FACTORS THAT LEAD TO FAILURE OF LIBRARIES TO MEET THEIR SET GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: A CASE STUDY OF KYAMBOGO UNIVERSITY

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

IIS                               International Information System

ISO                             International Organization for Standardization

ITEK                           Institute of Teacher Education Kyambogo

KYU                           Kyambogo University

TC                               Technical Committee

UNISE                        Uganda National Institute of Special Needs

UPK                            Uganda Polytechnic Kyambogo

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

A library is organized for use and maintained by a public body, an institution, a corporation, or a private individual. Public and institutional collections and services may be intended for use by people who choose not to or cannot afford to purchase an extensive collection themselves, who need material no individual can reasonably be expected to have, or who require professional assistance with their research. In addition to providing materials, libraries also provide the services of librarians who are experts at finding and organizing information and at interpreting information needs. Libraries often provide quiet areas for studying, and they also often offer common areas to facilitate group study and collaboration. Libraries often provide public facilities for access to their electronic resources and the Internet. Modern libraries are increasingly being redefined as places to get unrestricted access to information in many formats and from many sources. They are extending services beyond the physical walls of a building, by providing material accessible by electronic means, and by providing the assistance of librarians in navigating and analyzing very large amounts of information with a variety of digital tools (Casson, 2002).

According to Roberts et al (1997), academic libraries Kyambogo university library inclusive, today vary in regard to the extent to which they accommodate those who are not affiliated with their parent universities. Some offer reading and borrowing privileges to members of the public on payment of an annual fee; such fees can vary greatly. The privileges so obtained usually do not extend to such services as computer usage, other than to search the catalog, or Internet access. Alumni and students of cooperating local universities may be given discounts or other consideration when arranging for borrowing privileges. On the other hand access to the libraries of some universities is absolutely restricted to students, faculty, and staff. Even in this case, they may make it possible for others to borrow materials through inter-library loan programs.

Kyambogo University (KYU) is Uganda’s third public university established by the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act 2001. It is a merger of Uganda Polytechnic Kyambogo (UPK), the Institute of Teacher Education, Kyambogo (ITEK), and the Uganda National Institute of Special Education (UNISE). It is located 8kms from Kampala City Centre along Kampala-Jinja highway, the university is accessible through the Banda trading centre and the Kyambogo T-junction.

The university is focused on vocationalising education at all levels and it believes in the philosophy that knowledge is as important as skills. The university has embraced the fields of science, technology, education and special needs and community rehabilitation as its core areas of training and research. With an ever-increasing amount of data to manage and store, many storage administrators are encountering issues related to the efficiency and reliability of existing tape environments. Backups are taking longer, often exceeding the available time window as a result of physical failures. Tapes are continually replaced and drives often damage media through shoe-shinning. Yet, storage needs are growing as budgets shrink and the root causes of problems remain unaddressed.

1.2 Statement of the problem

There has been persistent failure of libraries to meet their set goals and objectives and this has been attributed to a lot of factors. Therefore the researcher has been prompted to carryout a research to find out factors that lead the failure of libraries to meet their set goals and objectives and provide some solutions to the dilemma.

1.3 Purpose of the study

The initial purpose for which this research was to investigate the leading factors towards failure of libraries to meet their set goals and objectives

1.4 Objectives of the study

1. To find out the overview of libraries
2. To  find out the different types of libraries
3. To find out the leading factors towards failure of libraries to meet their set goals and objectives
4. To find out what should be done to help libraries meet their set goals and objectives

1.5 Research questions

1. What is the overview of libraries?
2. What are the different types of libraries?
3. What are the leading factors towards failure of libraries to meet their set goals and objectives?
4. What can be done to help libraries meet their set goals and objectives?

1.6 Significance of the study

Not forgetting other considerations, it was hoped that the findings of this research might help different libraries to meet their set goals and objectives

It was also hoped that the findings would make the libraries to improve on their performance.

The findings also would stimulate and promote further research into the failure of the libraries to meet their set objectives.

1.7 Definition of terms

1.7.1 Assessment

Means to determine the importance, size or value of a course / programmes of training for this paper it will be particularly in reference to the course of failure of libraries to meet their set goals and objectives.

1.7.2 Attitude

Mental state of mind for or against something

1.7.3 Library

A library is organized for use and maintained by a public body, an institution, a corporation, or a private individual.

