of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.”

Paper to be presented at Unilisa Conference in March 2023 entitled: “Collection and accessibility of oral history collections associated with South African wilderness areas, specifically those of the Kruger National Park.”

Paper presentations

Paper presented at the Historical Association of South Africa Conference held in Vanderbijlpark on 22 – 25 June 2016, entitled: “Back to basics in the digital age: tackling environmental issues through oral and other histories in the iSimangaliso wetland.”

Paper presented at the Library and Information Science 7^th Research Symposium on 28 and 29 July 2016 at Unisa Muckleneuck Campus, entitled: “Linking the Past with the Future: Ensuring the longevity of archival collections and accessions.”

Paper presented at the Seminar on Children and the Conservation of Cultural and Natural Heritage, held in Nelspruit on 8 to 9 September 2016, entitled: “The lion and the lamb: Importance of storytelling in preserving Africa’s soul.”

Co-Paper presented at the School of Arts 2016 Conference on 14 to 15 September 2016 entitled: Sound governance for support and funding of school libraries: lessons learnt from the Pretoria East Rotary Club and Nyankala School in Hammanskraal.”

Paper presented at the 4^th Regional History Conference on 29 and 30 November 2018 in Vanderbijlpark, entitled: “The role of shamans and shamanism in African folklore and mythology.”

Paper presented at the “Designing the Archives Conference in Adelaide, Australia from 21 – 25 October 2019 with a paper entitled “Decolonising the archives, languages as enablers and barriers to accessing public archives in South Africa.

Professional positions, fellowships & awards

Professional affiliation

South African Society of Archives – serving on the Gauteng Branch

International Council of Archives – member.

Projects

Oral History Project on Unsung Sporting Heroes with the Gauteng Provincial Archives – on-going

Other

Isabel Schellnack-Kelly has worked for 30 years in the field of archives and records management. Her experience includes working at the South African National Archives, then as an independent consultant on archives and records management projects in South Africa, Uganda and Kenya. Since 2011 she is teaching modules related to archives and records management. Her interests include the incorporation of archival materials as teaching tools, collection and management of oral history archives, records management as related to good governance and open access of archival collections.