INTRODUCTION
Fourah Bay University library arrived into existence in 1827 and it was affiliated with Durham in 1876. This affiliation scheme enlarged the university polices, and as a consequence of this, new phases of enhancement had been released and included in the advancement in the issue of the library. Its first Board of Curators was appointed and a standard supply of conventional newspapers and other publications have been supplied. Professor Richards was appointed Librarian-In-Demand with Mr. T. Taylor as Library Assistant.
Progress OF FOURAH BAY University LIBRARY
Fourah bay University Library administration was almost recognized, and attracted beneficial donations these types of as a distinctive collection donated in 1881 by Rev. H. Wright who served as Honorary Secretary to the Church Missionary Modern society. Later in 1917 Bishop James Johnson bequeathed his established of 24 volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica to the Higher education Library.
Throughout the Entire world War II time period, that is 1939-1945, small was completed about the enhancement of the College or university Library. By then the library was found at Mabang, and ongoing to maintain a library which was originally supposed to be an Agricultural Faculty. The College or university had couple of lecturers and a little student population of about 20 college students. The disorders of the war in the 1940’s prompted the library to be managed by pupil librarians. The library was typically confronted with absence of resources in the war yrs. In people a long time the library negligible collections consisted mostly of theological and literary will work which was transferred to Mount Aureol. The components was housed in various structures these as the scholar dining corridor, the college Chapel, the School Bookshop, shops and Online games and Sports activities Office.
The library facilities of the college at this stage fashioned element of the higher instruction advancement programme. The most space of priority at Fourah Bay school was the advancement of Library. With the institution of a secure details Centre, Fourah Bay College turned an beautiful location for foreign resources. In 1954, subsequent a stop by to the Fulton Fee which improved the status of the college or university, the library was awarded a grant of $8,000 by the Carnegie Company of New York, to be made use of for the obtain of critical reference and bibliographic supplies. The British complemented this donation in 1955 with a grant of £15,000 from the Colonial Progress Welfare Funds. Two-thirds of individuals donations (£10,000) were used on publications and periodicals and the relaxation on gear. These grants and other donations led to an accelerated development of the library and shaped the foundation of a regular improvement in the course of the 60s. It was at this critecal interval that the library was assigned its rightful posture as a priority affiliated higher education of the College of Durham.
In 1961, the second expatriate Mr. R.S. Burkett, relinquished his appointment as College Librarian soon after a time period of 4 and the 50 % several years. The 3rd expatriate librarian, the late Mr. Michael Jollife (soon after whom the library has been named), was appointed in 1961. He was originally worried with the enhancement of the actual physical amenities of the library. In 1968, the college or university obtained total university standing and with this elevation, the library also played management function in the enhancement of other librarians in Sierra Leone. Within just the library by itself, Mr. Jollife set up the Reprographic and Micrographic sections. In his 1961/1962 annual report, Mr. Jollife determined to the give funds below the British Complex Guidance Programme for the obtain of bindery machines and Mr. W.J Askew, a British E book Binder was assigned this accountability. He arrived in Sierra Leone in August 15, 1964. By then, there were being 10 thousand (10,000) books and periodicals for binding and rebinding. Mr. S.T Browne, a Sierra Leonean craftsman succeeded Mr. Askew right after his three yrs tenure in April 1966 as Head Reserve Binder. At present, the Bindery is headed by Mr. Patrick James. At the conclude of March, 1970, Mr. Michael Jollife resigned his post to grow to be Librarian at Royal Halloway College or university, London and was succeeded by A.C. Butler who arrived in 1971. Consequently, Mrs. Gladys Jusu-Sheriff was the first Sierra Leonean Faculty Librarian right after Mr. Butler remaining in 1972.
Fourah Bay Faculty administration reacted to an acute shortage of library personnel in that period of time, and instituted a study course for the Metropolis and Guilds of London Assistant Certification jointly organised by the school library and the Further-Mural Division. Deficiencies in the library certification provided an obvious very long-expression need for a library program in Sierra Leone. This programme was a junior assistant’s qualification which was purely western procedure of library administration and there was an obvious gap among the Metropolis of Guilds and the ALA. There was a need to have to institute a programme regionally to deliver an intermediate qualification to bridge the hole among the junior clerical level staff and full professionals. This introduced about the reaction for the formation of the Institute of Library, Archive and Facts Studies in 1986 via the dynamic management of Mrs. Gladys Jusu-Sheriff who ultimately turned the initially director. In November 1999 the Institute was merged with the Mass Communication unit in just the School of Arts to sort the Institute of Library, Information and facts and Conversation Scientific tests (INSLICS) offering certificate, diploma, diploma and postgraduate qualifications.