1.8 Limitations of the study

Time: the time provided for a researcher to carry out this research is very short because the research has to look for literature from places hence she will need some good time but the time is very short.

Finance, money is needed in terms of transport, research, typing printing and binding hence making it so expensive in this hard hitting inflation period.

Respondents attitude (some respondents may not be  very willing to give information immediately others might be rather reluctant to.

Lack of adequate information, this is also one of the bottlenecks to the research study some officials hampered the researcher’s access to some relevant information and details.

1.9 Delimitations

The researcher dealt with the above limitations in the following ways

• The researcher assured the respondents confidentiality of the information they gave in case they doubted it being exposed to the public.
• The researcher met the respondents at their convenient time to avoid entering into their daily plans.

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction

This chapter relates with what as scholars have written about this topic in relation with the study objectives.

2.2 Overview about libraries

Basic tasks in library management include the planning of acquisitions (which materials the library should acquire, by purchase or otherwise), library classification of acquired materials, preservation of materials (especially rare and fragile archival materials such as manuscripts), the deaccessioning of materials, patron borrowing of materials, and developing and administering library computer systems. More long-term issues include the planning of the construction of new libraries or extensions to existing ones, and the development and implementation of outreach services and reading-enhancement services (such as adult literacy and children’s programming), (Stockwell, 2001).

Libraries the whole world over are under threat, mainly because the people who fund them are under the mistaken impression that they are no longer needed in the age of the Internet (Zurndorfer et al, 1995).

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has published several standards regarding the management of libraries through its Technical Committee 46 (TC 46),[45] which is focused on “libraries, documentation and information centers, publishing, archives, records management, museum documentation, indexing and abstracting services, and information science” (Watson, 1994).

2.3 Types of libraries

2.3.1 Public Libraries

According to  Kathleen de la Peña (2011), a public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources (such as tax money) and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries. The first is that they are supported by taxes (usually local, though any level of government can and may contribute); they are governed by a board to serve the public interest; they are open to all and every community member can access the collection; they are entirely voluntary in that no one is ever forced to use the services provided; and public libraries provide basic services without charge.

Public libraries exist in many countries across the world and are often considered an essential part of having an educated and literate population. Public libraries are distinct from research libraries, school libraries, and other special libraries in that their mandate is to serve the general public’s information needs (rather than the needs of a particular school, institution, or research population). Public Libraries also provide free services such as preschool story times to encourage early literacy, quiet study and work areas for students and professionals, or book clubs to encourage appreciation of literature in adults. Public libraries typically allow users to take books and other materials off the premises temporarily; they also have non-circulating reference collections and provide computer and Internet access to patrons. The public library is an excellent model of government at its best. A locally controlled public good, it serves every individual freely, in as much or as little depth as he or she wants (Dowler, 1997).

For many people, this is what a library is – a publicly funded institution that provides books for loan and is used mainly by the very old and the very young. It is probably divided into Lending and Reference, and the Lending stock is split between fiction and non-fiction. The threat to the public library comes partly from the fact that fewer people now read for pleasure, and those who do are more likely to buy their books from Borders

or Waterstones than borrow them from the library, and, on the non-fiction and reference sides, information is easily and quickly obtainable from the WWW, without the need to make a trip to the library, (Corradini, 2006). However, public libraries provide much more than that, such as materials for entertainment and information in a wide range of media. You will also find a lot of information about local services across the spectrum, tailored to the needs of the community served by the library. Above all, you will find professional librarians who are trained to help you find exactly what you are looking for. This includes help with searching the Internet, which you can do from most public libraries these days.

2.3.2 Academic libraries

According Garrod, (2004), an academic library is a library that is attached to academic institutions above the secondary level, serving the teaching and research needs of students and staff. These libraries serve two complementary purposes: to support the school’s curriculum, and to support the research of the university, faculty and students.

The support of teaching requires material for class readings and for student papers. In the past, the material for class readings, intended to supplement lectures as prescribed by the instructor, has been called reserves. In the period before electronic resources became available, the reserves were supplied as actual books or as photocopies of appropriate journal articles. Traditionally, one copy of a book was made available for each 10 students — this is practical for large classes only if paperback copies are available, and the books reused from term to term (Abram & Luther, 2004).

