GNS 211 – INFORMATION SCIENCE

DIVISIONS
OLM – Organization of Library Materials.
LIS – Library and Information Science.
CD – Collective Development.
ULR – Use of Library Resources.
INFORMATION RETRIEVAL SYSTEM (MANUAL)
The following are features of a textbook:
 Title: is a short summary in a phrase form indicating the contents of the entire
book.
 Author: is the owner of the book.
 Edition.
 Publisher.
 Place of Publication.
 Year of Publication: It tells us how recent the book is. The newer the book, the
better the content.
 Pagination.
 ISBN: International Standard Book Number.
 ISSN: International Standard Serial Number.
 ISNN: International Standard Note Number.
All the above features are collectively called the “Bibliography of a Book”.
The list of library collection is known as “Library Catalogue”. This is classified into the
following:
 Access Point/Main Entry:
- Author title
- Subject entry
the tool used in a catalogue card is known as AACR2 – Anglo-American
Cataloguing Rule 2nd Edition.
 Location Symbol: Symbols are used to locate a book or books in a shelf. Such
symbols are:
Rem – Reference material.
Doc – Document section.
Rsv – Reserve section.
Ser – Serial section.
 Class Mark: Every knowledge belongs to a particular group. Thus, the process of
putting bodies of knowledge into the group they belong to is termed “Class Mark”.
  Library of Congress (classification scheme): This scheme uses alphabets (A - Z) and
numerals e.g QA23 to classify library contents. It is divided into main classes and
sub-classes. Q may stand for ‘General sciences’ and QA is ‘Mathematical sciences’
or QB for ‘Biological sciences’. The numerals explains the kind of mathematics the
book talks about.

COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT (CD)

It is a systematic way of building up library materials in order to meet the
information needs of the users or to support teaching, learning and research of the parent
institution.
OBJECTIVES OF COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT
 To provide relevant and up-to-date information resources.
 To develop materials that are related to science and technology courses that are
offered in the institution.
 To serve as check and balance in the book selection process.
 To develop collections in selected areas of discipline.
 To develop general collections for recreation and pleasure reading.
PRINCIPLES AND POLICIES OF COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT
 Selection of material.
 Bibliographic searching and verification.
 Assigning purchase order.
 Placing order.
 Receiving library materials.
 Returning books to the supplier.
 Payment for supplied library materials.
 Processing of library materials using assertion number and classification number.
 Book labelling (giving it ownership stamping, accession number and taken to the
cataloguing unit).
SOURCES OF ACQUIRING LIBRARY COLLECTIONS

