GNS 103: USE OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION RESOURCES

INTRODUCTION

GN S103 - Use of Library and Information Resources is a ONE CREDIT UNIT

REQUIRED course for all the students. It gives an insight into what the Library is, its
organization and how to make use of the Library and the resources provided.
The course is most useful as a foundation course for fresh students as they are able to better
grasp the basic ideas behind the functions of the library and what it stands for as an
entity/unit that can enhance their academic success.

Course Aim
 The main aim of this course is to enable the learner appreciate the whole essence of
the library in order to:
 Better understand the operations of the library as an entity that provides services to
satisfy her users’ information needs.
 Judiciously utilize library facilities
 Quickly and easily access needed information resources
.
Definition(s) of Library
A Library is a collection of books and non-book materials, systematically organized through
the use of codes (rules) and schemes for the provision of services for users or clientele.
It can also be seen as a designated building where information in print and in other formats
are collected, organized, carefully prepared according to some specific or definite plan, and
made accessible for reading and consultation by all ages and interests.
Library contains records of human culture in diverse format and languages, preserved,
organized and interpreted to meet broad and varying needs of individuals for information,
knowledge, recreations and aesthetic enjoyment.
It can be seen from the above definitions that four different components make up the library.
These components are:
i. The books and related materials or library resources
ii. The personnel who organizes the books for use
iii. The place or building where the books and others are housed
Iv The clientele (users) who make use of the library

Functions of the Library

You can use a library for the following purposes:

i. to get information for your class work, assignments, project, term papers, and several
other things.
ii. to read books, journals, newspapers, and magazine.
iii. for reference services, loan, current awareness service, photocopying, binding of
books .
iv. Source of recreation to the users.
v. Give instruction on the Use of Library in either formal classes or lectures, aiding
readers in the use of library catalogue, reference books, other materials and facilities.
vi. Promote and preserve culture and traditions through its acquisitions and biographic
services.
TYPES OF LIBRARIES

Libraries could be grouped into six (6) distinct categories. Each type is unique and performs
given role. Some functions are common to all libraries while others are tailored to meet the
special requirements of the owners. They are as follows:

1. SCHOOL LIBRARIES
These are libraries set up in nursery, primary and secondary schools to cater for the
teaching and learning interest of the pupils, students and their teachers. The resources
in school libraries include books, pamphlets, periodicals, newspapers, magazines,
games, toys as well as visual materials to develop the reading habits and language
skills.

2. PRIVATE LIBRARIES
These are libraries owned by individuals or organizations like churches. The ones
owned by individuals arise out of either the owner’s educational, political or
economic activities or out of the desire to offer services to the public on a commercial
basis. Private libraries belongs to organizations to support the work done in the
organization e.g. evangelization. Collections of private libraries are usually special in
nature and reflect the interests of its owner or proprietor.

Examples of private libraries include: The Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo Library at
Ikenne which was bequeathed to Olabisi Onabanjo University Law Library.

3. NATIONAL LIBRARY
This is the library owned by a sovereign nation or state. It caters for the information
needs of the country and has legal deposit right, that is, right to acquire all the
publications made by individuals and organizations within the country, no matter the
subject and all publications about Nigeria made by individuals or organizations
overseas, no matter their nationality. National Libraries do not lend books and other
materials to individuals however, they could lend materials to organizations like
universities, or other bodies in the country on long term basis. They are established
primarily to preserve the intellectual output (in form of publications) of the country
for posterity. The task of a national library is to ensure that all engaged in political,
economic scientific, educational, social or cultural activities receive the necessary
information to enable them render their fullest contribution to the whole community.
National libraries are expected to provide leadership role in all the countries where
they are established.

4. SPECIAL LIBRARIES
These are also referred to as Research Libraries. These libraries are set up to serve
specialist groups, research institutions or associations. They have a definable subject
interests, that is, have specified subject interest which is usually narrow in scope or
serve the interest of the public on a narrow discipline.
Examples of special libraries are:
 Nigerian Institute of International Affairs Library, Lagos.
 Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi Library.

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5. PUBLIC LIBRARIES
These are libraries set up with public funds to provide services for all and sundry in
the community. They are owned by state or local government to cater for the
information, educational and recreational needs of the inhabitants. As the name
implies, everybody is allowed to make use of public library resources subject to local
regulations. For example, the UNESCO public manifesto states that;
They are maintained by public funds, and no direct charge should be made to anyone
for its services. To fulfill its purposes, the public library must be readily accessible
and its doors open for free and equal use by all members of the community regardless
of race, color, nationality, age, sex, religion, language, status or educational
attainment. Every state is responsible for establishing and maintaining public libraries
by law. They also serve the interest of nursery and primary school children.

6. ACADEMIC LIBRARIES
These are libraries that serve tertiary institutions like universities, polytechnics,
colleges of education, technical colleges, major seminaries, theological colleges,
college of agriculture, college of forestry, college of fisheries etc. They are all
attached to the parent organizations in helping them meet their academic objectives.
The objectives of academic libraries are to serve the staff (academic, non-academic
and administrators), students and members of the community. Academic libraries
differ from one another in their coverage and services. Because of the wide variety of
subjects taught and possible researches, university libraries have huge collection of
books, journals, maps, atlases, newspapers, government publication, manuscripts,
clippings of all types as well as audio-visual resources.
University Libraries are the best funded and best developed libraries in Nigeria today.

FUNCTIONS
a. Helping the parent organization meet its academic goals and objectives which are
teaching, publication and research activities to support the school's
curriculum/research of the university Faculties/Colleges and students. In carrying out
this function effectively, they acquire, organize, store and disseminate information
materials that contain knowledge.
b. Provide reference services, loan, current awareness services and other services.
c. Source of recreation to the users.
d. Provide and maintain library catalogue.
e. Provide convenient accommodation for in-house use of materials.
f. Give instruction on the Use of Library in either formal classes or lectures, aiding
readers in the use of library catalogue, reference books, other materials and facilities.
g. Encourage students to develop lifelong habits of good reading, inquiry and research.
h. Promote and preserve culture and traditions through its acquisitions and biographic
services.

