J. Appl. Environ. Biol. Sci., 7(12)146-151, 2017 | ISSN: 2090-4274 |
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Department of Teacher Education Qurtaba University of Science and Information Technology Peshawar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Received: September 9, 2017 Accepted: October 19, 2017
Libraries considered indispensable section of any learning institute and play a pivotal role in preservation and promoting of knowledge through printed and electronic reading materials. It offered customized services that seamlessly bring the world of information to users through the Internet, super networks, and wireless communications. However, in under developing countries including Pakistan, libraries faced numerous problems regarding their administration and management. In this study we explored the problems faced by libraries in public sector universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The population of the study was all the public sector university library professionals. There were total 21 public sector universities in which sixty eight library professionals were working. The researcher collected data from all of them through close ended questionnaire as feed here and founded problems like shortage of space, outdated reading materials, librarians service structure, shortage of funds, shortage of professional staff, curriculum change, less funds for online access to research journals, funds allotted without librarians consultation, subject wise funds, unclassified stock, less expertise in classification, book recovery and cataloguing. The scholar tested the significance level founded problems with their impact through SPSS-20 version and founded twelve problems significant while only three were non-significant. KEY WORDS: library problems, public sector university library problems, university library problems, library
professional problems, Pakistani university libraries problems in public sector.
Libraries considered warehouse of knowledge. It is not just like a repository or services providing agencies but it is all of these things. Academic library should be accessible to all students and faculty members equally. It should have all those facilities which are the demands of the modern digital era [7]. There are so many reasons that libraries make valuable section of academic session and objectives of the institution. Library is consider heart of the university which adopt all the changes of the electronic age and helpful in achieving the goals of the academic session. It equips the students with skills and knowledge to maximize the chances of employability. In higher education, funds maximum amount utilized by the purchase of library resources which play a vital role in education communication. Investment in e-resources has a direct impact on the productivity of an institution [8]. Now opening hours of the library become twenty-four. Readers want to access the e-journals and catalogue any time. A study was conducted in USA in which university library economical in terms of finance and time. If a university library has quality resources it contributes to the prestige of an institution. These quality resources in university library attract and retain graduate students. If these resources are in depth then it has direct positive impact on the research papers publication and theses at PhD levels. In any university in the world, librarian becomes part of the research process. Some universities use their librarians as students advisors in which undergraduate students learn the conduction of relationship with others. So here library is not a passive service provider agency[9]. When students want to take admission in any university they consider the quality of library. So the quality of library resources put positive impact on university enrollment. The undergraduate students spend more than in university library therefore larger time they spend with librarian as compare to lecturer. That time is consumed subsidiary students to become self-directed pupils. A survey was conducted in UK about the students achievements so found those students better who use library. Universities with libraries that expend more on reading materials and hire more staff also have greater maintenance rates. The role of modern librarian is extremely demanding one which needs to be well equipped with IT skills, staff management and budget preparation [10]. Paper was written for aims like
*Corresponding Author: Hamdullah Jan, Department of Teacher Education, Qurtaba University of Science and Information Technology. Peshawar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Email: janhamdullah5351@gmail.com +923459146232 and +923359343536
Jan and Khan, 2017
Introduction of the study showed that libraries played very unavoidable role in the preservation and dissemination of knowledge and in the study scholar identified the problems which deeply affected the service quality of university libraries. The study will help in the solution of these problems which improve the service quality.
The below mentioned literature showed the importance of the study. The top ten issues of the academic librarians and libraries were listed here.
J. Appl. Environ. Biol. Sci., 7(12)146-151, 2017
collection development which included Challenges regarding copyright, technological up gradation, challenges in collection Development in Electronically, IT skill Manpower, collection management, policy related, selection criteria, financial constraints for collection development and user service [1]. Study was conducted related to the CD-ROM access, trends and challenges in libraries. It was found that CDROM is the modern approach to store the data on it but it requires special training for use. The librarians need training about it. It became very popular and the use of CD-ROM now considered the modern trends in libraries. But due to this technology librarian job became more difficult. It required so many challenges like shortage of training; shortage of fund for training, special user education and the most important one is energy backup. The government should arrange proper training for librarians and enough funds for such training [6].
