1.0 Introduction
The library is a social institute that is in charge with the responsibility of acquiring, organizing, storing, preserving, and dissemination information storing in human intellectual record.
Certain internal operation in the library like CIRCULATION which involves cataloguing, indexing, charging in, charging out, referencing etc, need to be done quickly effectively and functionally to serve and to meet up with the information needed by the students. Computer being an electronic device that has the capability of processing information at a higher speed can be introduced in the library to improve its internal operations. This will reduce the operation of the library like: processing of documents for acquisition ordering and control of serials and monographs as well as accounts for the materials.
Generation and maintenance of list and records of many types including library catalogue, acquisition, list, index and subject shelf and list.
In view of the importance of effective library system, this study offers some possible ways of solving some of these fundamental associated with the library circulation system, using federal collage of agriculture Ishiagu library as an example.
1.1 Background Of The Study
Federal college of Agriculture Ishiagu library is among the 13 academic libraries in college of Agriculture in Nigeria today. The origin of the library is traced from the inception of school of Agriculture established in 1955 at Umudike, Umuahia by the Eastern Nigeria Government. The library started as a repository where official research reports are deposited.
Over the years, the institution metamorphosed into federal Agriculture Research and training station in 1972 and was funded by Federal ministry of Agriculture and National Research. Education courses run by the school were 2year Diploma or Assistant Agricultural superintendent course and short course in poultry, piggery, vegetable gardening , rubber tapping /processing , farm machine operations and tractors driving .
In 1975, the school was made the training wing of the national root crops research institute and was administered as such in form 1976. This development gave the library the status of a college / academic library. In 1992, it was transferred with other colleges of Agriculture as the supervising, ministry. In 1993 the institution was relocated to Ishiagu, then in Abia State, through a ministerial order by the Federal government. The college library moved to its permanent site in 1995 along with the institution to Ishiagu as Federal college of Agriculture now in Ebonyi State.
Development of the college library influenced the growth and development of Federal college of Agriculture Ishiagu, both in term of its size, capacity and collection. The library which is administered and maintained by professional, Para− professional and supportive staff is the hub and focal point of academic activities in several short course programme in agriculture disciplines and in nine accredited departments of the institution.
The library has about 300,000 collections in agriculture related subject areas and some electronic equipment. Adoption of information communication Technology, in the in- house operation and management of the library, among others influenced the desire for digitization of past question paper and students essay.
Digitization in the view of Odegbain (2002) is the conversion of the physical medium into a digital representation of the physical medium while (Lan and David, 2003) noted that digitization is the process of taking library materials that are in form of books or papers and converting them to the electronic form, where they can be stored and manipulated by a computer. Digitization therefore refers to all the processes involved in creating digital information from the conventional form. It makes library collection on the available online, in a form that allows it to be manipulated for improved retrieval and delivered (for instance in a sound file) in ways that traditional library material version cannot.
1.2 Statement Of Problem
The library has been encountering many problems in CIRCULATION UNIT. Such problems are loss of books through theft by the students, error in recording due to non− standard filling system through human in capabilities. But with the application of computer in control of the library’s circulation unit, it will eliminate the above mentioned problem then the library will be in good position to ensure free flow of information to the library users.
1.3 Objective Of The Study
This project is aimed at overcoming the problems associated with the operation of the library, studying how the old manual system is used in the CIRCULATION UNIT and improving the system by the application of computer as information retrieval in the library.
1.4 Scope And Limitation
The study covers the aspect of CIRCULATION UNIT of library where charging − in, Discharging − out in the library is carried out. It centers on federal collage of agriculture Ishiagu library as a case study.
1.5 Importance Of The Study
This project will aid those who wish to know how computer is applied to the library. This will equally support new staff that doesn’t know how to use computerize library especially the CIRCULATION UNIT.
1.6 Definition Of Term
Charging Out System:
This is when books are giving out. But when they are returned at the expiration of their loan period, it is said to have been discharge.
Discharging:
This is the process of returning books from the library at the expiration of the expiration of their loan period.
Circulation System:
This is the continuous flow of library materials from the library to the borrower and from the borrower back to the library.
Cataloging:
This is the process of given physical description to materials in a manner which aids identification and retrieval of materials in the collection.
Catalogue:
This is primarily an index to a library’s collection. It provides a complete list of all the materials in the library.
Library Materials:
This refers to all library resources namely, book learned / technical journals, prints graphics manuscript, Audio-visuals, Recording Microforms, pamphlet, Digital media etc.
Card Catalogue:
This is the mostly used from of catalogue; it is made up cards measuring 7.5cm (or 3”x5). Each card contains a separate entry for each book or other item.
Book Catalogue:
This is a printed catalogue in book form. The materials are first of all catalogued before they are organized and listed for printing.
Computer:
This is an electronic device which accepts data as an input, process data, and stores and retrieves data as output.
Flow Chart:
This is a graphical representation of algorithm using symbols.
Algorithm:
An algorithm is a finite and logical sequence of steps towards solving a problem.
Call Number:
This is a combination of the classification of number or author mark to distinguish it from other books in the same class.
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