THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF AN AUTOMATED LIBRARY APPLICATION SOFTWARE FOR SAMARU PUBLIC LIBRARY, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY ZARIA
THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF AN AUTOMATED LIBRARY APPLICATION SOFTWARE FOR SAMARU PUBLIC LIBRARY, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY ZARIA
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Date
2001-11
Authors
KAZAURE, USMAN MUHAMMAD
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Abstract
Public libraries are local centers of information, learning, and recreation.
Their roles include helping to promote reading habits among the community
they serve and also facilitate easy access to information. Therefore, they are
usually stocked with variety of information resources, which are accordingly
arranged for easy retrieval and access. Their services are regardless of age,
religion, nationality or social status. However, the present age of information
and publication explosion in different forms and format has made it difficult
for public libraries and indeed other types of libraries to perform their roles
of facilitating easy retrieval and access to information resources and services
without automation.
This research project adopted two research methods, case study and
operational research methods. The case study was adopted so as to study the
operations and analyze the problems of the samaru public library. The
findings from this are that the information resources in the samaru public
library are over fifteen thousands titles of books, maps, pictures, journals,
newspapers, video cassettes and a television set. The samaru public library
has over five thousand users from Ahmadu Bello University Community,
Bassawa, Palladan, Samaru, and Bomo villages. The samaru public library
has six members of staff, one professional, two Para-professionals, one
library assistant, one typist and one messenger/cleaner. The Library uses
Author/Title catalogue and subject catalogue as retrieval devices. It uses the
Dewey Decimal Classification Scheme and Anglo American Cataloguing
rule II for classification of information materials and for catalogue
respectively.
The second research method used was the operational research methods.
Based on the findings of the case study the operational research method was
adopted to develop a computer-based library application system for samaru
public library using dBase iv software. The developed software (SPLAS) has
four modules for library acquisition, cataloguing, circulation and
reports/inquiry. Each module has menus and sub-menus.
In order to ensure utilization of the developed software by both the library
staff and users, simple and direct interactive language was adopted. The
software developed (SPLAS) has 45 program tiles, 6 database files,
containing more than seventy five (75) fields.
The SPLAS was tested and found to be adaptable to the library under the
study. The experience gained from the demonstration shows that the
software can be adaptable to other public libraries and indeed other libraries
too. Its application is found to be easy because it is user friendly and cost
less when compared to other library software in the market. In the light of
the above it can be concluded that our public libraries in Nigeria can go for
automation within their limited resources. They need not wait till they have
millions of Naira to buy a turnkey systems.
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LIBRARY
AND INFORMATION SCIENCE, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY
ZARIA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE MASTER DEGREE
OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
DEPARTMENT OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE,
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY,
ZARIA
Keywords
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT,, AUTOMATED LIBRARY,, APPLICATION SOFTWARE,, SAMARU PUBLIC LIBRARY,, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY,, Zaria