Academic libraries must decide what focus they take in collecting materials since no single library can supply everything. When there are particular areas of specialization in academic libraries these are often referred to as niche collections. These collections are often the basis of a special collection department and may include original papers, artwork, and artifacts written or created by a single author or about a specific subject.

These cover the spectrum from libraries in schools of all sizes, through to those of major universities and research institutions. They have something of a captive audience, in that the institutions they serve are dedicated to teaching and learning, and the libraries’ role is to provide access to the sources of information from which that teaching and learning can develop (Bell, 2005). However, they are still under threat, because they cost money to stock and to run, and a school or university has to make a decision as to the proportion of its funds to devote to its library. Academic libraries are therefore bending over backwards to add increasingly more value to the services they provide.

Just as with the public library sector, it is the people who run and staff academic libraries who make them what they are. It has been known for institutions to try to run their libraries without professional librarians, but this is a highly misguided attitude, because the expertise of a professional librarian is essential in the process of translating a vaguely worded enquiry into the true needs of the enquirer and then into the solution that will best satisfies those needs (Kenney, 2004).

2.3.3 Special libraries

If you think of “special” having the meaning of “specialist”, you will get closer to the mark. These are libraries that serve a particular institution that has a specific role to play, and they will therefore tend to be “one subject” libraries. For example, they could serve a hospital, or a law practice, or an industrial company. They also vary in size, depending in part on the size of the institution they serve, but many of these libraries are run by “solos”, that is, librarians working alone or maybe with only clerical assistance, (Hood & Henderson, 2005).

Special librarians have become adept at “reading the runes” of the environment in which their business operates, and scan information sources to find material that they know will be of interest to the people working in their company (etc). They also need to be on top of all the information technology that is available to them, and at ways of collecting and presenting information that will save the time of busy people. They may also organize the institution’s own information resources in ways that best suit local needs, maybe through a company intranet. The title “librarian” has been questioned in some quarters, and many people in this sector prefer to be known as “information scientists” (Darnton, 2009).

Dowler, (1997), assets that the threats to this sector of librarianship are obvious, especially where company bottom lines take priority over virtually everything else. It is not easy to gauge the true value of a library to a business, and, to many accountants, anything that cannot be valued in purely monetary terms has no value. I was myself the victim of this sort of thinking, as I had to watch the library system (of four libraries) that I managed for a major UK industrial company being dismantled bit by bit, and eventually disappearing altogether, taking me with it.

2.4 Factors that lead to failure of libraries to meet their set goals and objectives

The most perplexing duty that falls to the lot of the librarian or book committee of a public circulating library is the determination of the books to be placed on the shelves. Almost total absence of current materials, lack of adequate numbers of trained personnel and above all inadequate funding as the major problems hindering the development of public libraries,(Dowler, 1997).

Libraries have growing leverage, though few librarians seem to be aware of it. (However justified in a moral sense, complaining about reduced budgets and begging for mercy from publishers is a poor negotiating tactic.)  Bricks-and-mortar bookstores are closing everywhere, and book publishers increasingly face a marketplace dominated by a handful of huge corporations (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google, Apple), dominance that grows as “p” switches to “e.”  A bookstore in every library!  Just think of what that could mean for book publishers! Libraries that position themselves as gatekeepers to patrons will be able to demand large concessions from publishers in terms of pricing and flexibility.  But they cannot do this unless they can quantify their benefit to publishers (Alia, 2002)

Whoever controls the metadata, controls the marketplace. This is because in a virtual economy, the metadata is just about the only way to convey marketing messages and prompt discovery.  This could be a winner-takes-all business, which would make for intense competition.  Few publishers, and no libraries that I am aware of, are familiar with winner-takes-all scenarios, network effects, the law of increasing returns, and the other economic principles that describe the workings of the Internet (Kenney, 2004).

