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标题：Utilization of Library Books to Enhance Academic Excellence in Nigeria Tertiary Institution: A Case Study of Hezekiah Oluwasanmi Library, O. A. U., Ile-ife
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作者：N. A. Ajayi ; J.O. Adetayo
期刊名称：Journal of Social Sciences
印刷版ISSN：0971-8923
出版年度：2005
卷号：10
期号：2
页码：119-122
出版社：Kamla-Raj Enterprises, Delhi
摘要：Many academic libraries are currently caught between pressures of increasing library usage and reduced budget. The rapid growth in student enrolments over the last few years has greatly increased the client group of academic libraries. The use made of library books by staff and students of Obafemi Awolowo University from 1997/ 98 to 2000/2001 sessions was surveyed. The objectives of the study are to provide an approximate estimation of the existing circulating population and to evaluate how books are used. The results revealed that maximum use of the library books were made. A total of 88,835 volumes of books were borrowed for home use while 981,880 volumes were consulted. A total of 932,940 readers made use of the library facilities. var currentpos,timer; function initialize() { timer=setInterval("scrollwindow()",10);} function sc(){clearInterval(timer); }function scrollwindow() { currentpos=document.body.scrollTop; window.scroll(0,++currentpos); if (currentpos != document.body.scrollTop) sc();} document.onmousedown=scdocument.ondblclick=initialize 120 N. A. AJAYI AND J.O. ADETAYO ing item availability is that of following the very opposite strategy of relaxing rather than tighten- ing access to core texts by opening up a tradition. That is, most of their stocks are on the open shelves where users have easy access to them. Ephraim (1994) provided a useful summary on the use of quantitative and qualitative measures in collection evaluation. He stressed that a blend of measures is required, circulation data is the strongest single element we have on which to base decisions and that could be used by subject librarians along with their professional judgement and user's satisfaction surveys to evaluate and fine-tune their collections. The view of Ranganathan is well appreciated pointing out the relationship between books and the readers. Librarians therefore, should make sure that library collections are readily made available to readers and evaluated from time to time. Ranganathan's five library science can be summed up as: 1. Books are for use 2. Every reader his book 3. Every book its read 4. Save the time of the reader 5. A library is a growing organization. It is a system that makes the reader more important than the book. The words of an American Librarian are worth quoted here in full: "In the United states, we tend to feel a loyalty to the reader more than to the books. We open our shelves, knowing that some books will be stolen or mutilated. We offer reference service to all knowing that we will wear out some of our expensive reference tools on questions of minor importance. We allow books to circulate, knowing that some will never be returned. We purchase books more with attention to their content than to their format or their value as artifacts. We see a need to give reader what he wants, sometimes more than to buy books that deserve representation on the shelves of a library, especially if they will have no current readers". Considering the results of previous studies, readers are more significant to their library than books. In this respect, the paper is out to portray significant the pattern of the use of books in the library in the last four sessions. PURPOSE OF STUDY This study was designed to provide an approximate estimation of the existing circulating population and to evaluate how books are used, for the use factors will aid in planning and justifying library activities. Obafemi Awolowo Hezekiah Oluwasanmi University library is centrally located within the academic areas of the University. It serves all the staff and students of the University who comprise the entire market. The library can sit conveniently at least 3,000 readers at a time. Most of its stocks are on the open shelves with a few exceptions, all are available for home loan by the registered users of the library. Furthermore, the library houses more than 300,000 volumes of books and monographs. The library opens its doors to users all days of the week from 7.30 a.m. – 9.30 p.m. on week days (i.e., Monday – Friday) and on Saturday, 7.30 a.m. – 3.30 p.m. and on Sunday, 1.30 p.m. – 9.30 p.m. However, during vacation, the opening hours are between 7.30 a.m. – 5.30 p.m. on week days (i.e., Monday – Friday) and on Saturday and Sunday, library is closed. METHODOLOGY For this study, the authors explored exten- sively both primary and secondary sources of information. And the instrument used is the structured set of questionnaires distributed to one thousand and one hundred readers. The questionnaires designed were administered to the users of the library to find out readers' frequency in the library and to know the activities of the readers in the library. The secondary sources of information were the monthly statistical records of the Circulation Section from 1997/98 to 2000/2001 sessions to determine the number of books borrowed, consulted and daily head count. The data were analyzed using simple descrip- tive statistics and frequencies and percentages. DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION For this study, eight hundred and fifty eight (858) questionnaires were administered but only 95.0% acted as respondents. In table 1, the classification of respondents according to their faculty were displayed. One hundred respondents were selected from each eleven faculties. Out of 1,100 copies of question- naires administered, 903 copies were returned of which 858 (95.0%) copies were completely filled and found useful. The study cut across all the existing faculties in the university.
关键词：Utilization; books; academic library; readers; evaluation