Name : Mr Martin Thawani

Email : Mail@must.acc

Position : University Librarian

Mr Thawani is the current and first University Librarian at MUST. He holds a Master of Library and Information Science degree from University of Botswana; a Bachelor of Education and Diploma in Education, both from University of Malawi, Chancellor College; and a Certificate of Liberal Arts from the Catholic Theological Colleges (Seminaries) of Malawi.

To enhance his profession and career, Mr Thawani has also attended a number of professional training programmes such as International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP); Monitoring and Evaluation of E-Resources Use; Running a Model American Corner; PC Troubleshooting for Library Personnel; Advanced Library and Information Science (ALIS) Programme: Introduction to the Internet, Internet Resources and Services in the Malawian Context; Emerging Technologies for Automated Information Services and Management; and Microcomputer Based Database Management Systems for Information Services.

Mr Thawani has been instrumental in projects and consultancies. For example, he has been a member of a Project Team of Continuing Education for Building Internet Subject-Based Information Gateways, Africa South of the Sahara, Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA); Polytechnic Co-ordinator for The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) CD-ROM Pilot Project, Africa South of the Sahara; Consultant as Librarian Trainer in Bring Me A Book Foundation’s Malawi Literacy Project, Save the Children; and Effective Records Management Training, Damien Consulting Services, Reserve Bank of Malawi, Blantyre and Lilongwe.

Before joining MUST, Mr Thawani worked with University of Malawi, first as senior assistant librarian at Malawi Polytechnic and Bunda College of Agriculture (now Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources) and Malawi Polytechnic again as College Librarian. He has also worked as secondary school teacher of English and examiner of history at Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB).

He has demonstrated capacity to engage in community services. He has, for example, served as vice chairperson of Limbe Cathedral Council; member of the board of directors for Phalombe Holy Family Hospital and Nursing College; member of university council of the Catholic University of Malawi; member in ADMARC Board of Directors; publicity secretary for Teachers’ Association of Malawi (TAM) for Blantyre City and District; member of Chiradzulu District Development Committee (DDC); Southern Region chairperson of Malawi Library Association, where, among others, he initiated and directed mobilisation of funds and resources to procure and donate secondary school books to Blantyre Secondary School at a time the school library was destroyed by fire, and worked towards the training of two graduate teacher librarians by MALA; chairman of the Malawi Library Association Education Sub-committee charged with managing and overseeing the MALA Certificate Programmes.

He is currently the Board chairperson of Malawi Library Services.