Libraries everywhere are under pressure, and in the public library world, some (though not librarians — or publishers — of course) are doubting that they should continue to have a claim on the public purse.  At the same time, publishers are watching their supply chain get torn up by the switch to e-books. If HarperCollins could be persuaded to extend the number of circulations by 100%, or 1000%, it won’t change the fundamental problems that libraries face today.  We need innovative programs that invite publishers to see their own interests reflected in the fulfillment of a library’s mission. (Jabulani, 2007)

“It’s heartbreaking to have students come in to do their homework and not be able to give them the materials This often-repeated situation, librarians say, is a direct result of a reduction by nearly half in the libraries’ budget for materials — mainly books — over five years. At the same time, book costs have raced ahead of general inflation. Librarians say books are less well made and wear out faster; computers and new library technology divert money from books, and school libraries are suffering from their own shortage of funds. According to the Public Library Association, the Middle County Library on Long Island received $13.85 per capita for materials, Boston libraries got $10.81 and Cleveland’s $12.92 in 1992. In the same year, Queens libraries received $2.72, Brooklyn’s $2.15 and the New York system’s $2.01. Loyalty Is an Issue. Jerry Nichols, director of the Suffolk County Cooperative Library System, which claims to be the country’s biggest, said local municipalities vote on library budgets in both Suffolk and Nassau counties. “Because of this, there’s a great deal of loyalty to their institutions,” he said. And he said the resulting investment is critical to maintain a library’s usefulness. “If there’s no investment in libraries, people will stop using them,” he said.

The increased funds were earmarked for longer hours, meaning mainly more staff members, and not books. Increased hours prompted greater circulation as people flocked back. But then the effect of longer hours boomeranged, and circulation actually fell by more than 5 percent after a sixth day was added at most branches.

Bell, (2005) asserts that, despite the availability of such items as videos in many libraries, books continue to be the biggest draw. A recent Gallup poll conducted for the New York Public Library showed teen-agers preferred wider book availability to more hours by a 31 to 24 percent margin. “That’s one of the most reassuring pieces of news about that generation that you could hope for,” Mr. LeClerc said. “There are so many false stereotypes out there about the non-reading habits of the public.”

Libraries are shaving expenses wherever they can, though often with a two-edged blade. Paperback books are less expensive, for example, but wear out more quickly. Books are still occasionally rebound, but the process costs as much as new books and the result can be unpopular with readers. Computer technology offers the prospect of centralized information, but the initial investment is often large. Inadequate funding – It is critical for a strong and successful public library to receive adequate funding. We all know the economy has gone sour. That puts libraries in direct competition with all other government services (Darnton, 2009).

Technology is a challenge that is both exciting and frustrating. Libraries struggle to keep up with in-house needs and user demands. Insufficient bandwidth issues are increasing as users place more demands on library service. New applications give us pause – RSS feeds, blogs, Facebook and Twitter and whatever’s next place – and place increased demands on staff. Lack of constant training for the librarians, inadequate staff for the libraries, lack of administrative support, and unavailability and non-use of collection development policies (Corradini, 2006).

2.5 Possible solutions to help libraries meet their set goals and objectives

Outsource: Profit = efficiency = effectiveness. You outsourced most cataloging years ago. You don’t build your own integrated systems, publish your own books, or manufacture your own shelving. Why do local collection development, reference work, or anything except circulation? Outsourcing takes care of union problems and overpaid employees; it’s as good for libraries as for any other bottom-line business (McCook, 2011).

Follow the Pareto Principle. Focus 80% of your library’s budget and attention on the 20% of your customers who represent 80% of your business. Satisfy your best customers (the word to use!) and you can’t go wrong. Those who get left behind probably don’t pay much in taxes anyway, and won’t help when you start your NPR-style pledge drives (AL, Feb., p. 37–39). Forget them.

Give them what they want. Period. Buy enough copies of the latest bestsellers to fill all demand. For academic libraries, get all the full-text journals you can possibly afford: Students love them. Why worry about materials that serve the next generation? You’ll be retired by then anyway.

If it hasn’t circulated in two years, dump it. Keep those shelves clear for the stuff your best customers want. If nobody’s used it in two years, chances are it’s worthless for today’s top customers.

Never offend your community. Who are you to purchase materials that offend community members? Once you move to an inoffensive collection policy, you won’t have to explain to trustees why they should care about intellectual freedom and minority needs.

Ignore your community. Do you have a growing Spanish collection to serve your growing Hispanic population? How about ESL and adult literacy programs to help struggling community members? Are you investigating and serving changing community needs? No?

Kids these days do everything on computers and they’ll never change. Out go the bookshelves. In go the WiFi networks and e-book systems.

Today’s young mutants don’t care about books, story hours, or anything that isn’t on a cell phone/PDA or notebook computer. They never will. Aren’t you just the same now as you were 20 years ago? You can see the wave of the future: Surf it or drown.