ORGANIZATION OF UNIVERSITY LIBRARY SYSTEM

Using Osun State University Library as an example
Osun State University is a multi-campus institution operating collegiate system, and so the
library system is decentralized. There is a library in each of the six campuses namely:
Osogbo, Okuku, Ikire, Ejigbo, Ipetu-Ijesa and Ifetedo. The main library is located at Osogbo
and it coordinates the activities of all the other campus libraries and ensures that they all work
together to achieve the missions and vision of the university which is to.

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DEPARTMENTS/DIVISIONS OF THE LIBRARY
The Library is divided into different departments/divisions. These include:

Administrative Department
This department is concerned with the administrative functions of the library. It is being
headed by the University Librarian

Acquisition Department/Division
This unit is concerned with the selection and purchase of information bearing materials.
Books are accessioned in this section. It keeps a complete and up-to-date record of such
books and other reading materials.

Technical Services Division

Catalogue and process the acquired resources/materials for users to have quick and easy
access to the library holdings. The unit is responsible for the behind the scenes work to get
library items ready for use. At Osun State University Library, this division also has a unit
called database/card production unit which coordinates the productions of catalogue card and
making sure that the library OPAC (Online Public Access Catalogue) is functioning well.

Readers Services Division

Provision of resource materials for the use of clients/users is the sole duty of this division.
This division is made up of the Circulation section and Reference section. They are
responsible for registering users, issuing library cards, checking books out, checking them
back in, and organizing them on the shelves.

The first point of call of any user into the library is this division i.e. the circulatory/enquiry
desk. This is the place where queries are raised by users in respect of a required title of books
or serials or other non-book materials, whether available or not in the Library. The circulation
desk or unit is also the place for ‘charging and discharging’ books. In addition, registration
of the readers of the library takes place in this unit.
In summary, the Circulation section performs the following functions:
· Registers new members, issues borrowers cards and renews membership cards etc.
· Issue and receipt of reading material, to and from the members only.
· Collects delay fines for overdue books.
· Sends reminders for overdue books.
· Informs the members about the reading material reservation.
· Settles cases regarding the books lost or damaged by the members.
· Prepares defaulter lists and sends them to the Heads of the concerned teaching
Departments to detain their roll number till they clear their accounts with the library.
· Issues the Library Clearance Certificate.
· Checks incoming and outgoing materials thoroughly.
· Helps the library users in finding the required material and guides them in the use
of library catalogue.
· Shelves the reading material on the racks that had been returned by the borrowers
and taken from the shelves for reading.
· Keeps statistics of daily transactions.

Reference section deals with users’ enquiry and also assists the users in making use of the
reference materials available in the Library.

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Serials Division
This division stocks serials publications such as periodicals (newspapers and magazines,
etc.), pamphlets and academic journals on the various subject fields. This division, on behalf
of the library, does subscription to periodicals and journals.

Serials titles are for consultation within the library and not loan-able. Library patrons are
advised to leave all consulted serials publications on the tables. Unlike books, only current
issues of journals are displayed on shelves.

STAFF IN THE LIBRARY

Professional Staff
University Librarian
Deputy University Librarian
Principal Librarian
Senior Librarian
Librarian I
Librarian II
Assistant Librarian
Para-professional Staff (Senior Staff)
Chief Library Officer
Principal Library Officer
Senior Library Officer
Higher Library Officer
Library Officer

Junior Staff
Library Assistant
Library Attendant
Library Porter

Secretariat/Supporting Staff
Secretaries, Clerical Officers, and Office Attendants.

SERVICES RENDERED BY THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

The totalities of all activities that take place in a standard library are geared towards meeting
users’ needs. Librarians as much as possible meet these needs through journal circulations,
contents lists, indexing and abstracting services, displays current awareness services,
selective dissemination of information, literature searches, catalogues, bibliographies,
Readers Advisory Services etc.

The desire of every functional library is to adequately cater for the information needs of the
target users. Towards achieving this, the university / academic library performs the following
services.

1. LENDING SERVICES: This is the opportunity open to users or clients to borrow

certain number of books for a specified number of days or period of time. Reserved
books, reference materials and serials publications are not for loan. In the case of
UNIOSUN, students are expected to burrow two (2) books for two (2) weeks and
academic staff up to four (4) books for two (2) weeks renewable every two weeks.

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2. BOOK RESERVATON SERVICE: This concerns books in constant demand by
patrons which are normally removed from the open shelves and placed in reserved
book shelves commonly located within the circulation desk. This service is to ensure
that a large number of users have access to the few copies of essential texts available.

3. REFERENCE AND READERS’ ADVISORY SERVICES: This service involves

provision of information requested by clientele or library users and referring (them)
clientele to appropriate information sources, towards assisting them in solving their
research problems. The effectiveness of delivery of these services depend on the
extent of the available collection, the cadre of personnel (librarians) and the kind of
queries from the patrons.

 Reference services include searching for information sources, compiling

bibliographies and reading lists, annotating abstracts and indexing materials and to
develop and augment reference collections.
 Readers’ Advisory Services include assistance rendered to clientele with regard to
library facilities and services requested for.

4. INTER-LIBRARY LOANS (ILL): This service involve requesting for needed texts
from sister libraries on mutual agreements. This request is usually favored provided
the lender has multiple copies of such text to be loaned while the procedure of such
exchange could be either by hand delivery or postage. The service is costly but very
effective f a courier van is available for inter-library loan.