A detail questionnaire was used for data collection. In which Likert scale (strongly agree, agree, undecided, disagree, strongly disagree) questions were incorporated. The questionnaire was related to library problems like shortage of space, outdated reading materials, librarians service structure, shortage of funds, shortage of professional staff, curriculum change, digitalization of libraries, less funds for online access to research journals, funds allotted without librarians consultation, subject wise funds, unclassified stock, less expertise in classification, cataloguing and book recovery. The data was collected directly through the close ended questionnaire from library professionals in departmental and center libraries in public sector universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Library professionals have different positions like cataloguer, classifier, assistant librarian, deputy librarian and chief librarians. Data was collected from all of them. There are 21 public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in which 68 librarians (library professional) are working. As the data was census based, therefore library professionals of these universities were contacted. All library professionals of these public sector universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had an equal chance to contribute in this study irrespective of their gender, designation, qualification and experience. Total sixty five library professionals of these public sector universities were contacted for data collection as sample. Why I choose library professionals for data collection? There is direct relationship with the librarian. That is for reference, for teaching resource purposes and different domains of knowledge. Therefore the professionals (library professional) have of paramount importance.
In the study the following problems were found which negatively affect the quality of library services at public sector university libraries.
1. SHORTAGE OF SPACE The study was conducted in public sector university libraries of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In the study scholar identified so many problems in which shortage of space was most common. Some libraries had this problem in terms of circulation and some in terms of reading rooms. In the south side libraries they had much space for library but division were not properly made. At the same time so many activities need to be run inside the university library like classification, cataloguing, accessioning, digitalization, computerization, labeling, lettering, spinning, issuing of materials, newspaper reading, research journal reading, online access through computers, meetings with delegations, meeting with faculty members, user education and so many others. These all activities required proper reserved space for completion. But from the study it was found that majority of university libraries in public sector had shortage of space problem.
2. OUTDATED READING MATERIALS This was one of the most common problems which negatively affect the libraries services identified by librarians in the study. Now we are living in storm of information publication and changes are coming very rapidly. Along with Pakistan is developing country and facing finance problem in education sector. Universities in public sector are not allotted regular budget for purchase of books in libraries. New subjects are introduced very rapidly or new branches of subjects are emerging day by day. It has become very difficult for libraries to keep update materials in all subjects which required handsome amount. The publication ratio increases day and night. New editions and versions of books are publishing therefore, outdated reading materials problems growing day by day.
3. LIBRARIANS SERVICE STRUCTURE Lack of proper librarian service structure was the identified problem in the study. This problem negatively affects the services of libraries. Due to this problem many people adopted library field with by chance but not by choice. Some librarians do not feel happy after adopting profession and try to leave it. Some librarians compared
Jan and Khan, 2017
their profession with faculty like lecturers in university. But they found themselves at weak position. Their profession at university level is very complicated at a time they were busy in so many activities.
4. SHORTAGE OF FUNDS Pakistan is a developing country and is facing shortage of funds problem in education like other fields. In the study, it is found that public sector university libraries faced shortage of funds problem. Some libraries feel it in the area of book purchase, some in infrastructure like building, some in furniture and some in terms of staff members. Now the education field becomes very vast and many new subjects are introducing day by day which increased the demand of more funds for purchasing of reading materials. Similarly with rapid increase in population of student’s enrollments need more furniture and staff members for services demand increase in funds.
5. SHORTAGE OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF Library is a growing organism as per Ranganathan laws for library science. With the passage of time its building, materials, services, facilities and furniture increased which caused the increase in staff members. At a time every library at public sector university required classifier, cataloguer, assistant librarians, deputy librarians, chief librarian and supporting staff like clerk, key punch operator, computer operator and so many others. But in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa university libraries only two or three professional staff members are performing all these operations which negatively affect the service quality. There are twenty one public sector university libraries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which had total 60 professional staff members. In which only one is chief librarian, three additional librarians, four deputy librarians, forty nine assistant librarians, one cataloguer, one classifier and one was bibliographer. Now from the collected data classification and cataloguing are basic operations performed by librarians at every university libraries but only two libraries were specialist in them.
6. CURRICULUM CHANGE Curriculum change was a problem found in public sector university libraries. With the rapid increase in knowledge new subjects are introduced. Therefore, the authorities try to accommodate these new terminologies and topics in curriculum which created problem for libraries. It is the responsibility of university libraries to cover up all the courses and topics of curriculum which taught in university. Some libraries were concerned about this problem because it negatively affected the use of materials and service quality of public sector university libraries.
7. LESS FUNDS FOR ONLINE ACCESS TO RESEARCH JOURNALS The role of digital libraries in universities is increasing. Now the users demanded saving of time and try to get more information in minimum time. The library world is converted into digital and online library catalogue. From any library, user can access online for research journals or other required information through internet from any part of the world. But majority of research journal demand money for online access to their information. Majority of public sector university libraries face deficiency of fund for online access to research journals.