Technology solves all problems. If technology creates a problem, you just need more technology to solve the problem. You need to spend more time paying attention to new technological solutions—those are the only ones that matter.

Keep shifting to shiny new toys. How many neat new technologies and devices have you investigated this year? If you’re not hooking up something new every week or two, you’re falling behind. You’re not some sort of Luddite, are you? It’s new, it’s neat, it’s shiny: You must work it into your library plans.

You have your MLS. You can stop learning. Do you really want to spend time reading boring professional literature? If something matters, someone will alert you to it—and, after all, it’s only the shiny new toys that matter. Institutes and conference programs are great excuses for drinking and dining, but the exhibits should teach you everything you really need to know.

Fight stereotypes at every turn. You could raise the status of librarians by providing professional, tailored services to those who need them most—but isn’t it more fun to complain about media portrayals of hair in buns, sensible shoes, and shushing? As lawyers have demonstrated, the path to success is constant whining about stereotypes.

Embrace inevitability. The print serial is dead and the print book is dying. Nobody wants to go to a library. Book reading is a lost art in any case, and Google gives you all the research anyone really needs. That’s the way it is. It’s inevitable. Live with it

Roberts & Morris (1997) believes that there is in to develop library program, developing information literacy. There are no specific outcomes for information literacy, so it is a matter of seeing what is in the unit plans and slotting in the skills the students need to accomplish the tasks. Earlier involvement in the unit planning would be of assistance so that the ICT outcomes and the information literacy skills are better aligned. The promotion of reading, literacy and the diversity of books have to be the focus to co-operative reading and teaching opportunities.

Online and offsite support, to enhance online support, the workstations in the computer lab should be rebuilt with Windows XP and linked using a Workgroup arrangement, with one of the workstations having Internet Information Services (IIS) installed for the easy management of a small intranet. Separate logons should be created for the students, staff and administrators and a naming and saving convention for files was established. The new intranet supports the students by providing a list of sites for reference and links for the topics covered in their class learning for the term. Having access to the collection and databases greatly enhances the students’ access to quality resources. These actions – trusting staff to have access to resources, providing online resources, are early measures to provide greater support for staff and students (Alia, 2002)

Watson, (1994) acknowledges the need for library Promotions, the big event for most libraries is Book Week. It is an opportunity to promote the enjoyment of reading and promote literacy. You are able to see some of the short-listed books. New displays can be added to the small notice board at the library entrance, this is as materials become available suitable for display. You can display a mix of old and new resources and promote books targeted at student’s interests. Newsletter articles can be added when the need has arisen to raise awareness and promote library activities and fundraising. The Story writing competition can show good results from our students and I am sure this is something we can build on in the future.

Foster (2000), agrees that publishers could offer a library only ebook version that could be read on all platforms and that would cost more than a patron would pay. Each ebook would also be able to be read an unlimited amount of times by a specified number of patrons at once. For example, if the ebook costs $10 for a non-library to purchase, it would cost $30-$100 for a library to purchase depending upon the number of licenses acquired. Back in the days when we had video stores, they paid more for each video than a retail customer would because it was being purchased for rentals.

There needs to be a device like overdrive available for academic libraries, or maybe even overdrive could release a version for academic libraries.  E-book collections now available only in places such as e-library and net-library which cannot currently be read on devices such as the kindle and the book need to be modified so that they can be read on portable devices. Not necessarily on the kindle and nook specifically but on portable devices or on an application that is downloadable to PCS, Macs and the ipad (Jabulani,

Foster (2000) emphasis the need to train the librarians on collection development, provide more staff for the libraries, and there is the need also for the librarians to produce and use adequate collection development policies and publishers need to stop being greedy and realize that working together with libraries can only benefit them in the long run.

Casson, (2002) agrees that the significant differences in funding challenges from previous recessions; many believe we are seeing permanent changes in the availability of future tax dollars. Even when the economy gets better, local and state governments’ efforts to raise revenue may never reach previous levels. Some ways ALA and PLA can help include: Launch a national colloquy on funding models, by convening a national summit and then developing strategies to replicate this dialogue at state and local levels; Partner with organizations like OCLC that report important research on public library funding; Expand our efforts to encourage library users to tell their stories about the life-transforming power of libraries; Develop and advocate for national library funding legislation, just as with the recent funding efforts for broadband technology and jobs growth.

