ABSTRACT
This study is on the Evaluation of Technical
Services in Abia State Central Library Board, Umuahia. The study is divided
into five (5) chapters. Chapter 1: It deals with the introduction/background of
study, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, scope of the study,
significance of the study, definition of terms. Chapter 2: Literature review,
in this chapter, the researcher presents the materials which he uses/consulted
in enlightening some of the points and information in the study. Chapter 3: Research
methodology, Design of the study, area of study, population, sample and sample
techniques, instrumentation (instrument for data collection), validity of
instrument, instrument for data collection, distribution and retrieval of the
instrument, data analysis techniques. Chapter 4: Presentation and
data/findings, data analysis interpretation/discussion of findings. Chapter
5: Summary, conclusion, recommendation.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page - - - - - - - - i
Certification - - - - - - - ii
Dedication - - - - - - - - iii
Acknowledgement - - - - - - - iv
Abstract - - - - - - - - vi
Table of contents - - - - - - - viii
CHAPTER
ONE
1.1 Introduction/Background of the study - 1
1.2 Statement of the study - - - - 7
1.3 Objectives of the study - - - - 9
1.4 Scope of the study - - - - - 10
1.5 Significant of the study - - - - -11
1.6a. Research
Questions - - - - - 12
1.6b. Statement of
Hypothesis - - - - 13
1.7 Definition of terms- - - - - - 14
CHAPTER
TWO
2.1 Literature Review - - - - - - 16
2.2 Selection - - - - - - - 17
2.3 Acquisition - - - - - - - 19
2.4 Acquisition Policy - - - - - - 22
2.5 Cataloguing - - - - - - - 24
2.6 Classification - - - - - - 27
CHAPTER
THREE
3.0 Research Methodology - - - - - 31
3.1
Design of the study - - - - - 31
3.2
Area of study - - - - - - - 32
3.3
Population - - - - - - - 33
3.4
Sample and sampling technique - - - 33
3.5.1 Instrumentation - - - - - 34
3.5.2 Validity of
instrument- - - - - 34
5.5.3 Reliability of
the instrument - - - 35
3.6 Instrument for data collection - - 35
3.7 Distribution
and Retrieval of the instrument 36
3.8 Data analysis technique - - - - 36
CHAPTER FOUR
4.1
Presentation and Data Findings - - - 37
4.2
Data analysis interpretation/Discussion
of finding - - - - - - - - 37
CHAPTER FIVE
Summary,
conclusion and recommendation
5.1
Summary - - - - - - - 48
5.2
Conclusion - - - - - - - 50
5.3
Recommendations - - - - - 50
References
- - - - - - - 52
Appendix
- - - - - - - 55
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND OF THE
STUDY
Evaluation
according to BBC English Dictionary is decision about significant or valuable
something is, based on a careful study of its good and bad features. Evaluation
of technical services means to appraise or analyze the processes a library
material should undergo right from acquisition until the material finally
appear on the shelf for use.
This
project evaluates the technical services of technical service division of Abia
state library board. Before delving into the actual project, it is important to
explain with library is. According to Okorie (1964:101)
Libraries are usually those, whether
municipal, country, regional or national, which are supported by public funds
and open to the general library board.
According to Uba (1973:163) the term “technical
services” in library parlance appears to have tow connotations. Viewed from the
stand point of reference services which industries and technical libraries
offers to their users, on the other hand, it mans the other work of the
technical processing department of libraries-that is, cataloguing and
classification and allied processes. Technical services therefore, refer to all
the activities and processes concern with selecting, obtaining, organizing and
processing of acquired library materials in the library. It is to achieve this
end in the economic way that technical processing which according to him, is a
means to an end service because cataloguing and classification provide the
tools without which information services is impossible. In libraries, the
handling of technical services is always the sole responsibility of the
technical department. According to Harrod [1971] technical services is a
department of a library where the function of a book acquisition, cataloguing, classification
and processing are carried out.
Technical services department in any
library is usually referred to as “behind the screen” department because most
of their activities are carried out of sight of regular users of the library.
Usually, the department is made up of the cataloguing section, acquisition
section, serial section and bindery section. The cataloguing section’s function
is to organize the total library resources by it clientele.
The traditional means for accomplishing
this goal are descriptive cataloguing, subject cataloguing and classification.
This assignment required effective
records preparation with all reasonable economy.
The acquisition section’s function is to
purchase expedition and from the most advantageous vendors the material chosen
or selected, to process materials pre-cataloguing] otherwise procured, and to
forward promptly and to the proper places all materials acquired. This large
business operation must be forwarded economically. The economy involves the
selection of agents, methods purchasing, treatment of return, and sale of
discards. Although, foremost is budget expense control. Technical services activities require the effort of a large
potion of library staff and budget, and it is the “life wire” of any library.