No library is self-sufficient in terms of material resources for its users, thus, every
academic library is encouraged to go into inter-library cooperation with other
neighboring libraries. Under this arrangement, every cooperating library will have
easy access to the resources of other cooperator (lender).

5. REPROGRAPHIC SERVICES: Photocopying, microfilming etc. are examples of

this service and are aimed at fostering effective duplication and preservation of
collections. These services also ensure effective security of the few but highly costly
collections of the library.

6. CURRENT AWARENESS SERVICES (CAS): These are services which enable

clientele to have access to some useful information that are vital to their academic
advancement e.g. advertisement about scholarships, research grants, fellowships etc.
The clientele also have the opportunity to be informed about the newly acquired titles
which usually displayed on separate shelves and commonly labeled “New Arrivals”,
“Recent Accessions”.
7. LIBRARY ORIENTATION: This s intended to introduce the patrons, users,
clientele to the collection and operations of the library and how to effectively utilize
the services provided therein. It is usually organized at least once in an academic year,
to all fresh staff and student of a given parent institution that the library serve. All
fresher are usually mobilized to participate in this programme, to advance their career
development while still in the educational set-up.

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 ETHICS OF LIBRARY USE (LIBRARY RULES)
These are rules and regulations which guide the day-to-day operations in a library. These
normally include rules governing conduct in the library and conditions for using the library.
The rules are as follows:

1. The need to comply with registration procedure with the library to become a bonafide
user.
2. The Reader’s Ticket is the passport to the library, it must be produced on entering the
library, or demand by any member of the library staff.
3. Reader’s ticket is not transferable. Readers are liable for all transactions made on their
tickets.
4. Library users are expected to leave all consulted books, periodicals and journal on the
table.
5. Library users are liable to checking at the security checkpoint both on entering and
leaving the library.
6. All readers must enter and leave the library through the main door.
7. No reader should enter any part of the library marked for “Staff Only” except by
permission.
8. Silence must be observed in and around the library premises.
9. Smoking, eating and drinking are forbidden in the library.
10. Use of mobile phones within the library is strictly prohibited.
11. The use of any form of naked light in the library is prohibited.
12. The reservation of library seats are not allowed.
13. Orderly conduct must be observed at all times in the library.
14. Library books are available for borrowing provided they have undergone due
processing for their discharge at the circulation desk.
15. All burrowed books are expected to be returned within or at the expiration of the
stipulated lending period. Defaulters are liable to a fixed fine per each additional day,
as a penalty. The worth of the fine is subject to periodical review and varies from one
library to another.
16. Bags, briefcases, raincoats, umbrella, etc are to be dropped inside a cupboard cloak at
the library entrance, for safekeeping and under the surveillance of the library porters.
17. Serial publications, reference works and reserved books are not loan able. Hence, they
are not meant for consultation within the library.
18. Group discussions within the library are strictly prohibited during operating hours.
19. Materials left behind at closing time will be removed by library staff and these could
be claimed at the Circulation Desk or at the Security Check point.
20. Stealing of library materials is a serious offence which, if proven, attracts severe
punishment or total dismissal from the University.

21. The mutilation, making, defacement, or willful damage of library materials in any
form whatsoever is a serious offence punishable by withdrawal of all library
privileges and other stern disciplinary measures, as necessary.
22. The University Librarian reserves the right to suspend from the use of the library, any
reader who infringes on any of these regulations and may refer cases of infringement
to the appropriate authorities for further disciplinary action.
23. The library will only be opened at the stipulated hours of operation.

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 Unit 2: USING LIBRARY AND INFORMATION RESOURCES

CATEGORIZATION OF LIBRARY/INFORMATION RESOURCES

Library resources are the stock in trade of the librarians. They are the materials which enable
librarians to carry out their functions effectively. They are the materials which the library
users come to consult, read or borrow. They are many and varied. They are made up of books
and other information bearing media. Library resources could be categorized into groups
according to Function and Format.

I. According to their Function we have:

a. Study / Teaching Materials: Examples are recommended textbooks to
support class teachings, journal reprints, reference books, monographs,
periodicals, past examination papers.

b. Research Materials: Examples are periodicals, documents of different kinds,

manuscripts, theses, pamphlets, government publications, conference papers/
proceedings, etc.

II. According to format, we have the:

a. Printed Library Resources: These consist of books, periodicals
(Newspapers, Magazines, Indexes and Abstracts.), government publications,
dissertations and theses, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, atlases, etc.

b. Non-Printed Library Resources: They are the product of advanced

technology. They can be grouped into:
i. Audio: This has to do with hearing. They are sound recordings
produced on magnetic tapes or on vinyl. Only the auditory sense is
required for their appreciation. E.g. Cassettes and disc.
ii. Visual: This applies to the eyes. Examples are photographs, three
dimensional objects paintings, maps, charts and other information
bearing resources that the eyes can focus on and absolve information.
iii. Audio-Visual: This combines both the auditory and the visual senses.
Examples are sound films, slides, video tapes, video cassettes,
television, etc.
iv. E-Resources: resources that can be accessed through electronic means.
E.g. electronic journals, online databases and electronic books. They
can be on CDs, DVDs and On-line (Internet)

Printed resources in a library fall into two major groups namely, Reference materials and
Non-Reference Materials

REFERENCE MATERIALS: Are those which are not meant to be read from cover to
cover. They are shelved in a different section called the Reference Section.

Reference materials provide answers to the information needs of the library users as queries.
These materials, unlike textbooks for instance are unsuitable for wholesome reading, one can
only consult a section of a reference material to find specific needed information. They
contain miscellaneous information on any topic. They are not meant to be read from cover to
cover, rather, they are expected to be consulted only when necessary. They contain facts and
rarely do they contain opinions. They are generally based on universally accepted knowledge.