Managing in a rapidly changing environment (especially information and communication tools). Libraries must move rapidly to stay relevant. Some ways ALA and PLA can help include: Help libraries build diverse staffs which reflect community demographics, by investing in retention as well as recruitment; Continue investment in leadership development and change management, linking these programs to diversity efforts; Promote innovative, forward-thinking solutions to technology challenges (e.g. new service delivery models) and funding constraints (e.g. leveraging technology to increase productivity and introduce new, powerful management tools);Introduce programs to facilitate the reconfiguration of staff to integrate the skills of librarians with the needed skills from related professions; Promote professional education programs for existing staff to sustain proficiency in a rapidly changing environment, Expand opportunities for information sharing with e-learning and social networking tools; Build collaborative across ALA units and with external entities to assist libraries in making difficult choices to discontinue services.

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

This chapter presented a description of the research design, area of study, sampling techniques, research instruments, procedure of data collection and data analysis that the researcher used during the study.

3.2 Research design

The researcher used descriptive research design. The research is non- experimental and is of a survey nature. It targeted to explore factors that lead to failure of libraries to meet their set goals and objectives a case study of Kyambogo University.

3.3 Area of study

The study was carried out in Kyambogo University library which is located 8kms from Kampala City Centre along Kampala-Jinja highway; the university is accessible through the Banda trading centre and the Kyambogo T-junction.

3.4 Target population

The research targeted 30 respondents; 10 female students and 10 male students, 5 lecturers and 5 librarians in Kyambogo University.  The research used different categories of respondents as listed below; students these are chosen because they use the library in the university. Lecturers  these involve in preparations, organizing, teaching and training of  students, and librarians are chosen because they are involved in the day today running of the libraries in Kyambogo university making them well informed respondents about the topic under study.

3.5 Sampling procedure

The simple random sampling was used in selecting respondents. This is because the numbers of students were over whelmed and helped the researcher to get rid of any bias.  Lecturers and librarians were sampled purposively due to the fact that they are well informed about the topic under study.

3.6 Data collection methods

The following methods were used to collect data; questionnaires, interviews and observation guides.

1. a) Questionnaires

These are set of questions organized into a list to be answered by the respondents. These helped the researcher to obtain a lot of data with minimum time. These were used to collect information from the lecturers and librarians.

1. b) Interviews

This involves the researcher asking questions and receiving answers verbally from the persons being interviewed. Interviews are commonly one to one, face to face interaction and telephones (Kambaza, 2005). Therefore the researcher used a semi- structured interview which involved the researcher to pre- determine the questions and others rise during the interview session. Therefore interviews were used for data collection due to the following; Permits greater depth of responses, interviews are very flexible and easily adoptable, interviews provide rich and highly illuminating data, and they also provide quick and fast hand information.

1. c) Observation

This involves naturally watching what people do, recording them in the same way, analyzing and interpreting what is observed (Kambaza, 2005). Therefore the researcher assessed the libraries, equipment and environment and she used a participant observation method in which she participated by visiting the libraries as a student. This was due to the advantages like; Participant observation method was helped the researcher to get first hand information, also helped the researcher to get a real picture of the phenomena that is to say real life experiences. However the method proved expensive and risky.

3.7 Data collection instruments

Data collection instruments included the following;

i) Questionnaire guide

Open and close ended questions where designed to form a questionnaire that was used as data collection instrument. These were used to help the researcher gather information in relation to the topic under study and to enable the respondents to give their free understanding and views about the topic under study.

ii) Interview guide

Semi structured interviews as an instrument of data collection was used. This was used by posing questions from the designed interview guide to the respondents and in that process, responses to the questions posed were recorded by writing on the pieces of papers.

iii) Observation guide

This involved watching what people do, recording, analyzing and interpreting what is observed. There the researcher assessed the libraries, equipment and environment of the selected sample area as well as recording the findings simultaneously.

3.8 Procedure of data collection

An introductory letter of

3.9 Data analysis

Data was analyzed with the use of tables and was put into frequencies, their percentages interpreted to make them clear and ready for discussion and conclusion.

3.10 Data presentation

The data collected was presented by the use of text, tables and pie charts and the descriptive method was used to interprete the information given.