The late Mrs. Deanna Thomas succeeded Mrs. Gladys Jusu-Sheriff as librarian of Fourah Bay Faculty library in 1990 but traveled out of the country in June 1997 during the interregnum of Freetown. Mr. Oliver Harding acted as librarian in her absence until finally June 1998 when a more senior officer in the University of Sierra Leone, the late Prof. L.N. M’Jamtu-Sie the then librarian of University of Medication and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS) was appointed to supervise things to do in the library. She resigned in January 2005 and returned to COMAHS. Mr. Donald Davies acted right up until August 2005 and was succeeded in an acting capability by Rev. Oliver Harding who returned to Sierra Leone from Nigeria following he obtained a 2nd learn degree in Biblical Experiments from West Africa Theological Seminary, Lagos (an affiliate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka). He is nonetheless the recent Performing Librarian at Fourah Bay College Library with only 20-nine(29) workers. Of the 20-9 team, only eight(8) are specialists. This without a doubt is a major setback to Fourah Bay University Library which requires to be rectified.
Currently the library is made up of a 4-storey creating composed of the following sections: The decrease ground ground is composed of the Bindery and the Sierra Leone Collection. The Ground Ground consists of the Reception Desk, Librarian’s Business, Situation Desk, Cataloguing Division and Common Reference collection, photocopying room, the American Shelves and the United Nations Assortment. The first floor is the Periodicals/Serials Assortment, even though the second floor depict the lending assortment or the textbook assortment and the 3rd flooring which originally housed lending library matarials is at present not performing due to licking roof of the making.
The adhering to are the numerous sections in the library and their features:
- Librarian’s Business & Acquisitions Office
- Cataloguing Division
- Concern Desk
- Textbook Assortment
- Periodicals Section
- Sierra Leone Selection
- United Nations Collection
- The American Shelves/Corner and
- The Bindery
The very first part is the Librarian’s Workplace which frequently controls all other parts in the library. The office environment also serves as the Acquisition’s Office. This is where choice of library supplies is accomplished. Lecturers are encouraged to make collection of resources to be obtained for their use. At the time the assortment is made and bibliographic knowledge are scrutinised, the inventory of the library to prevent avoidable duplication of orders is checked. These supplies are sent to the library, and their aspects are checked from those of the buy slips subsequent these supplies which are accessioned prior to passing them more than to the Cataloguing Section. There is also availability of audiovisual gear such as projector which the librarian makes use of throughout orientation programmes and also employed to perform lectures.
Library elements on receipt from the Librarian’s office environment/Acquisitions Section are labeled and catalogued in the second segment. This second portion is not in sight or it is out of bounds. The organisation of components into a established sample of lessons facilitates the arrangement of these resources on the proper shelves with materials on precise topics currently being housed collectively in the similar spot of the library. The excellence of the Catalogue is the pleasure of the library due to the fact the moment a product is wrongly categorised and shelved, it does not stay with associates of its class and in some scenarios, it is like a missing content. Fourah Bay Higher education library now utilise the 23rd version of the Dewey Decimal Classification Plan and the AACR2 (Anglo American Cataloguing Rules 2).
The 3rd area is also termed the Circulations Section the place components that go out on loan are billed to patrons and discharged on return to the library. Facts about components not located on the cabinets could be retrieved from the Circulations Part. Shelving arrangements are also underneath the supervision of the Circulations Portion personnel. This segment also system and situation college students library cards.
The forth segment is presently the most greatly applied segment in Fourah Bay School library. It is a shut access selection. This suggests that products are not immediately obtainable to readers but issued out on request. Materials in this section include assorted disciplines centered on the curriculum of the higher education. This assortment also properties previous evaluation papers of courses taken on campus. Messengers from the library are sent to assessment halls with a official letter from the Librarian requesting copies of examination papers from invigilators. These are eventually sorted out and sent to the bindery department to be sure into volumes.
The fifth portion is also referred to as the Journal/Serials Segment. It properties quarterly, bi-quarterly, every year, semi-per year publications. These are publications of a number of volumes which appear about at standard intervals and supposed to indefinitely continue on. Many authors contribute posts to them. They also have distinctive titles. At the close of the 12 months, again troubles are despatched to the bindery to be certain into volumes and stocked in the portion for scientists on varied disciplines. This part can also classify and catalogue periodical materials to relieve perform done by the Cataloguing Office.