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The basic reference sources are:

Dictionary
The term dictionary evolved from the Latin word 'dictio' meaning a word or phrase.
Dictionaries invariably define words.

Primarily, dictionaries refer to books that supply information about words: spelling, meaning,
pronunciation, usage, brief grammar, etymology, syllabication, abbreviations, capitalization,
synonyms and antonyms. They are arranged in alphabetical order.
Examples are Oxford Dictionary of English, Dictionary of Biology, Medical Dictionary, etc.

Encyclopedias
Encyclopedias are great repositories of received and digested information. They are works
containing information on all subjects or on one field of knowledge. Encyclopedias, in
general, serve the following three purposes:
i They provide answers to simple fact questions e.g. Of what use is atomic energy?
ii They provide background information and sometimes information in some depth for
both the layman and the expert.
iii. Most encyclopedias also provide access for further reading in form of bibliographies.
This enables the reader seek additional information in a given subject area.
Basically there are two broad types of encyclopedias namely, general encyclopedias and
subject encyclopedias.
1. General encyclopedias
General encyclopedias provide information on every branch of knowledge. Some
examples of general encyclopedias are:
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Americana
The New Columbia Encyclopaedia.
2. Subject encyclopedias
Virtually every subject field has its own encyclopedia. In some cases there are
encyclopedias that cover a group of related subject areas. Usually the title of a subject
encyclopedia demonstrates its intent and average. Examples include:
Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science.
Encyclopedia of Philosophy
McGraw-Hill Encyclopaedia of Science and Technology.

Directories
A directory contains a list of persons, organizations, business centres, professions, industries
and so on in a given geographical area. The list is systematically arranged, either in
alphabetical or classified order. Examples include:
1. The World of Learning
2. Guide to National and University Libraries in Africa
3. World Directory of Multinational Enterprises

Yearbook
A yearbook, also called an annual, contains current information on a miscellany of topics, in
brief descriptive and/or statistical form. Most of them primarily record the previous year's
events. In other words a user who is interested in what happened in 1999 should consult
yearbooks published in the year 2000. Examples of yearbooks include:
The Stateman’s Yearbook.

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Nigeria Yearbook, Lagos

Almanacs

An almanac is usually an annual publication. It resembles yearbook in content but it includes

considerably other information. It includes calendars with weather forecasts, astronomical
information, tide tables, and other related tabular information. It can also be described as an
annual reference book composed of various lists, tables, and often brief articles relating to a
particular field or many general fields. Examples are: The World Almanac, Book of Facts and
Whitaker's Almanac.

Handbooks and Manuals

Handbooks and manuals are used synonymously. Manual is concerned with "how-to-do-it",
e.g. Cataloguing manual. On the other hand, a handbook, derived from German handbuch (a
book small enough to be held in the hand) usually deals with one central theme or subject
area.

Biographies
Biographies are recorded information about the lives of individual persons. Biographies are
essentially directories of notable persons, usually arranged alphabetically by surname with
biographical identification that ranges from brief outlines to extended narratives". They can
be either retrospective or current. Some, however, give both retrospective and current
biographical information.

Bibliographies
A bibliography can be
1. A list of the works of a specific author or publisher.
2. A list of writings relating to a given subject e.g. a bibliography of Latin American
History
3. A list of writings used or considered by an author in preparing a particular work.
4. The description and identification of the authorship, titles, editions, place of
publication, publisher, date of publication and collation.

Bibliographies are also collections of book titles arranged in a special order or relating to a
special subject. They can be arranged in one of several ways: alphabetical, subject,
chronological, classified or regional.

Periodical Indexes
A periodical index is simply a directional device with sufficient bibliographic details to
identify the required information material that has appeared in a journal or other serial. Its
primary purpose is to indicate the location of any particular item.
A periodical index is a systematic guide to the location of words, concepts or other items in
books, periodicals or other publications. An index consists of a series of entries appearing,
not in the order in which they appear in the publication but in some other order (e.g.
alphabetical) chosen to enable the user to find quickly, together with references to show
where each item is located.
Usually, the components of an index entry will include name of author(s), title of
contribution, title of periodical or other serial publication, place of publication, volume
number, issue number, date of issue and page reference

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Abstracts
An abstract can be defined as the terse presentation; in (as far as possible) the author’s own
language, of all the points made, in the same order as in the original piece of primary
documentary information. Abstracts are publications that list publications and provide
summaries of them. Unlike indexes, abstracts go a step further. In addition to the
bibliographical details, an abstract gives a summary of the information item. Every abstract
indicates the title of the work, author, editor, source, publisher, place of publication and date
of publication.
Abstracts are usually short, typically presented in about 50 to 200 words. But they should
contain the essential points such as primary points, methodology, arguments, main results and
conclusions. Abstracts enable the reader to quickly survey what has been written in his area
of interest without actually reading the primary materials.
Examples include:
Library and Information Science Abstracts (LISA).
Chemical Abstracts.

Geographical Sources
Geographical sources are among the most used items in any reference collection. Their very
nature as graphic representations entices the imagination as their user easily visualizes
situations in other parts of the earth. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, geographical
sources provide answers to various questions that are taken at the references desk, e.g.
position of a tiny town, population figures, railway lines in a country, major roads and so on.
Geographical sources are of various types. As a field of study, it has its own bibliographies,
indexes and abstracts.

Maps and Atlas

A map is a graphic representation, usually on a flat material, of the whole or a part of the
earth's surface or of the celestial sphere. A collection of maps in single and bound volume is
called an atlas. The word 'atlas' was first applied in this sense by Gerardus Mercator (1912-
1594) to a collection of his 107 maps which was published after his death in 1595. Mercator
as he is widely known was the greatest cartographer of his day and applied the word from the
name of a Greek god, Atlas. Indeed, the publishers of the Mercator's maps employed an
engraving of this god holding up the world; this device subsequently became popularly used
as the frontispiece of early collections of maps.

