The Need For Digitising Fourah Bay Higher education Library

INTRODUCTION

In this Information Age, Info Technologies has revolutionized every single aspect of human life to an extent that the present generation could be referred to as electronic natives. This Details Technologies has brought the world to a position of getting a international in phrases of data dissemination. It is in opposition to this history that Sutton(2008) envisaged “Details Engineering has quickly altered the world nowadays.” This is evidenced in the change of cultural, social, economic and educational elements of existence. In this regard, the effect of Info Engineering has been felt in the residence, schooling, well being protection and safety, finance and commerce, the business and in the workplace. This technological growth has also had an effect on conventional data establishments such as libraries.

Info Technology’s influence on libraries in academia has been on routines anxious with in-house trying to keep routines this kind of as acquisition, cataloguing, serials control, circulation of library components, managing figures and retrieval of data. Educational libraries are now delivering their clientele with much far better and efficient information solutions via the use of Information Engineering. The software of Information Technology to information administration activities has resulted in the all round advancement in the overall performance of educational libraries.

An academic library is the nerve centre of its parent institution thereby conference the training and analysis wants of that institution. It is established with the major emphasis of supplying successful data support shipping and delivery for pupils, training personnel, administrative and specialized employees of an tutorial establishment. In this regard, existing and pertinent textbooks and journals as nicely as reference supplies represent the collection of an tutorial library to match with the data demands of the curricula. In an educational library, an sufficient and conducive looking through surroundings should be presented for customers and it should be appropriately staffed. In a nutshell, an academic library supports investigation operate and enhances the instructing/finding out programme of the institution.

FOURAH BAY Higher education LIBRARY

Fourah Bay School Library is a 3-storey constructing positioned in the centre of the campus housing different sections/departments. The capabilities/operations of the diverse departments of the Library are all geared toward 1 goal, as a result the provision of powerful provider shipping in meeting the details requirements of its clientele. Every single section is headed by a educated and competent professional employees supported by para-specialist and non-expert staff who are all answerable to the Performing Librarian.

The decrease floor floor of the Library residences the Sierra Leone Collection and Bindery. The Sierra Leone Assortment residences components prepared on Sierra Leone and the neighbouring nations around the world components created by Sierra Leoneans couple of copies of dissertations and theses manuscripts, pamphlets and pamphlets-information chosen titles of neighborhood newspapers, Sierra Leone Gazette Fourah Bay School and College publications periodicals these kinds of as Sierra Leone Studies, Africana Investigation Bulletin, Sierra Trade Journal, Sierra Leone Language Evaluation, Historical Journal of Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone Geographical Journal Sierra Leone Chambers of Commerce Once-a-year Studies Sierra Leone Functions/Payments CSM Studies, Parliamentary Debates and Proceedings Once-a-year Stories of the different Authorities ministries and departments and Presidential Addresses. Attaching this sort of significance to this office for study operate, the Sierra Leone Collection is referred to as our national heritage. Positioned on this flooring also is the Bindery which is the Conservation and Preservation Unit of the Library for the preservation of library components to lengthen their lifestyle span. It also operates commercially as a way of generating profits for the School.

On the ground ground of the developing on coming into the Library are the Circulation and Cataloguing departments, American Shelf, the Librarian’s Office, the Reference Segment of couple of stocks with a conducive reading through spot and a Photocopying Unit. The Circulation/Lending office of Fourah Bay School Library like all educational libraries is accountable for lending supplies specifically guides for use outside the house the building or property-looking through. The Circulations Desk which is adjacent to the Librarian’s Place of work and Reference Selection handles all lending techniques, thus charging and discharging. The Circulations employees also register new students and these needing to turn out to be users by issuing them prepared library playing cards for the use of the library and its amenities. Recalling overdue books and reserving required books returned type part of the routines of the Problem Desk. The Issue Desk workers also maintain records of all resources issued for property-studying.

The operations of the Cataloguing Office which is also found in the ground ground consist of the classification, cataloguing and accessioning of all freshly obtained materials specifically textbooks ahead of positioned on the cabinets for accessibility by users. Typing and filing of catalogue playing cards and stamping of catalogue textbooks with Library’s possession stamp is also done by the employees of the Cataloguing Office. The American Shelf produced by the American Embassy in collaboration with the Fourah Bay School Library is a collection of American literature, historical past and number of titles of international publications and supplies a little reading area. Photocopying, printing, laminating as nicely as comb binding jobs are done on professional foundation in a rented room. This Photocopying Area found at the floor floor of the constructing. The complete very first floor of the library residences the Periodicals Department which homes current and back again concerns of periodicals in nearly all disciplines. These incorporate journals, abstracts, indexes and magazines.