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

4.0 Introduction

This chapter laid out the results of the study and this was done in accordance with the three objectives. The data presented was got through questionnaires and interview guide given out to the university students and university librarians.

Bio data

Table 1 : Showing gender of respondents

From the table 4.5 above, it was seen that 80 (80%) of the respondents were female while only (20%) were male.

4.1 Objective one: Overview of libraries

A pie chart showing the overview of libraries

Figure 4.1 Overview of libraries

Data pertaining the overview of libraries under study indicates that majority 54% of the respondents were aware of the existence of libraries, 26%  knew the importance of libraries and only 20%  of respondents were taking use of the libraries

4.2 Objective two: Types of libraries.

It was analyzed as follows;

Table 2 Types of libraries.

A pie chart showing types of libraries.

From the responses above, majority  65 (65%) of the respondents agreed that academic libraries are the most common libraries in Uganda since its mandatory  by  the Ministry of Education and Sports, for every learning institution  that is primary, secondary university and colleges to have a library. Another 20 (20%) of respondents acknowledged public libraries to be the second in line, they highlighted that this type of libraries is common in towns, while only 15 (5%) agreed that special libraries are very few in Uganda and can only be found at particular faculties.

4.3 Objective three: Factors that lead to failure of libraries to meet their set goals and objectives

Table 3: Showing some of the factors that lead to failure of libraries to meet their set goals and objectives

From the findings in table above, it was seen that 30% of the respondents, agreed that absence of current material or books is one of the factors,  10%  of respondents accepted that lack of trained personnel to run the libraries, while majority 40% agreed that inadequate funding is the major factor while 20% of the respondents observed the changing trends in Information and Communication Technologies as a factor contributing to the failure of libraries to meet their set goals and objectives.

4.4 Objective four: Possible solutions to help libraries meet their set goals and objectives

Table 4: Showing possible solutions to help libraries meet their set goals and objectives

From the findings in table above, it was seen that 20% of the respondents, agreed that outsourcing will be a good technique to help libraries,  30%  of respondents accepted that technological solutions can be adopted, while 10%  of respondents agreed that  there is need to improve customer care in library business, 30% agreed that library promotions would improve library financing, while 10% of the respondents observed the need to train library personnel to improve and adopt to the ever changing environment

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.0 Introduction

This chapter discussed the results presented in chapter four. It also presented the researcher’s views and those of other scholars on the theme of the study. Conclusions and a set of recommendations were suggested at the end of this chapter.

5.1 Summary of Findings.

In summary, the findings of the study show that the majority of the respondents were aware of libraries that existed, knew the importance of libraries and very few were taking use of libraries

Regarding types of libraries, results showed that academic libraries dominated followed by private the public were ranked last according to responses.

In regards to the factors that lead to failure of libraries to achieves their objectives, the following results were obtained

–          Inadequate funding which was ranked most factors

–          Absence of current materials or books was ranked second among the factors

–          Inadequate technology was also another factors

–          Lack of trained personnel to work in the libraries.

On what should be done, respondents claimed the following should be done;

–          There is need to outsource

–          Improve on technology

–          Improve on customer care

–          Make library promotions

–          Train more3 library personnel.

5.2 Conclusions

From the study, the researcher made the following conclusions;

It was established that many of the respondent had at least some view of the libraries that is regarding the importance of libraries and some of them made use of the libraries despite the fact that they were few.

It was also seen that the public libraries were ranked fast among the different types of libraries and in relation to factors failing libraries to meet the set objectives was inadequate funding as it was ranked by the majority of respondents in the study while few stated that libraries lacked trained personnel which implies that its is only funding that limits most libraries from meeting the goals and objectives.

Many respondents suggested that there is need to promote staff and improve on technology if the libraries are to meet their desired goals and objectives thus there is need to deal with these for the good of the libraries.

5.3 Recommendations

The researcher was convinced that the study was relevant to the government and private agencies and institutions. Proper application and use of this information shall be beneficial to the libraries.

Therefore, the following recommendations should be taken seriously;

1. The libraries both public and private should strive as much as possible to create a situation that would enable the desired objectives and Goals to be achieved which can be done through improved technology, staff promotions and others.