Atlases are important and often used reference books in the library. It is generally recognised
that atlases are essential in studying economics, history, geography and other branches of the
social sciences. Atlases also serve as general reference books because of the descriptive
materials they contain in addition to maps.

Gazetteers
A gazetteer is basically an alphabetical listing of places, with adequate information to identify
their location. The places covered normally include towns, villages, man-made units such as
administrative divisions 'and physical features such as rivers, mountains, capes and lake:..
There are also usually notes on industry, population, schools and matters of tourist interest.
In addition to information concerning geographical location of places or items listed, the
gazetteer also gives historical, statistical, cultural and other relevant information. It also
indicates the system of pronunciation and the abbreviations used. Gazetteers should, of
course, not be confused with a geographical dictionary. Like any other subject dictionary, a
geographical dictionary deals with geographical and related terminologies. The gazetteer as

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already noted contains information about places listed in alphabetical order, not just location
but other relevant matters such as population and tourist information.

Government Publications
Governments are usually prolific producers of documents of various dimensions. A
government document is a publication issued at government expense or as required by
government. A government document is any publication that is printed at government
expense or published by authority of a government body. In terms of size, a government
publication can be as short as a single printed page or as large as a multi-volume
encyclopedia. It can also centre on any subject area.

Government documents can originate from any of the branches or organs of government:
presidential papers, legislative or parliamentary papers, judicial papers; publications of
subordinate bodies set up by the government and international bodies such as African Union
(A.U.), United Nations Organization (U.N.O.), and their various official organs and agencies.
Overall, governments and their numerous organs are very prolific publishers. The bodies
responsible for publication of government documents may vary from one country to the
other. In some countries the documents are published by a central body. In Nigeria, most of
the government documents are issued by various government printers (e.g. Federal
Government Printer, Enugu State Government Printer, Kaduna State Government Printer and
so on.) Also, as already explained, government departments or organs can authorize other
organizations (e.g. commercial printer/publisher) to issue government documents.
NON-REFERENCE MATERIALS: These consist of textbooks and other complimentary
study materials. They are available on all subjects known in the world today.
Examples include textbooks on various subjects like Accounting, Biology, English, etc.

2.2 DATABASE/ONLINE RESOURCES

The development of the Internet has really helped the libraries to acquire, preserve and
disseminate information in a most desirable manner. Most of the traditional library tasks
hitherto done manually are now performed with greater speed and accuracy through the
global network.
Osun State University Library has its own website and students can hook on to it to have
access to the different e-resources that we have. The Library website is
http://library.uniosun.edu.ng. Examples of the online resources available in the library are
EBSCOHOST, OARE (Online Access to Research in Environmental Sciences), MEDLINE,
JSTOR, AJOL, SCIENCE DIRECT, AGORA, HINARI, NIGERIAN VIRTUAL LIBRARY
etc.
Offline databases on CD-ROMs and DVDs are also available.

Below are the website addresses of the online databases:

 Ebscohost: (All Disciplines)
URL: http://search.epnet.com or
http://search.global.epnet.com
 JSTOR: (All Disciplines)
URL: http://www.jstor.org
 African e-Journals
URL: http://www.africa.msu.edu
 Nigerian Virtual Library
URL: http://www.nigerianvirtuallibrary.com
 Hinari: (Biomedical & Medical)

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 URL: http://www.healthinternetwork.net
 AGORA (Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture)
URL: http://www.aginternetwork.org
 OARE (Online Access to Research in Environmental Sciences)
URL: http://www.oaresciences.org
 ALUKA
URL: http://www.aluka.org

Note: Usernames and Passwords for all these databases are available in the library on
request.

Unit 3: ORGANISATION AND ACCESSIBILITY OF LIBRARY RESOURCE

Introduction
In this study unit you will learn about how library resources are organized for ease of use of
readers (users).
When a user approaches a library, what he actually need is information, not books, journals,
CDs, etc. but the needed information is in books, journals, CDs, etc. (library resources).
Library therefore, organizes it resources in such a way that a library user with defined
information need will be able to retrieve the relevant materials within the shortest possible
time. It is the elaborate organization of library resources that makes for ease of accessibility
by users. Libraries organize their resources through cataloguing and classification with the
sole aim of enabling users to retrieve information in them.

I. Meaning of cataloguing and catalogue

Cataloguing is the process of preparing catalogue entries. It is the transfer of information

from the title page of a book to a “3 by 5” (or 7.5 by 12.5) cm card or Online Public Access
Catalogue (OPAC). It is meant to guide the library users in their quest to search for one or
more library resources.

Library Catalog
Library Catalog is the principal record of available resources (books and non-book
materials) in the library.

A catalogue is an index through which a library collection can be accessed. The main purpose
of a catalog is to record all materials that a user can locate in a particular library or groups of
libraries.
A catalogue is regarded as a key to the library’s collections. It is regarded as a vital tool to the
use of a library.

FUNCTIONS OF A LIBRARY CATALOGUE

Let us now consider functions of a library catalogue.

The primary functions of a library catalogue are to provide information to a patron on:
- Whether or not the library has a certain book
(i) of a given author

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 (ii) of a given title
(iii) on a given subject
- Which works by a particular author are in the collection
- Which editions of particular work the library has, and
- What materials the library has on a particular subject.

A library catalogue:
- leads the reader to a specific title in the collection
- links the user with the location of a resource on the shelf
- gives the physical descriptions, and subject content of library resources.