The serial section’s function is
subscribing various journals for the use of the clientele. The various journals
subscribed to the library are selected, ordered, received and processed by the
serial section.
The function of bindery section is to
provide suitable protection for each item added to the collection and to take
action, and also to per-serve it for the use of the future generation.
Harrod [1971:524] also defined it as “A
library provided wholly or partly from public funds, and the user of which is
not restricted to any class of person in the community but it freely available
to all.
Libraries are usually established by
either the local, state or federal government to serve the information needs of
the community in which it located by providing materials both books and
non-book materials. However, the library does not exist for formal education
alone. It exist and must cater for the class of people who are general readers
and those who go to the library for recreation. Unfortunately, in Africa, Nigeria
to be3 precise, public libraries are not properly funded and are under used. In
the wards of Oyedeji [1975:159]. The libraries that exist are for the moment,
mostly glorified classrooms and reading shelters for exam-hungry school boys
and girls who pay little attention, which some of the libraries offer. It is
the basic of this laxity in the use of the library that the researcher decided
to carry this research to find out the reasons why libraries are under used.
The researcher however, chooses the technical services aspects of the problem
with the Abia state library as her case study, while she leaves the other
aspect of the problems for others to conduct future research on them. As
earlier said in this topic, the library is establish to provide both book and
non-book materials, and services that will in the present and in the future
contribute to the aims and objectives of the library.
1.2
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Abia as a state has some problems to
consider economic bedrock, one of the most populated industrialized and
civilized state in Nigeria.
According to Smith (978: 2) the researcher trends some of its development, it
thus become of interest to her especially of the technical services of the Abia
State Library Board in the organization of its resources for effective
dissemination of information to meet the varied need of its numerous clientele.
However,
the researcher before going into the research envisaged some outstanding that
may be glaring, ad these problems are:
i.
Inadequate
acquisition of materials.
ii.
Lack of adequate
budgeting allocation
iii.
Lack of
qualified cataloguers
iv.
Lack of the
correct number and types of staff to achieved its set objectives.
v.
Lack of library
co-operation in technical processes.
vi.
Poor/lack of
binding services.
vii. Lack of well written selection policy
viii. Lack of effective user education/orientation on the
use of the catalogue.
ix.
Technical
services department are policy equipped tools.
1.3
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The objectives of this study have
summarized under the following.
1.
To evaluate the
technical services of Abia State Library Board
2.
To survey the
organization of the technical department of the Abia State Library.
3.
To find out the
problems that hinder the effective technical services of the Abia State Library
Board and to offer suggestions on how best to arrest the situation.
4.
To highlight the
roles expected of a technical services department of a standard library.
5.
To find out the
general staffing position of the technical services of library.
6.
To evaluate
specifically the importance of the catalogue, its adequacy as a finding tool to
the patrons and its users.
1.4
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This project is limited to the study of
technical services of Abia State Library Board.
There are some aspect of the problem
facing technical services in a public library, which the researcher would have
cared to investigate and finding possible solution to them, but acting director
was first appointed the acting director of Abia State Library services
following the recommendation of the Board, members to the ministry of
education. On assumption of office, he immediately recalled to the headquarters
the only cataloguer of the library in the person of Mr. James E. Nwosu from one
of our out station libraries where he served for effectiveness of the technical
services department of the library.
1.5
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The researcher discovered that
organization of resources in libraries is regrettably too inadequate. To this
end, the significance of the study is to bring to awareness, some of these
lapses in technical services using in Abia State Library Board as a case study
since this is the most challenging aspect of librarianship and library services
to the people, and suggesting ways to correcting these lapses and finally
contribute to the frontiers of knowledge in this field.
Students of librarianship as well as
professional libraries and library staff will definitely find this work
valuable for both professional and organization efficiency even the general
public.
1.6
A) RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
1.
How adequate is
the budgetary allocation of the technical services department?
2.
Does the
technical services department process books and non-book materials acquired by
the library?
3.
Do you have
enough professional cataloguers in the technical services?
4.
Does the library
keep a written selection policy?
5.
What are the
effects of inadequate supply of library materials?
6.
What level
cataloguing description does your library use?
1.6 B) STATEMENT
OF HYPOTHESIS
i. The technical section of the library is
not in good condition because of inadequate financial investment on the
section.
ii. The technical section do not make use of
classification scheme due to lack of fund.
1.7
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Let us therefore define the following operational
terms so that they will mean the same thing to different people at different
times.
Evaluation: This is decision about how significant or
valuable something is, based on a careful study of its good and bad.
Library Material:
The term is used to refer to a collection of books and other materials keep
reading, studying and consultation.
Technical Services:
An umbrella term which takes care of all the process a library material should
undergo right from acquisition until the material finally appear on the shelf
for use.
Library: It is a place where books, journals,
microfilms, audio and visual materials and computer data and terminals are kept
and organized to support the cultural, information, recreational and
educational needs of the general public or specific groups of users.
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