Libraries and Diverse Information Resources PDF

LIBRARIES AND DIVERSE INFORMATION SOURCES 1.1 CONCEPT OF LIBRARY Library from the Latin word liber mean book. In Greek and the Romance languages, the corresponding term is bibliotheca. In The Librarian’s Book of Lists (Chicago: ALA, 2010), George Eberhart offers this definition:...

LIBRARIES AND DIVERSE INFORMATION SOURCES 1.1 CONCEPT OF LIBRARY Library from the Latin word liber mean book. In Greek and the Romance languages, the corresponding term is bibliotheca. In The Librarian’s Book of Lists (Chicago: ALA, 2010), George Eberhart offers this definition: "A library is a collection of resources in a variety of formats that is organized by information professionals or other experts who provide convenient physical, digital, bibliographic, or intellectual access and offer targeted services and programs with the mission of educating, informing, or entertaining a variety of audiences and the goal of stimulating individual learning and advancing society as a whole." (p.1) There are four components of library namely: 1. Diverse information resources: A collection or group of collections of books and/or other print or non-print materials organized and maintained for use; 2. Personnel: libraries are staffed by librarians and other personnel trained to provide services to meet user needs; 3. Users: Libraries organized to facilitate access to its clientele and patrons; 4. Accommodation: The room, building, or facility that houses such a collection, usually built for that purpose only. 1.1.1 TYPES OF LIBRARIES There are six (6) types of libraries. They are: a. National libraries b. Public Libraries c. Academic Libraries d. School Libraries e. Special/Research Libraries f. Private Libraries These types of libraries are discussed below: NATIONAL LIBRARY This is the library owned by a sovereign nation or state. National libraries are the Libraries that are setup primarily to cater for the information needs of a whole country and have legal deposit right. Their collections are general in nature and cover all fields of knowledge. 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. Examples of national libraries are the National library of Nigeria, National Library of Kenya and the Library of Congress of United State. FUNCTIONS OF NATIONAL LIBRARY  To collect and preserve National Literature.  To serve as permanent depositories for all documents issued in the country depositories.  To publish the National bibliographies.  To acquire foreign documents of National importance and interest.  To serve as coordinating center for cooperative activities and National bibliographic information centers. Public Libraries These are libraries set up with public funds to provide services for all and sundry in the community. Their services are provided on the basis of equal access for all, regardless of age, race, sex, religion, nationality, language or social status. They are owned by state or local government to cater for the information, educational and recreational needs of its inhabitants. Examples of public libraries are Osun State Library Board, Lagos State Library Board, etc. FUNCTIONS OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES To promote the needed information to the members of the public. To create and strengthen reading habits in children from an early age. To support individuals over self-conducted education. To promote the awareness of cultural heritage. To promote moral, education, recreation and culture ACADEMIC LIBRARIES Academic Libraries are defined as the libraries in the institutions of higher learning. These are libraries that serve tertiary institutions like universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, etc. Basically, academic libraries support teaching, learning, research and community service by meeting the information needs of staff and students through the provision of all needed resources. Examples of academic libraries includes University of Ibadan library known as Kenneth Dike Library, etc. FUNCTIONS OF ACADEMIC LIBRARIES To provide information materials in support of the students, faculty and other members of the institution communities. To provide information materials to support teaching, learning, research and community service To maintain Inter-Library co-operation with other libraries. To provide avenue for projects, thesis and dissertation works. SCHOOL LIBRARIES These are the libraries that are established within primary schools, secondary schools, commercial schools, technical schools and teachers' training institutes where pupils, students, staff members, parents of students or pupils have access to books and educational resources in various subjects that are being taught in the schools for the purpose of learning and educational development. The resources in school libraries include books, pamphlets, periodicals, newspapers, magazines, games, as well as visual materials to develop the reading habits and language skills of pupils/students. FUNCTIONS OF SCHOOL LIBRARIES To serve as a study centers. To systematically provide information resources required for the school educational program. To actively assist in improving and increasing the reading skills, and learning habits of pupils and students.  