FORMS OF CATALOGUE

There are four (4) different forms of catalogue, namely:

(i) Card catalogue
(ii) Book catalogue
(iii) Sheaf catalogue
(iv) On-line or Automated catalogue

CARD CATALOGUE: is the commonest form of catalogue in Nigerian libraries. Entries are
made on ‘3 by 5’ of 7.5 by 12.5cm card. Card catalogue allows a number of cards being
produced and filed under various headings. Cards are easy to be filed and inter-filed. It
occupies a considerable space in the library. As the collection of a library increases so the
cabinet catalogue increases in size. The filling of card catalogue is in alphabetical order in a
tray or drawer in the cabinet.

An example of a card catalogue

REF
QH
13
G25 Gbotosho, Ajibola
Dictionary of Biology by Gbotosho, S. O., Fatayo and
M.L. Ismail. 6th ed, Databytes Company: Lagos. 1973

309p.

9cm

Figure 3.1: a catalogue card

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figure 3.2 : a card catalogue Fig. 3.3: catalogue cabinets (Photo by anonymous)

BOOK CATALOGUE: contains entries that are arranged on the pages of a book. They are
similar with the printed catalogue. Books catalogue of some big libraries are useful as
reference tools to other smaller libraries. For example, National Union Catalogue, Book lists,
and publishers’ Book-In print. Books catalogue does not allow interfiling of entries but they
could be up-dated whereby deletion of old entries and addition of new editions could be
made. Book catalogue is very expensive to produce.

SHEAF CATALOGUE: is made of paper slip. It is neither a book nor a card catalogue. In
sheaf catalogue entries are made on ‘7 by 4’ or ‘8 by 5’ card, in a single entry. The slips in
which entries are made are punched to create holes to allow fastening together into a loose
leaf binder. The binder that holds the slip makes easy opening and look thus allowing new
entries to be added to or removed. This mechanism also provides a guard for the entry from
falling out.

Sheaf catalogue is useful in the serials sections but modernization has made sheaf catalogue
to go out of fashion. Instead kardex, stripedex and kalamazoo are now in use.

ON-LINE/AUTOMATED CATALOGUE: this is the most recent catalogue in libraries.

This form of catalogue is facilitated by technological advancement, using computer. The use
of computer enables library patrons to access library resources in an on-line mode.

Advantages of catalogue
- It enables a library user to find library resources when one of the following is
known:
(a) the author
(b) the title
(c) the subject
- It provides avenue for the library to show what the library has.
(d) by a given author
(e) on a given subject
(f) in a given kind of literature
- It assists the library in the choice of a book regarding
(g) the edition of the book
(h) the character of the book i.e. literary or topical.

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TYPES OF CATALOGUE

Let us now discuss types of catalogue. Let us begin by naming them one after the other.

Types of catalogue are:

(a) author/title catalogue
(b) subject catalogue
(c) shelf list catalogue
(d) union catalogue
(e) special catalogue

(a) Author/title catalogue: This catalogue gives information on the total library
holdings by author, title, etc. Its entries are arranged in alphabetical order. It is on
open access to library users.
(b) Subject catalogue: the entries on subject catalogue are filed alphabetical by
subject of the resources. It is on open access to library users.
(c) Shelf list catalogue: Like author/title catalogue, shelf list catalogue gives
information on total holdings of a library, but unlike it, it is on close access to
users and can only be used by library staff.

ACCESSIONING
To accession a book means to record it in the accessions register under a sequential serial
number which is also entered in the book on the verso (back) of the title page. This number
is the book’s identity number for both inventory and accounting purposes. No two books
bear the same accession number. If a book consists of several volumes, such as The Oxford
Encyclopedia, each volume will be given a different accession number. Also if we buy 10
copies of the man died by Wole Soyinka, the ten books will bear different accession number.
In case of loan or loss, the accession number serves to pinpoint the particular item. It is
therefore important that the accession register be kept accurately, and that the number
assigned to the book is written into the register and book as the same time.

In a nutshell, Accession number is the running or serial number given to books as they are
acquired in the library. The accession number is usually written on the bottom right hand
side of the “3 by 5” card. It serves as a security number for a book. The accession number
also differentiates the copies of books. A mere look as the accession register gives you an
idea of the total stock of the library.

LIBRARY CATALOGUE

For easy accessibility to the holdings of a library, an index or a list of the materials in the
collection must be maintained.

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 CLASSIFICATION AND TYPES OF CLASSIFICATION SCHEME
Classification may be described as the methodology adopted by Librarian for bringing
together books and materials that belong to the same field of knowledge or related subjects.
The main reason for classifying materials is “accessibility” that is bringing the information
materials within the reach of the users.

Classification of books can also be defined as a schedule, which maps outs the fields of
knowledge in ways that are suitable for library purpose.

Library materials are sorted and grouped together based on their subject. After which they
are assigned codes known as NOTATION. This code could be in form of letter, number or
both. This notation can be pure or mixed. Where both letters and numbers are used or
combines, we have mixed notation otherwise the notation is pure.

The scheme or system of codes from which codes assigned to materials are derived, is called
Classification Scheme or System.

Types of Classification Scheme

Many Classification Schemes have been devised by people to serve this purpose. For
example
- Library of Congress Classification Scheme (LCCS)
- Dewey Decimal Classification Scheme (DDC)
- Universal Decimal Classification Scheme (UDC)
- Colon Classification Scheme (CCS)
- Bliss Bibliographic Classification Scheme (BBCS).

Academic Libraries made use of Library of Congress Classification Scheme. The Library of
Congress Scheme Classifies by using the letters of the alphabets and numbers
simultaneously. This is called Mixed Notation. Twenty one out of the twenty-six letters of
the alphabets are used. Letters I, O, X, W, Y are left out for further expansion.