Lecturers, learners and scientists find the Periodicals Office useful for planning lecture notes, undertaking assignments and endeavor study activities. This Division also residences publications for leisure looking through as they contain data these kinds of as information objects, announcements, statistical info, and adverts about products and providers. The routines carried out in the Periodicals Section include subscribing to journals, declaring back concerns paid for but not but to be acquired as effectively as missing troubles, getting into of obtained journals on kardex, getting ready resources to be sure.

The Textbook Selection is partly located in the next flooring of the Library and as the identify implies, this office shares advisable texts by the various college teaching personnel in conference the information demands of the curricula. Past assessment query papers, dissertations and theses as properly as geared up lecture notes by some departments form part of the Textbook Selection. This section is highly patronised by students and lecturers in maximizing educating/studying programmes.

THE Require FOR DITIGISING FOURAH BAY University LIBRARY

Academic libraries must move together with the worldwide traits of data technological advancement. I is for that reason considered with significantly optimism that digitizing Fourah Bay Higher education Library will significally boost its operations and increase its information provider shipping and delivery. A digitized library assures an exact and quick data processing, storage, retrieval and accessibility. The use of computer systems in amassing, processing, examining, retrieving of info and information for dissertation to end users could be seen as a wonderful privilege enjoyed by tutorial libraries in this Data Aged. In accordance to Birdsall (2009) a digitised library operates within an electronic collaborative surroundings to accessibility data irrespective its spot. This indicates that simple obtain to electronic publications of publications and journal is feasible and achievable via a digitized library method. Digitised library makes it possible for information to be accessed by an limitless viewers at the same time and everywhere.

According to the fifth maxim of Library Science asserted by S. R. Ranganathan (1931) “The library is a developing organism”. Meaning that libraries specifically tutorial libraries in 3rd Planet nations in this Details Age should not stay static but be dynamic and go along with the global traits of technological growth in conditions of data processing, preservation, retrieval and dissemination. Justifiably, Fourah Bay College Library requirements to adopt and adapt this development as a way of enhancing the providers it offers in striving to fulfill the wants of information seekers.

The dire need to have to digitize Fourah Bay School library stems from the simple fact a digital is a single that harnesses digital systems and infrastructure to search, accumulate, organise and distribute cultural, historic and scientific details whether or not it is text, visible photographs or seem. Electronic libraries make it achievable for digital publications of textbooks and journals to be accessed by an unlimited audience at the identical time and wherever. In this regard, digitising tutorial libraries this kind of as Fourah Bay College Library is a necessity. Justifiably, there is dire need to have to digitise Fourah Bay School Library as the routines carried out manually are time-consuming as opposed to the digitised method which is quite significantly more quickly and it is hence essential to digitize Fourah Bay University Library as a way of successfully boosting its operations. Without having controversy, a digitize Fourah Bay Higher education Library system is very considerably in its functions and retrieval of information and research strategies include significantly less labour, capabilities and experience as effectively professional competence in reference queries posed by information seekers.

Digitising Fourah Bay College Library is justifiable as effectiveness and usefulness in details provider supply is ensured above the manual. A digitised library method increases speed in executing duties and subsequently will increase productiveness. Indisputably, these kinds of a library areas the total sources it consists of at the fast disposal of the user. Realistically, improvement in the companies offered by a digitised library will be on a scale impossible to obtain by guide procedures. Yet another level of justification in digitising Fourah Bay University Library is that the present guide program is incapable of handling the perform-load taking into account the current point out of the selection in terms of measurement and boost in the variety of consumers. It ought to be observed with worry that materials specifically guides are extra to the selection on a day-to-day foundation and the pupil populace of the university boosts each and every 12 months.

Retaining pace with the recent traits in this Information Age, it is required to digitise Fourah Bay College Library so that it will get some prestige. It is a universally approved phenomenon that libraries that have initiated a mechanised programme have attracted consideration and enhanced their track record appropriately. In this working day and age, there is certainly improvement in the forex of searchable records, enhancement in the forex and creation of Current Recognition Bulletin, and ability to search and manipulate knowledge in a variety of different methods as a consequence of digitisation. In this regard, there is a require to digitise Fourah Bay School Library as the system enhances its Present Recognition Services in keeping consumers abreast of latest developments in their areas of curiosity.

As no library is self-sufficient in data assets, details sharing is facilitated as a end result of digitisation. It is quite feasible with the use of the laptop to share the resources of Fourah Bay College Library with other libraries and information units without having the troubles and constraints represented by the catalogue. By digitising Fourah bay University Library, workers can find out new abilities dependent on this new technologies tiresome jobs can be delegated to machines less difficult and quicker access to data less complicated implies of remedying typing glitches availability of shorter functioning hrs thus offering further earnings for the workers.

WHAT TO AND WHY DIGITISE

Digitised educational libraries stand to reward between other point enhanced output and far more successful duties in documentation and information processing, data community enhancement and excellent handle of records administration and retrieval.