As the name implies, this sixth section houses substance about Sierra Leone. Materials in this collection are challenging to weed given that they variety component of the countrywide bibliography of Sierra Leone. The device also includes newspapers which are purchased each day. This grey literature is unique as the newspaper collection date-back to the 1930s to present day.
The seventh section is found in the Floor Ground of the library and is at present in a area renovated by the United Nations and stocked with desktops, printers, photocopiers which are utilized by learners, lecturers and administrative team. Even so, this area is managed by a personal owner in its place of FBC library.
The eighth part is the American Shelve. This is situated at the Ground Floor of the library. It was established in July 2007, after a “Memorandum of Being familiar with” signed by the then U.S. Ambassador and the then Deputy Chancellor of Fourah Bay University. The intent was to endorse general public diplomacy of the Embassy of the United States of The united states in Sierra Leone, hence its name the “American Shelves.” Products housed in this assortment are purely American. Collections include things like publications, CD-ROM, Posters, Periodicals/publications and other programming resources of the Embassy of the United States of The usa in Sierra Leone. The American Corner has a television set. The book selection consists of components in background, literature, education, health and fitness, economics, administration, company, culture and regulation of the United States of America. Money are commonly built available by the Community Affairs Sections of the United States Embassy in Sierra Leone to the library to undertake joint sensitisation programmes on applicable concerns to culture such as black background working day, democracy, human proper, the female boy or girl and “Ebola”, in which keynote speakers are either provided by the Embassy or the library from local gurus with regards the matter of discussion. Online video exhibits are also organised.
The ninth portion is found at the Decrease Ground Floor and is the economic nerve centre of the library. Paperbacks with less than fifty webpages are dealt with as pamphlets and are processed and stocked in boxes. Components with fifty webpages and above are regarded as books and sent to the bindery for challenging handles. Prospects desirous of using this segment of the library must observe the pursuing procedures:
- Secure proforma bill for binding perform
- Settle invoice at Librarian’s business office and acquire receipt for sum paid
- Collect certain operate from bindery on presentation of a legitimate receipt
- Departmental positions from FBC should really be accompanied by an buy from respective heads of departments and paid out for in income or cheque
- All cheques should be manufactured payable to Fourah Bay School.
Other types of positions carried out in the bindery incorporate rebinding dissertations/theses, paperbacks, newspapers, engagement Bibles, ledgers and gold lettering. Even so this sections is limited with standard bindery gear and services to bind and rebind the library resources.
Troubles
It is distinct that Fourah Bay Faculty Library has some challenges in handling the library. Some of the issues are as therefore: inadequate funding and present materials inadequate sitting down accommodation insufficient skilled and certified personnel and insufficient provision of photocopying equipment. Of the diversified difficulties, the big getting the inadequate sitting down accommodation and the inadequate funding and non-recent components.
The existing state of Details Management amidst the new management at Fourah Bay School is that there is typical power supply which is attained from a few (3) sources, that is, the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) a stand-by generator which is shared with the primary administrative making and a solar panel which only supplies the decreased and floor flooring of the library. This has a great deal of issues for the library as the other floors are presently out of energy supply as the entire building is under refurbishment. There is availability of Online connectivity via hotspots, even though its strength is pretty weak only end users with advanced systems can have access to it. The developments of ICTs have made available Fourah Bay Library current and difficult chance that requires it to respond positively in all facets of their companies and features if they are to continue to be pertinent in the new information and facts age.
Recommendations
I recommend that:
- the university management really should give much more sitting down accommodation by developing extra library buildings.
- University need to utilize more qualified and skilled expert librarians or instantly endorse the existing team that have already absent by way of the librarianship training
- the college need to give additional funds so that the aged material be swap the currents ones
- Sierra Leone Collection which maintain a significance variety of grey literature ought to be digitised and generate online database that need to be access by researchers. The bindery section ought to also be delivered with contemporary equipment for printing and binding textbooks on realistic value as is the earnings building portion of library
- the net connectivity must be more robust that the current a single
- electric power energy provide really should be continual
- lecturers-library team romance must be strong in picking out library supplies foundation on the college or university curriculum and
- catastrophe administration prepare really should be furnished in circumstance any hearth outbreak or flooding.
Summary
It is obvious that Fourah Bay School Library in excess of the many years has been crippling with inadequate skilled and qualified library specialist because of to aging librarian crisis. The remaining experienced personnel are not promoted instantly following retirement of a retiree personnel simply because of extreme forms/protocol in the administration approach. Hence the skilled and knowledgeable team had to hold out for years or fulfill particular academic bench marks ahead of they are promoted.