In the Library of Congress Scheme, the first alphabet denotes the major subject division.
Another set of the letter of the alphabet are also used to denote the major subdivisions of the
subject while Arabic numbers are used to indicate the other sub-divisions.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS MAIN CLASSES

A - General work, (Encyclopedia, Dictionaries etc.)
B - Philosophy, Religion
C - History – Auxiliary Science
D - History and Topography
E & F American History
G - Geography, Anthropology, Folklore, Sport
H - Social Science
J - Political Science
K - Law
L - Education
M - Music
N - Fine Art
P - Philology and Literature
Q - Science

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R - Medicine
S - Agriculture
T - Technology
U - Military Science
V - Naval Science
Z - Bibliography and Library Science.

Class/Call mark: This is the mark assigned to a book to differentiate it from the other books
on the subjects. It is a number/mark by which a book is “called” or requested for at the loan
desk. It is the mark that links a user with the position of the book on the shelf. Normally a
call number/mark contains:
(a) Class mark (Subject Classification Number)
(b) The first letter of author’s surname
(c) Date ( to differentiate editions)
Example
HA - Statistics
404 - Area Covered
A202 - Author’s number/Cutter number

The call number is written at the top left-hand side of a card and on pines or bottom left of
books.

Arrangement of books on the shelves (shelving)

Books are arranged according to their Class/Call mark / number on shelves.

ONLINE PUBLIC ACCESS CATALOG (OPAC)

An Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) is online database of materials (resources) held by
a library. Users search a library catalog principally to locate books and other materials
physically located at the library. The OPAC serves as an index and retrieval tool for the
library's collections.

The card catalog was a familiar sight to library users for generations, but it has been
effectively replaced by the Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC). Some still refer to the
online catalog as an "automated card catalog". Some libraries with OPAC access still have
card catalogs on site, but these are now strictly a secondary resource and are updated
occasionally.
The objectives of a bibliographic system are:
1. to enable a user to find a book of which either the author, the title, and the subject is
known. (Identifying objective).
2. to show what the library has material(s) by a given author, on a given subject ,and in a
given kind of literature.
3. to assist in the choice of a book as to its edition, and as to its character (Evaluating
objective).
Searching with an OPAC
One of the major forms of information technologies that libraries and other information
agencies offer their clients is OPAC. Many, but not all of these OPACs are Internet/Web-
enabled, while others are stand-alone.

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OPACs may be stand-alone or, more commonly, Web-based, as well as have many different
kinds of interfaces, whether developed in-house, developed as part of a vendor's turnkey
system, or developed from a (Web) template. OPACs vary widely in what records they
display, what fields in the records they display, what fields are searchable, and so on.
Libraries, in particular, rely on standards for cataloging for generating the bibliographic
surrogates of collections. The OPACs that are available through the Internet, including those
accessible through the Web, often rely on the Z39.50 information retrieval standard, which,
in turn, integrates the MARC record into OPACs in order to meet up with standard in
accordance with AACR2 (Anglo American Cataloguing Rules 2).
There are some specific library tools use in organizing library materials among which are the
Library of Congress Subject Headings, the Sears Subject Headings and the MARC record.

FUNCTIONS OF LIBRARY CATALOGS

Generally speaking, library catalogs, whether online or not, perform several important tasks.
First, they list materials in the collection(s) of the institution(s). Secondly, they identify the
physical or digital locations of those items and provide systematic descriptions of the
materials. Lastly, library catalogs bring items with similar characteristics together, e.g.,
author, title, and subject heading. Thus, OPACs and other catalogs facilitate the finding of
known items as well as unknown items.

ADVANTAGES OF OPAC OVER CARD CATALOG

OPAC CARD CATALOG
Allows quick, efficient access to multiple sources of Required physical presence at the catalog
information without the patron leaving the OPAC cabinet in the Library

Interactivity is considered as a major advantage of It’s not as flexible when it comes to

online catalogues over card interactivities.
You need not know the exact search criteria of what You have to know the precise search criteria
you are looking for. you want to use e.g. complete author’s name,
complete subject etc.
It can be made available from the World wide web It’s restricted to the vicinity of the library
such that any person from any part of the world can
access the library collections.
The OPAC is flexible to the extent that it can be It’s tedious to update
edited and updated at will

EXAMPLE OF WHAT AN OPAC LOOKS LIKE

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Added Features Available on Uniosun OPAC includes:
1. Free E-books Download for students and staffs (users)
2. Nigerian Newspaper
3. Past Questions
4. Chatting Facility
5. Library Resources
6. Facebook
7. Twitter etc.

LOGIN - IN
Login is not required if the user-specific function is merely to browse the online catalogue. It
is only required if accessing user-specific functions, such as placing on hold, virtual shelf,
fine details, accessing personal accounts, etc.

When Log-in is required, follow these steps:

1. From the OPAC (http://opac.uniosun.edu.ng) home page, click on “Log In to your
account” on the upper right hand corner or enter your login Account details on Login
Box provided on OPAC home page as shown below

2. Enter your Username and Password.

3. Click on “login” or press enter

The Log-in gives a patron access to his/her account in the library. Numbers of books
borrowed, fines and all other summary concerning the patron is readily available. Patrons
can also make suggestion concerning the books and other materials they like the library to
have in its collections.

COPYRIGHT, CITATIONS AND REFERENCES

Wikipedia (2010) defines copyright as a set of exclusive rights granted to the author or
creator of an original work, including the right to copy, distribute and adapt the work.
Copyright is what protects original works of many kinds from being wrongly duplicated and
distributed. An example of violating a copyright is illegally downloading and sharing
copyrighted work.

