CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

The key role of library is to provide structured access to information with the increasing reliance on ICT. Libraries are playing a significant role in implementing and moderating a country‘s information society agenda. Library is the focal point of learning and research activities in academic institutions due to its information acquisition, organization, storage, retrieval and dissemination functions to the community. The achievement of the goals of the university is paramount to the establishment of the university library. Librarians are at the threshold of these activities and are now faced with the emergence of information technology in the scene of information exchange. This brought new tools and techniques of acquiring and handling information. To effectively serve the academic community in the ICT environment, the librarians need to move along with the new development. Librarians are those who have the care of library and its content; the work includes selection of stock, its arrangement and exploitation in the widest sense, and the provision of a range of services in the best interest of all groups of users (Prytherch,1995).They are also involved in the coordination of activities, setting of priorities, evaluation and other managerial tasks and their involvement in the community they serve. In the present age, apart from using the new tool to fulfill the traditional roles of the library, it evolved some new practices in the profession. Some of the new developments include digital environment for information acquisition, processing and dissemination. Information is now mostly in electronic format. Library services are also affected by the new format. Oppenheim and Smithson (1999) described digital library as an information service in which all the information resources are available in computer processable form. This requires new managerial skills for the administration of the new environment (digital library). Therefore, the new era librarians that can operate in the digital 5 or ICT environment are indispensible. Librarians are compelled to be content creators of information, web page planners and designers and internet navigators. As a result of the digital technology inroad into the profession, such nomenclatures as internet librarians, digital librarians, cyberians or weberians were attributed to the emerging librarians. These are librarians that have acquired the new literacy skills in the manipulation of the ICT tools for information service delivery to the clientele.

1.2 Background of the Study

Akwa Ibom State College of Arts and Science, Nung Ukim Ikono, initially known as Akwa Ibom State School of Remedial Studies opened for classes on 17th November, 1997 with an intake of 150 students. Primarily, it was established by the Government of Akwa Ibom Akwa Ibom State College of Arts and Science, Nung Ukim Ikono, especially the Universities. The Akwa Ibom State College of Arts and Science is located in Nung Ukim, Ikono Local Government Area and has a land mass of 100 acres which was freely donated for citing Ikono Peoples High School in 1972 which is at present, the property of Akwa Ibom State College of Arts and Science. This favourable location draws the school far away from the effects of social pollution which adversely affected and led to the closure of the defunct School of Arts and Science. The Governing Council is led by the very respected Dr. Okon Dan Umoh. The Mission of the institution is to promote through teaching, research or otherwise, the advancement of knowledge and practical application to the needs of the community, state and the nation at large and the Vision of the institution is to act as a pivotal structure in leveraging synergy with the community so that the Institution could work transparently and achieve more with less in the attainment of its corporate responsibilities.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The existing library management system is done manually. All the records of library members, books, book issue and return transactions, etc. are maintained manually in books which is an overhead for the librarians. It is very time consuming and therefore the existing system is not so efficient for searching, updating and maintaining records. It is in view of these problems that necessitated this research work on book lending/borrowing system.

1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The aim of the study is to develop a book lending/borrowing system. The following are the specific objectives to help in achieving the aim:

To develop an automated system that will aid registering of available books in the library. To develop a system that will help in lending registered books. To implement a system that can be used to search, update and maintain the book lending records of a library. To develop a system that can replace the manual record system of book lending.

1.4 Significance of the Study

The study is significant in the following ways:

It will provide librarians with an information system that can be used to manage book lending information. It will help institutions to able to know students that have not returned books borrowed. The study will serve as a useful reference material for other researchers and scholars seeking related information.

1.5 Scope of the Study

This study covers the development of a book lending/borrowing system using Akwa Ibom State College of Arts and Science in Ikono as a case study. It is limited to the development of a system that will aid managing of books borrowed from a library and also keeping record of the books available in a library.

1.6 Limitations of the Study

Time: The time given for the completion of the research work was too short hence the researcher had speed up the research work to meet up and this has an impact on the study.

Limited Materials: few materials were found pertaining to the research area and this limited the bulk of the literature review.

Finance: The high cost of textbooks, internet browsing and transportation to different libraries to gather materials stood as a constraint to the research work.

1.7 Definition of Terms

Database – A systematically arranged collection of computer data, structured so that it can be automatically retrieved or manipulated.

Digital library – System providing a community of users with coherent access to a large organized repository of information and knowledge using digital technologies.

Lending – To allow something to be used by someone temporarily on condition that it or its equivalent will be returned.

Library – A room building or institution where a collection of books or other research materials are kept (Encarta, 2009).

Repository – something that contains extensive detailed knowledge or information of many.

System – a collection of related information working together to achieve a particular goal.