To provide recreational and conducive environment for relaxation. To provide support to the teaching program of the school. SPECIAL LIBRARIES These are the Libraries that serve specialized body of users. These are also referred to as Research Libraries. These libraries are set up to serve specialist groups, research institutions or associations. The clientele of a special library is clearly defined and so are the materials at stocks. By and urge, special libraries are unique in their subject scope, clientele, information service, location, efficiency in service, user needs and size. For example, Federal Institute of Industrial Research Library, Oshodi (FIIRO), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Library, Ibadan (IITA), Central Bank of Nigeria Library, Abuja (CBN), Institute of Agricultural Research Library of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (ABU), and many others. FUNCTIONS OF SPECIAL LIBRARIES To provide comprehensive & balanced information resources for their users. To help manage information resources for the benefit of the establishment they are attached to. To provide Current Awareness Service (CAS) to their users. To provide Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) to their users. To conduct retrospective literature search for their users. PRIVATE LIBRARIES These are libraries owned by individuals or organizations like churches, mosques. 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 belong to organizations to support the work done in the organization. Examples of private libraries include: The Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo Library at Ikenne which was bequeathed to Olabisi Onabanjo University Law Library. 1.1.2 LIBRARY RULES AND REGULATIONS All libraries have set of rules and regulations governing the use of the resources. Rules and regulations are laws, which help to govern the behaviour of users and how to use the library resources; the rules may vary from library to library. The rules include but not limited to the following:  Students must comply with the library registration procedures to become a library user. The Library card is not transferable.  The library ID card is the passport to the library, it must be produced on entry to the library and/or on demand by any member of the library staff.  A duly registered student can only borrowed two books at a time.  All books borrowed must be returned on the date-due stamped on the book.  Library users must not attempt to put books back on the shelves. Once taken off from the shelves, the book should be left on the tables.  On leaving the Library, all Library users must surrender their book(s) and papers to the Library staff at the entrance for checking.  No brief-case or handbags are allowed in the Library.  Under no circumstance any food item should be brought into the library.  Smoking, eating and drinking are chewing, littering, sleeping, reservation of seat, dispositioning of seats and reading tables are prohibited in the Library  Silence must be maintained in the library.  Do not deface the chairs or tables. Do not pierce their surface with sharp objects or write irrelevant things on them or even inscribe graffiti.  Book theft and mutilated in any form (Such as squeezing and folding of Library materials, writing, defacing and/or marking, colouring etc. (These are all capital offenses as per Library rules and regulations is concerned)  Concealing or hiding of Library materials is not allowed.  The mutilation, marking, defacement, or willful damage of library materials in any form whatsoever is a serious offence. 1.2 INFORMATION SOURCES Information sources refer to the origins or channels from which individuals obtain data, facts, knowledge, or insights. Information can come from virtually anywhere — media, blogs, personal experiences, books, journal and magazine articles, expert opinions, encyclopedias, and web pages — and the type of information you need will change depending on the question you are trying to answer. Sources of information include:  Books: Books cover virtually any topic, fact or fiction. For research purposes, you will probably be looking for books that synthesize all the information on one topic to support a particular argument or thesis. Books are the sources used when looking for lots of information on a topic, putting your topic in context with other important issues, finding historical information and summaries of research to support an argument  Encyclopedias: Encyclopedias are collections of short, factual entries often written by different contributors who are knowledgeable about the topic. There are two types of encyclopedias: general and subject. General encyclopedias provide concise overviews on a wide variety of topics. Subject encyclopedias contain in-depth entries focusing on one field of study. This is used when looking for background information on a topic and when trying to find key ideas, important dates or concepts  Databases: A database contains citations of articles in magazines, journals, and newspapers. They may also contain citations to podcasts, blogs, videos, and other media types. Some databases contain abstracts or brief summaries of the articles, while other databases contain complete, full-text articles. Databases are used when you want to find articles on your topic in magazines, journals or newspapers. Examples include EBSCOhost, Sabinet, Emerald, ScienceDirect, Jstor etc.  