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Copyright is the exclusive statutory right of literary (authors, playwrights, poets), musical
(composers, musicians), visual (painters, photographers, sculptors), and other artists to
control the reproduction, use, and disposition of their work, usually for their lifetime plus
seventy years.
Copyright does not protect ideas, only their expression. In most jurisdictions copyright arises
upon fixation and does not need to be registered. Copyright owners have the exclusive
statutory right to exercise control over copying and other exploitation of the works for a
specific period of time, after which the work is said to enter the public domain.

According to the World Intellectual Property Organization the purpose of copyright is

twofold: (a) to encourage a dynamic creative culture, while returning value to creators so that
they can lead a dignified economic existence and (b) to provide widespread, affordable access
to content for the public. In other words, copyright seeks to encourage creative people to
produce works of culture and to provide incentives for the effective dissemination of works
produced.

Copyright violation, also known as copyright infringement, can be explained as unauthorized

or unlawful use of any material that is protected under the copyright law. Any activity that
violates the exclusive rights of the copyright owner including reproducing, performing,
duplicating or making derivative works of the original copyright work is considered as
copyright violation.
As students we shall discuss only plagiarism, photocopying (duplicating), and piracy

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined as quoting or paraphrasing text from another author without both (1) the
indicia of a quotation and (2) a proper bibliographic citation. The indicia of a quotation are
either (1) enclosing the text in quotation marks or (2) formatting the text as an indented,
single-spaced block.
Photocopying
Some common uses of a photocopy machine are copyright infringement. It is wrong to
photocopy a whole textbook. It is equally wrong for a patron to make a request for, or later
uses, a photocopy for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright
infringement.
Piracy
Piracy as copyright infringement is illegal reproduction of original work of someone for
commercial purpose without permission from the owner of the work. Pirated materials are
generally poor in quality and cheaper in price when compare with the original work.

EXCEPTIONS TO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT

Copyright infringement occurs when someone other than the original creator makes a new
piece (with or without modification) with the motive of copying and reselling it for
commercial gains. However, copyright infringement does not occur each time when an
original piece of work is reproduces. There are certain exceptions to copyright infringement
which are enlisted here.
1. Fair Use:
Fair use of copyrighted material implies the use of a small portion of the copyrighted material
for non-commercial or non-profit educational purpose only. Complete literary works or
complete pieces of art and music can be used for reviewing, literary criticism or for the
purpose of teaching without obtaining any permission for accessing the original work.
However, the relevance of fair use is determined on a case to case basis.

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2. Public Domain:
Public Domain refers to work which is no longer covered by the copyright law because the
copyright has expired. Usually, for any work created after January 1, 1978 the copyright
protection lasts for a lifetime plus an additional fifty to seventy years after the death of the
copyright holder.
3. Non-Copyrightable Works:
Materials such as a few sheets of facts or ideas cannot be copyrighted unless they are
compiled into a book form. Therefore, reproducing material taken from such non-
copyrightable sources does not amount to copyright infringement.

4.2 CITATIONS AND REFERENCES

Citation: a reference made in the text to a source of information. This can be in the form of a
direct quotation, summarizing or paraphrasing. It tells the readers where the information
came from. In your writing, you cite or refer to the source of information.

Reference: It gives the readers details about the source of information used so that they have
a good understanding of what kind of source it is and could find the source themselves if
necessary. Reference list is an organised listing of the works cited in the text, placed at the
end of the document.
Note: Do not include references which you have read but not used. The date of publication is
the date listed for the latest published edition. (Ignore reprint dates).

If you are using someone else's work - from a book, an article or a website - you must
acknowledge the author and the publishing details. Providing references to a passage makes it
possible for readers to follow up the sources of the ideas discussed in that piece of writing
and, if necessary, place them in a wider context or check the interpretation of the sources
used. All sources should be acknowledged, including those from which quotations are taken
and those which are paraphrased. For Philosophy the preferred method of indicating the
source used in a particular passage is to provide a reference in the text adjacent to the relevant
information, idea or quotation, using the Harvard System, explained below.

Citation has several important purposes: to uphold intellectual honesty, to attribute prior or
unoriginal work and ideas to the correct sources, to allow the reader to determine
independently whether the referenced material supports the author's argument in the claimed
way, and to help the reader gauge the strength and validity of the material the author has used

Why should I cite my sources?

 Referring to your source material gives authority to your work and demonstrates the
breadth of your research
 Your list of citations will enable readers of your work to find the information sources
for themselves
 Failure to credit sources of information used for an essay, report, project, journal
article or book constitutes plagiarism, and for this you may be penalised.

Referencing styles
The two main standard systems for citing sources correctly are the Harvard or author/date
system and the footnotes/endnotes system, otherwise known as the numeric system. There are
variations on both types, and you do need to know which system your department requires

22
you to use. You can find out by referring to your departmental student handbook, or by
asking your tutor.
In journal publishing, versions of both the Harvard and the Vancouver systems are widely
used according to the “house style” outlined in the journal’s “Instructions to Authors”.

Harvard System
 Known as the “author and date‟ system, references made in the text are listed in
alphabetical order by the surname of the first author in the bibliography at the end of
the text. N.B. if the author is unknown you should use “Anon.”
 At every point in the text where a particular item is referred to, include the author‟s
surname and the year of publication along with page numbers if you are quoting these
specifically
 If there is more than one work by a given author from the same year you can
differentiate between them by adding “a”, “b” etc. after the year
 For up to three authors include all names; if there are more than three, give the first
author’s surname and initials followed by et al.
 Periodical titles are usually spelt out in full

Tips for avoiding plagiarism

 Cite all your sources, whether you have read or heard them
 Keep full records of every source of information you use including the date you
accessed electronic resources
 Place quotation marks around any words you copy verbatim and credit the source
 Use your own words when summarizing or paraphrasing someone else’s words – but
don’t forget – you will still need to reference it!
 Make sure you check with your tutor/department which referencing system they want
you to use.

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