Dr. Nonhlanhla Ngcobo – Director: Library Services, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Dr. Nonhlanhla began her distinguished librarianship career in 1994 as a Readers’ Advisor in the Junior (Children’s) Library at the then Durban Municipal Library—now the eThekwini Municipality Library. Her passion for library services and technological innovation quickly became evident as she progressed to serve as Systems Librarian and later as Senior Branch Librarian at both the Prince Edward Street Library and Durban North Library.

In July 2003, she joined the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) as a Subject Librarian at the Medical Library. Her leadership potential saw her promoted to Campus Librarian in 2005, becoming a member of the Library Management Team. Notably, during her tenure, she secured funding to implement RFID technology—a first at UKZN—and led a significant refurbishment of the Medical Library. To date, it remains the only library within UKZN Library Services utilizing RFID.

Amid a major restructuring of UKZN Library Services in 2013, Dr. Nonhlanhla was appointed as Manager: Library Information Services in January 2014. Tasked with establishing the Library Information Services Department—the largest within the Library—she oversaw Subject Librarians across all campuses and the Library IT section. She spearheaded cross-campus initiatives such as:

• Library marketing strategies and newsletters,
• Production of promotional videos,
• Development of blogs, and
• Major IT projects including the implementation of WMS (WorldShare Management Services). UKZN was the first in South Africa to adopt the full WMS suite, a move that has since inspired other institutions across Africa.

In February 2020, she was appointed Library Director: Acting, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. She successfully led the migration to online platforms, ensuring the continuity of library services during the national lockdown. This role became permanent in January 2022 when she was appointed Director: Library Services.

Under her visionary leadership, UKZN Library Services has embraced innovation with initiatives such as:

• The Scholarly Lifecycle Service, including personal librarian support,
• The integration of robotics to automate circulation functions, enhancing service efficiency.

Beyond her institutional roles, Dr. Nonhlanhla has been a dedicated member of the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA). She served as KZN Branch Chair-Elect (2014–2016) and Chair (2016–2018), advocating for library advancement and professional development across KwaZulu-Natal. Her influence continues nationally, with presentations at both local and international conferences on strategic LIS developments.

Dr. Nonhlanhla earned her PhD from UKZN in 2017 and continues to lead with a deep commitment to library transformation, innovation, and user-centered service delivery.