Printed media like Newspapers or Magazine: A magazine is a collection of articles and images about diverse topics of popular interest and current events. Usually these articles are written by journalists or scholars and are geared toward the average adult. Magazines provide information or opinions about popular culture, find up-to-date information about  current events, and find general articles for people who are not necessarily specialists about the topic. Examples include Times, National geographic, Vanguard etc. A newspaper is a collection of articles about current events usually published daily. Since there is at least one in every city, it is a great source for local information. Newspaper can be used to find current information about international, national and local events, find editorials, commentaries, expert or popular opinions etc. examples include: Daily Dispatch, Sunday Times, and Guardian etc.  Library Catalog: A library catalog is an organized and searchable collection of records of every item in a library and can be found on the library home page. The catalog will point you to the location of a particular source, or group of sources, that the library owns on your topic. The library catalog is used to find out what items the library owns on your topic, to find where a specific item is located in the library amongst others.  Internet: The Web allows you to access most types of information on the Internet through a browser. One of the main features of the Web is the ability to quickly link to other related information. The Web contains information beyond plain text, including sounds, images, and video. The important thing to do when using information on the Internet is to know how to evaluate it. It used as a source to find current information, information about companies, information from all levels of government - federal to local, find both expert and popular opinions and information about hobbies and personal interests. www.google.com, www.bing.com etc.  Academic Journals: A journal is a collection of articles usually written by scholars in an academic or professional field. An editorial board reviews articles to decide whether they should be accepted. Articles in journals can cover very specific topics or narrow fields of research. Used when when doing scholarly research, find out what has been studied on your topic and find bibliographies that point to other relevant research.  Personal Communication: Face-to-face interactions and written letters were the cornerstones of personal communication. The digital age has introduced many communication channels, including email, instant messaging, and social media platforms. These technologies have revolutionized how individuals connect, enabling real-time  conversations and instant information sharing. The global reach of digital communication platforms has brought people closer, transcending geographical barriers. Audiovisual Content  Television and Radio: Traditional broadcast media, including television and radio, provided a centralized source of information and entertainment. The digital age has witnessed the rise of podcasts, webinars, and online video platforms.  Social Media: Social media as a news source is an easy way to gain access to numerous different types of information such as gossip blogs, sporting events, political matters, and business affairs. Connectivity is among the most significant benefits of social media. It can link countless users at any time, everywhere. Information could be spread globally through social media and its connectedness, making it simple for people to interact with one another. It results in global relationships.  Public Records: The digitization of public records has streamlined this process, making information more accessible. Online databases and government websites now offer a wealth of information, ranging from historical records to contemporary datasets. This shift toward digital accessibility has improved transparency, allowing individuals to scrutinize and verify official information. The reliability and credibility of information often depend on the nature of its source. Academic and peer-reviewed journals, for example, are generally considered more reliable in scholarly contexts, while information from social media may require careful verification due to varying degrees of accuracy. Unpublished sources, such as personal communications or internal reports, also contribute to the pool of information available. 1.2.1 TYPES OF INFORMATION SOURCES The various types of information sources can be divided into two broad categories.  Documentary Sources.  Non-Documentary Sources. A. Documentary Sources of Information: Documentary sources of information encompass written, recorded, or otherwise documented materials that serve as valuable resources for understanding and interpreting various aspects of human knowledge. Sources of information or evidence are often categorized as primary, secondary, or tertiary material. These classifications are based on the originality of the material and the proximity of the source or origin. This informs the reader as to whether the author is reporting information that is first hand or is conveying the experiences and opinions of others which is considered second hand. Determining if a source is primary, secondary or tertiary can be tricky. Below you will find a description of the three categories of information and examples to help you make a determination.  