Evaluation of Automated Applications and Their Effects on Cataloguing and Classification Practices in Selected Academic Libraries in Southwest, Nigeria
Author : Oladele Joseph Odeyemi and Aliyuapemi MusaVolume 8 No.2 July-September 2018 pp 54-60
Abstract
Academic library automation is germane to achieving the main objectives of setting it. Development of Information Communications and Technology is playing a crucial role in the restructuring of libraries. Shift from human dependent operations to machine dependency, mechanization (data processing) to knowledge processing, and astand-alone system to network computing. This study is majorly designed to evaluate the automated applications deployed and used in the selected academic library and to determine the influence of them on the cataloguing and classification in the academic library. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The purposive sampling technique was used to select a total of 75 respondents, out of which only 67 copies were retrieved and used for data analysis. The descriptive frequency counts and percentages were used to analyse and answer the three (2) formulated research questions. The following are some of the applications in cataloguing section: computer, local area network, internet connectivity, servers, printers, and bar code readers. The influence of automation in the selected academic libraries cannot be overemphasized. The extent of the influence includes positive and negative; however, the positive influence overruled the negative ones. The positive ones include the facts that: it has helped improve interpersonal relationship; cataloguers are more satisfied with their jobs; there is improved cooperation in the library; cataloguers feel like professionals even when they are yet to be one; their self-esteem is being boosted, thereby making them feel important; library para-professional routines become more routine and less flexible; and that it makes a whole lot of difference with respect to cataloguing. The negative influence includes the fact that automation results in some health hazard like technostress as a result of sitting for long. Recommendations were made, based on the findings that; automation grants should be made available to academic libraries so as to make them fully automated in all their activities; libraries that are yet to imbibe automation should do so as digitisation has become the growing trend in the world today, more importantly, because of its numerous benefits.
Keywords
Academic Libraries, Cataloguing, Librarians, Applications and Automated systems
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References
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