 Purchase
 Gifts and donations (solicited and unsolicited)
 Exchange/trade by barter: this is a situation whereby two or more librarians
collaborate and interchange materials of courses they both have. E.g if a university
offers law but not medicine and has limited books on law and medicines, it
exchanges its materials on medicine to a university who offers medicine but not
law, and in turn the university who offers medicine but not law gives it materials
on law to the former university.
  Legal deposit: it is a mandatory law (according to the 1970 constitution, Section
4, Act no. 29, page 1 – 7) which dictates that for every book published within the
country (Nigeria), certain copies of the book must be deposited to the National
Library, Abuja. 25 copies from a Federal Government Publication, 15 from a State
Government publication and 3 copies from private/individual publications. Three
(3) copies may then be deposited to the University of Ibadan, Oyo State.
 Bequest: this is a situation whereby a certain individual writes a will before death,
stating that all his personal collections of books should be deposited to a particular
library.
 Endowment: this is the appeal for books by a library.
 Membership: some libraries acquire books through membership to a particular
association e.g NLA (Nigerian Library Association).
 Inter-library loan: this is the loaning of an unavailable book from a library co-
operative by a user/librarian for a particular period of time.
 Government intervention.
SOURCES OF FUNDING THE LIBRARY COLLECTIONS
 Government intervention
 Government grants: it is the allocations given to every institution in which 30% is
for the library.
 Miscellaneous: the library might have a way of acquiring revenue on money e.g.
through fine towards the growth of the library.
 Endowment/appeal fund
 Gifts and donations.
CHALLENGES / PROBLEMS OF COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT
 Inadequate staffing
 Lack of fund
 Lack of space
 Lack of cooperation from the government
 Lack of cooperation of the book vendors.
 LIBRARY
Definition of Library
Library implies a place set apart for reading or reference, and by extension a
collection of books and other informational materials. Library can also be a collection of
books and other forms of records housed, organized and interpreted to meet the brother
needs and varying needs. Library can also be seen as an organization of a place set aside
for reading, research and by collection of books and other forms of reports for knowledge
and significant information.
Definition of Information
Information is a term that is difficult to define because it has several dimensions.
Information means many things to different people. To some people, information is data,
to other people, information is news and still to other people, information is fact.
Library associate information with a cordial relationship and knowledge.
Information increase state of knowledge of a recipient. Information is used in resolving
uncertainty. All publications on a given subject is information.
CHARACTERISTICS OF INFORMATION
1) Information can be seen as a process when it is performing the function of informing
which involve transmitting information from a source to the recipient or media.
2) It is a knowledge when it is performing the role of impacting knowledge to an individual
where it reduces uncertainty.
3) You can regard information as an object such as data or document.
THE ROLE OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION CENTRES TO THE SOCIETY
 One of the fundamental role of library and information centers is to provide
information to its users through information resources available in the library.
 The information resources acquired must reflect the information needs of its
community.
 The members of the community have different informational needs to satisfy these
needs.
 Educating and entertaining the community.
TYPES OF LIBRARY
Libraries are categorized into different types based on the target audience. The
different types of libraries are as follows;
1) Academic library
2) School library
3) National library
4) Special library
5) Public library
ACADEMIC LIBRARY: these are libraries that are attached to post-secondary school
institutions. They are categorized into two namely;
 University Library
 Non-University library: such as polytechnics, colleges of education, school of
nursing, adult and non-formal institutions etc. they perform the functions related
to the objectives of each institution establishing it e.g. university library has the
objective of supporting the objectives of a university which are in the area of
learning, teaching, research and services.
SCHOOL LIBRARY: these are libraries attached to the pre-primary schools, primary
schools and secondary schools. A school library caters for children who are eager to read
and also for backward children (those with difficulties) who require virtual aid and all
kind of incentives to studies. These libraries contain more of audiovisual or graphic
materials, drawings and pictorial materials such as pictures, photographs, diagrams etc.
than any other library. Other materials that may be found in a school library includes
books, magazines, newspapers etc.

Main Purpose of School Library

a) To encourage the reading habit of a learner (children).
b) To develop in pupil’s the ability to learn from books (the basic) without teachers.
c) To build social training.
NATIONAL LIBRARY: The National Library is supposed to be an apex library of the
country. The principal function of National Library is to serve as the depository of all
copyright publication within the country. This facilitates the publications that the library
of a national bibliography (catalogue) of the country on an annual basis. Other functions;
 It will serve as national center for translation.
 Leadership roles.
 Production of union catalogue.
 National coordinating center for library cooperatives.
 Production of Catalogue In Production (CIP).
SPECIAL LIBRARY: these are established to meet the highly specialized requirement of
professional or business group. A library is special depending on whether it covers a
specialized collection of subject (like maps, resume, archives etc.) or particular group of
users or even the type of organization. A library that collects only films, objects etc. can
also be called a Special Library.

PUBLIC LIBRARY: this is also known as Universal libraries. It is not restricted to any
group of users. It is expected to serve all kinds of users including young children and
people with disabilities. They are generally financed and supported by governmental
organizations. Services is provided without any form of discrimination based on gender,
race as well as the intellectual, cultural and recreational center of a community. It
provides free services to all unlike the other libraries which is restricted to only a
particular set of persons.
 LIBRARY RESOURCES AND SECTIONS IN A LIBRARY

Library resources are the informational materials available in the library. They can
be in printed format e.g. journals, reports etc. or non-printed format e.g. CDs, audio-
visuals, slides, microfilms, E-library etc.

There are different sections in a library. Materials are kept in these sections
according to their types and uses.