Using into account the size of the Fourah Bay College Library assortment, its digitisation needs sufficient financing by the university administration. Nonetheless, if not the Sierra Leone Collection which holds exceptional and important files of historical and research benefit, some of which are out of print require to be digitised. By digitising the Sierra Leone Collection, the country’s cultural heritage will be nicely preserved for posterity. Nearby newspapers and some crucial paperwork housed in the Selection are so flimsy that if they are not digitised, as years go by, there is every single tendency for them to wear out and turn out to be unreadable.

The Cataloguing Department of the Library which processes freshly acquired materials before placed on the cabinets for accessibility wants a computerised cataloguing technique that will exhibit a distinct superiority over its guide counterpart. A digitised cataloguing program involves the production of catalogue playing cards as well as the availability of large pace printers. In contrast to manual cataloguing, a digitised cataloguing method makes certain enhancement in work flow much more effective perform room and improved efficiency is also envisaged. Based on the availability of essential resources to embark on this all-essential task, the Sierra Leone Collection and the Cataloguing Division ought to be prioritised in digitising Fourah Bay School Library.

Workers and customers will very enjoy the enormous rewards to be derived in digitising Fourah Bay Higher education Library new abilities are learned dependent on this new technological innovation. As for the workers, cumbersome occupation can be delegated to equipment and typing mistakes can be very easily remedied. End users have less complicated and quicker access to details thereby getting rid of middleman with a digitised library method. Some benefits of digitising academic libraries consist of enhancing improved output much more productive jobs in documentation and information processing, information community improvement and perfect management of documents management and retrieval. In accordance to Tedd (2009), educational librarians will acquire better handle and manipulation of their operate environment by way of the use of digitised library method. In this regard, Library requirements to be suitably and sufficiently stocked with related components to meet up with the data needs of the curricula, a digitised program will ensure straightforward assortment and acquisition of materials from publishers and their distributors. The purchase of supplies particularly guides and journals can be done online and less paper is concerned in this exercising. And a significant gain of a digitised library program especially the Acquisition Section is the ability to adhere to up outstanding orders the identification of publications needed to create the collection purchasing publications from acceptable suppliers their recording on arrival the settlement of invoices and detailed keeping of acquisition accounts.

In terms of accuracy and speed, the merits of a digitised cataloguing method significantly outweigh its guide counterpart. Efficient function place and improved efficiency specially in the generation of catalogue cards is ensured via a digitised cataloguing technique. The digitisation of Fourah Bay College Library enhance its graphic as a credible resource of appropriate, well timed and existing information in satisfactorily meeting the wants of its clientele. In a nutshell, the digitisation of Fourah Bay Higher education Library boosts successful information support delivery thus attracting high patronage.

DIGITISING Problems

Notwithstanding the benefits derived in digitising Fourah Bay College Library, there are problems equally connected with this new engineering. It should be noted with fantastic concern that as a end result of monetary constraints confronted by the Higher education, there has been a drastic minimize in the Library funds and this has adversely influenced the operations of the Library and its management. Against this again-drop, digitising Fourah Bay School Library will not be an effortless enterprise as the program requirements to be correctly managed and sustained.

An additional obstacle to be taken into consideration in digitising Fourah Bay University Library is that most users and personnel lack simple training in the use of this new technology and as such, they require to be sufficiently experienced for the powerful functions of this technique. And it must therefore be borne in head that the education of consumers and staff to turn into computer literate and proficient entails income which the Library can’t easily manage. This indicates that for the programme to realize success, it need to be integrated into the functioning life of customers and workers of the Library. Unquestionably, the Library will need to have support from method analysts to guarantee the performance of the method. Contracting the services of computer professionals expenses funds which must be regarded as fiscal burden on the Library. Apart from, the Library will also require to acquire and keep all needed products for the technique to be operational.

A tough task in handling digitised library programs is that pcs are complicated, quickly shifting, fragile and typically incompatible. Besides, digital information are difficult to maintain due to the fact of quick changes in laptop hardware and software. There will always be a new or improved technique available that is larger, far better or less expensive than the a single just acquired. The time and effort needed to convert guide info to machine readable type is also a problem in applying the technique. Recurrent electricity-cuts as nicely as irregular electricity offer pose a severe problem in digitising Fourah Bay University Library as it does not have a stand by generator to run the method.

Download books It should be also taken into account that a genuine difficulty during the rainy period is the menace of large intensity lightning strikes. The stability of the gear against hurt is also observed as a challenge if users and workers do not get satisfactory abilities in managing this technology. One more problem connected with digitising Fourah Bay Higher education Library is the drastic reduction of its personnel thereby creating unemployment which sooner or later gets to be a social problem.