The Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) recently celebrated Open Access Week 2024 with an engaging workshop centred around the theme “Community over Commercialization.” Led by Ms Petronella Garande, the Head Reader Services Librarian, the event emphasised the importance of open scholarship in prioritising public and academic interests.

The workshop also featured HIT’s Librarian, Mr Macdonald Nhakura, who explained how the theme aligns with the Institute’s mission to foster innovation through collaboration. He highlighted the innovation hub at HIT as a crucial venue for students and faculty to transform ideas into market-ready solutions. “The convergence of various communities within HIT is essential for driving innovation,” Mr Nhakura noted, recognizing the library’s vital role as an ideation centre that nurtures creative brainstorming.

Participants explored the library’s extensive open-access databases, which serve as a significant resource for enhancing student projects. The shift from proprietary software to open-source solutions has resulted in considerable financial savings, with the library saving the Institute over USD 1,000 annually by adopting KOHA, an open-source library software, instead of the Mandarin software.

The workshop also included presentations on open-source software, featuring Mr. C. Mawere discussing Sci-Space for data management, Mr. L. Chagonda demonstrating MS Word referencing software, and Ms. Mawire sharing insights into LaTeX and SPSS—key tools for academic writing and statistical analysis.

Concluding with an interactive question-and-answer session led by the HIT Deputy Librarian, Mr. E. Mujera, the workshop created an atmosphere of collaboration and engagement among students. Attendees left with tokens of appreciation, celebrating their involvement and enthusiasm for open-access resources.

HIT’s commitment to open scholarship and community collaboration is paving the way for innovative progress in technology and research. The positive reception of this workshop highlights the crucial role of accessible knowledge and collaborative efforts in promoting academic advancement.

As HIT prepares for future initiatives, the goal remains to cultivate an environment where innovation flourishes through collaboration, accessibility, and open-access principles.