PRIMARY SOURCES These sources are records of events or evidence as they are first described or actually happened without any interpretation or commentary. It is information that is shown for the first time or original materials on which other research is based. Primary sources display original thinking, report on new discoveries, or share fresh information. Examples of primary sources: Theses, dissertations, scholarly journal articles (research based), some government reports, symposia and conference proceedings, original artwork, poems, photographs, speeches, letters, memos, personal narratives, diaries, interviews, autobiographies, and correspondence.  SECONDARY SOURCES These sources offer an analysis or restatement of primary sources. They often try to describe or explain primary sources. They tend to be works which summarize, interpret, reorganize, or otherwise provide an added value to a primary source. Examples of Secondary Sources: Textbooks, edited works, books and articles that interpret or review research works, histories, biographies, literary criticism and interpretation, reviews of law and legislation, political analyses and commentaries.  TERTIARY SOURCES These are sources that index, abstract, organize, compile, or digest other sources. Some reference materials and textbooks are considered tertiary sources when their chief purpose is to list, summarize or simply repackage ideas or other information. Tertiary sources are usually not credited to a particular author. Examples of Tertiary Sources: Dictionaries/encyclopedias (may also be secondary), almanacs, fact books, Wikipedia, bibliographies (may also be secondary), directories, guidebooks, manuals, handbooks, and textbooks (may be secondary), indexing and abstracting sources. B. Non-documentary Sources of Information: Non-documentary sources of information refer to data or knowledge not conveyed through written or recorded materials but derived from various experiential, observational, or tangible sources. These sources encompass various formats, providing valuable insights that may not be captured in traditional written documents.  Formal Non-documentary Sources Formal non-documentary sources of information refer to structured, organized, and institutionalized channels through which information is conveyed but does not necessarily rely on traditional written or recorded documents. These sources are characterized by their official and systematic nature. Examples of formal non-documentary sources include:  Official Meetings and Proceedings: Minutes, transcripts, or summaries of formal meetings, conferences, and gatherings where discussions, decisions, and presentations occur.  Speeches and Lectures: Formal presentations or speeches delivered by experts, scholars, or authorities in a particular field, often documented through audio or video recordings.  Surveys and Questionnaires: Structured data collection tools used by institutions, governments, or research organizations to gather information from a sample population.  Databases and Data Repositories: Structured data collections maintained by organizations, institutions, or research bodies, encompassing statistical information, research findings, or datasets.  Official Statistics: Information published by government agencies or authoritative bodies, including demographic data, economic indicators, and social statistics.   Informal Non-documentary Sources Informal non-documentary sources of information are typically unstructured and personal channels through which knowledge is conveyed. These sources provide insights, perspectives, and experiential information in a less formalized manner. Here are examples of informal non- documentary sources:  Oral Histories: Personal accounts, stories, and narratives conveyed through spoken words, capturing firsthand experiences and perspectives.  Interviews: Conversations with individuals to gather information, opinions, or expert insights. Interviews can be unstructured or loosely organized, allowing for more open- ended responses.  Artifacts and Objects: Physical items, relics, or objects from the past that hold cultural, historical, or symbolic significance, providing tangible evidence of human activities.  Observations: Systematic or casual observations of events, behaviors, or phenomena. This method is often used in social sciences and anthropology to understand human interactions.  Audiovisual Recordings: Recordings in audio or video format capturing events, interviews, performances, or visual and auditory aspects of a subject. These recordings may not follow a formal script or structure.  Sensory Data: Information gathered through the senses, such as taste, touch, smell, and sound. Sensory data provides experiential insights into cultural practices, environments, and events.  Personal Narratives: Informal accounts and stories individuals share about their experiences, opinions, and observations.  Community Dialogues: Informal discussions and conversations within communities, providing insights into local perspectives, traditions, and issues.  Social Media Content: Posts, comments, and discussions on social media platforms that reflect personal opinions, experiences, and reactions.  Informal Conversations: Everyday discussions and dialogues between individuals that convey informal knowledge, opinions, and anecdotes.