8. FUNDS ALLOTTED WITHOUT LIBRARIANS CONSULTATION Another important problem found in the study was that funds were allotted without consultation of librarians. Librarians take demand lists from students and faculty member whole year and he knows better that how much fund is required for each subject. Normally equal funds were allotted for all subjects but some subject books are expensive and some are cheaper. Therefore, it creates problems for librarians to accomplish the total demands of users.
9. SUBJECT WISE FUNDS In study it was found that sometimes funds were specified subject wise which created much problems for librarians. There were some books which were related with more than one subjects. Now librarians are concerned about subject fund they purchased. The authorities provide equal funds for all subjects but some subjects require more materials than others. Some subjects books are expensive like zoology, botany, computer science, physics, chemistry etc. and some are cheaper like Urdu, Islamiat, Pashto etc. therefore some subjects require more funds than others.
10. UNCLASSIFIED STOCK All the public sector university libraries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have classified book stock but sometimes it becomes problems like new arrival. When new books are purchased and put them in classification section that time user comes to know that library has this kind of book, then he comes for issue, but now it is in classification section which creates problems for librarians to issue them.
J. Appl. Environ. Biol. Sci., 7(12)146-151, 2017
11. LESS EXPERTISE IN CLASSIFICATION Classification is the prime responsibility of any library through which each book reach to their relevant book stock. By classification user time is saved and it encourages the user to use library. But in curriculum, students learn more theory than practical. At a result, after adoption of librarian profession, they face many problems in classification. For the solutions of problem librarians consult expertise who waste their time.
12. CATALOGUING During study cataloguing problem was found. Librarians at public sector university level in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa found difficulties in cataloguing of reading materials.
13. BOOK RECOVERY Another and last problem of the study was book recovery. Now the book prices have increased so many times as compared to student’s security. Earlier student’s security was deposited in response of book recovery. But now it has become impossible due to high prices of books.
A = Agree, DA = Disagree, SOF= Shortage of funds, SOSP= Shortage of professional staff, CIC= Change in Curriculum, DIG= Digitalization, BUD= Budge allotted without librarians consultation, OM= outdated materials, SS= Problem of service structure, BOA= Budget for free online access, BWO= budget open without subject allocation, UCS = Unclassified stocks reduce the number of readers. BCLA= Book classification demanded the full command
Services | Impact of problems | ||||||
Yes No | Total | Chi- | P-Value | ODDs | |||
Square | Ratio | ||||||
1 | SOS | A | 32 12 | 44 | 3.92 | .048 | 2.933 |
DA | 10 11 | 21 | |||||
2 | OM | A | 36 10 | 46 | 3.997 | .045 | 3.150 |
DA | 10 9 | 19 | |||||
3 | SS | A | 39 9 | 48 | 4.000 | .046 | 3.370 |
DA | 10 7 | 17 | |||||
4 | SOF | A | 35 15 | 50 | .060 | .806 | 1.167 |
DA | 10 05 | 15 | |||||
5 | SOPS | A | 38 11 | 49 | 4.095 | .043 | 3.109 |
DA | 10 9 | 19 | |||||
6 | CIC | A | 43 8 | 53 | 4.004 | .045 | 3.839 |
DA | 7 5 | 12 | |||||
7 | DIG | A | 39 9 | 47 | 4.520 | .034 | 3.467 |
DA | 10 8 | 18 | |||||
8 | BOA | A | 38 9 | 47 | 4.312 | .038 | 3.378 |
DA | 10 8 | 18 | |||||
9 | CLA | A | 39 9 | 48 | 5.209 | .022 | 3.852 |
DA | 9 08 | 17 | |||||
10 | BUD | A | 42 10 | 52 | 4.062 | .044 | 3.60 |
DA | 07 06 | 13 | |||||
11 | BWO | A | 42 9 | 51 | 3.933 | .047 | 3.50 |
DA | 8 6 | 14 | |||||
12 | UCS | A | 36 16 | 52 | .409 | .522 | 1.469 |
DA | 08 05 | 13 | |||||
13 | BCLA | A | 38 10 | 48 | 4.312 | .038 | 3.378 |
DA | 9 8 | 17 | |||||
14 | CAT | A | 35 09 | 44 | 4.098 | .043 | 3.182 |
DA | 13 08 | 21 | |||||
15 | PBR | A | 33 16 | 49 | .650 | .420 | 1.604 |
DA | 09 07 | 16 |
The above table showed relationship of fifteen different problems with impact of these problems at public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The scholar tested the significance level of above mention problems with impact through SPSS 19 version and found twelve problems significant while only three are non-significant.
Jan and Khan, 2017
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