 E – Library
 Circulation Section: books that are bulky are kept there and users are allowed to use
the materials in the circulation section.
 Reserve Section: expensive, rare materials which are few in numbers are kept here
and users are not allowed to take them out of the library and are not to be borrowed
by users but can be used by the users for two (2) hours. This is to prolong their life
span as they are only few copies of them.
 Reference Section: these are materials that are only referred to for specific
information e.g. dictionaries, encyclopedias, biographies, reports etc. users are also
not allowed to borrow these materials out of the library for one’s use but can be
photocopied. All categories of users are allowed to use materials in this section.
 Document Section: These includes undergraduate projects, thesis, reports,
dissertations etc. and not all category of users are allowed into this section. Only final
year students and researchers are allowed access. There are also not to be borrowed
out of the library and also not to be photocopied.
 Serial Section: materials known as “Periodicals” (materials published quarterly,
weekly, annually or monthly) are kept in this section. Categories allowed are also final
year students and researchers. This is because materials here are fragile and
expensive. There are current and primary sources of information.
 Programming Section.
 Re-programming Section: this is the section where we do lamination, photocopy and
printing of files or assignments.

NB: Students are given 3 borrower cards and are expected to bring back the books
after 2 weeks. Staffs (lecturers) are given 6 borrower’s cards and are expected to
bring back the book after 6 weeks or after a whole semester.
 USE OF LIBRARY RESOURCES

Definition of terms

Library: it is an organization charged with the responsibility of the selection, acquisition,

processing, organization and storage of library materials and making the materials readily
available for users.

Library Resources: these are informational materials available in the library. Library
materials can be in print or non-printed format. Examples of the printed format are the
textbooks, journals, newspaper, dictionaries, encyclopedias etc. The non-printed format
includes films, slides, microfilm, video, internet etc.

Library resources are kept in different sections in the library according to their
type. For example;

Circulation Section: materials for general users are kept in the circulation section where
all categories of users are free to browse the shelves and pick the materials of their choice.
Overnight loan is allowed for the materials in circulation section. Loan transactions take
place at the circulation counter.

Reserve Section: Expensive materials, rare materials and materials without multiple
copies are kept in the reserve section to prolong their lifespan and to give equal
opportunity to users for using the materials. Users are not allowed to pick the reserve
materials from the shelf, library assistant is assigned to pick the materials for them. Users
are allowed to use the materials for two hours only. Overnight loan is not allowed.

Serial Section: Serial publications are kept in the serial sections for consultation. Serial
publications are the materials published quarterly, monthly, weekly or daily, such as
journals, bulletins, newspapers, magazines, reviews etc. Some of these materials are
expensive and fragile, they need to be handled with care as such, only final year students
and lecturers are allowed to use the materials for research and project.

Document Section: This is where projects, thesis and dissertations are housed for
consultations by lecturers and final year students. Here, the user is not allowed to
photocopy the material and overnight loan is not allowed. He/she can only sit and read or
jot down the points he/she wants to use.

Reference Section: This is where reference materials are kept as encyclopedia, dictionary,
biography, gazetteers etc. As the name implies, reference materials are only to be referred
to for specific information. They are not to be read from cover to cover.

Bindery Section: Torn and worn printed materials are repaired and re-bound in the
bindery.
 Audio-Visual Unit: This unit housed non-printed information materials such as films,
slides, microfiche, video cassettes etc. Students are allowed to view the materials by using
film/slide projector, microfiche reader, video machine and television set available in the
unit.

E – Library: This is where set of computers are made readily available for users to browse
and access information through the internet.

USER REGISTRATION

All intending users of the library have to register and obtain the Library
Identification Card before he/she can have access to the library collection.

For students, the requirements for the registration are; a copy of the admission
letter, copy of course registration form and two passport photographs. After registration,
student will be issued with the Library I.D. Card which he/she will present at the entrance
whenever coming into the library. The student will also be issued three borrower’s card.
With these, he/she is eligible to borrow up to three books at a time for home use.

Students are allowed to borrow the books for 2 weeks after which they should
return the books, if they exceed, they will pay fine. However, they are allowed to renew
the loan.

Lecturers are given six borrower’s cards. Their loan period is six weeks but they
can retain the materials up to the end of a semester.

DOs and DONTs in the Library

I. Use proper dress when coming into the library.

II. Do not wear noisy shoes.
III. Present your I.D Card to the porter at the entrance.
IV. Do not make noise in the library.
V. Do not eat food or throw away sweet wrappers in the library.
VI. Do not return consulted material on to the shelf, leave it on the table.
VII. Handle all materials with care.
VIII. Do not steal or mutilate library materials.