1. The concerned parties must try as much as possible to sensitize the library users about the importance of libraries while stressing their Goals and objectives. The institutions need to declare their goals and objectives to their users. Such awareness can be through seminars, workshops, conferences among others.
2. The poor state of the infrastructure, especially some roads and library structures, was pointed out as the main reason why some libraries fail to meet their set goals and objectives. In addition to improvement of infrastructure, the Government of Uganda in collaboration with private libraries should introduce free access to libraries in order to expand the coverage of users.

1. There is also need to advocate for more people to enroll for the library course for the personnel to be well equipped and better management of libraries in the institutions and this can be done through preaching the relevance of libraries in the country and the opportunities in librarianship in the institutions as a whole.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Abram, S. & Luther, J. (2004), Born with the Chip: the next generation will profoundly impact both library service and the culture within the profession”. London Oxford University Press.

ALIA (2002) ALIA core values statement. Retrieved on 28 March, 2006 from http://www.alia.org.au/policies/core.values.html

Bell, S. (2005). “Backtalk: don’t surrender library values“. London: Oxford University Press.

Casson, Lionel (2002). Libraries in the Ancient World, USA:  Yale University Press.

Champneys, Amian L. (2007). Public Libraries. USA: Jeremy Mills Publishing.

Cohen, L.B. (2007). A Manifesto for our time. USA: American Libraries Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Corradini, E. (2006). Teenagers Analyze their Public Library. USA: New Library World; Vol. 107 (1230/1231). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Darnton, R. (2009). Google & the Future of Books. New York: Review of Books Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Dowler, Lawrence (1997). Gateways to knowledge: The role of academic libraries in teaching, learning, and research.. London: Oxford University Press.

Garrod, P. (2004). Public Libraries: the changing face of the public library. Emerald: Group Publishing Limited.

George, William & Lampe (2004). Barron’s pocket guide to study tips. UK: Barron’s Educational Series.

Hood, D. & Henderson, K. (2005). Branding in the United Kingdom Public Library Service. UK: New Library World; 106 (1208/1209).

Lor, P. J.; Sonnekus, E. A. S. (1997). Guidelines for Legislation for National Library Services Emerald: Group Publishing Limited.

McCook K. (2011). Introduction to Public Librarianship USA: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Paula D. (1994) “Founding Mothers: The Contribution of Woman’s Organizations to Public Library Development in the United States”, Library Quarterly, Vol. 64, Issue 3.

Roberts, J.M (1997). A short history of the world. USA: Oxford University Press.

Stockwell (2000). A History of Information and Storage. USA: Pearson Publishers Limited.

Stockwell (2001). A history of information storage and retrieval,. UK : McFarland. Press

Streeter  B.H (2011). The Chained Library. USA: Cambridge University Press.

Trinity College (n.d.) Policy for P.L. Duffy Resource Centre, Trinity College Retrieved on 14 July, 2006 from http://trinity.wa.edu.au/plduffyre/library/lib/phil.htm

Umunna N. O (2007) Federal Polytechnic. Nekede, Owerri: Nigeria Imo State.

Vrana, R., & Barbaric A. (2007). “Improving visibility of public libraries in the local community: a study of five public libraries in Zagreb, Croatia”. New Library World, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Zurndorfer H.T (1995). China bibliography: a research guide. USA: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

APPENDIX I

INTRODUCTORY LETTER

APPENDIX II

QUESTIONNAIRE TO LECTURERS

Dear respondent

I am a student carrying out a research about “The failure of libraries to meet their set goals and objectives” based on Kyambogo university. You are kindly requested to fill in this questionnaire; the information provided will be kept confidential.

Tick only the correct answer incase of an open question give opinion where asked.

1. Gender
2. a) Male
3. b) Female

2. Age bracket
3. a) 20- 30
4. b) 31-40
5. c) 41- 50
6. d) 51 and above

3. What type of Library is found Kyambogo University?
   1. Public
   2. Academic
   3. Special

4. How often do use the university library?
5. a) Daily
6. b) Weekly
7. c) Monthly

Others specify………………………………………………………………………………

5. Give reasons to support your answer in question 4 above

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

6. Are you satisfied with the library service offered at Kyambogo University?
7. a) Yes
8. b) No

7. If no, why?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

8. In your own opinion what can be done to improve the services of Kyambogo University library?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Thanks for your cooperation.

APPENDIX III

QUESTIONNAIRE TO LIBRARIANS

Dear respondent

I am a student carrying out a research about “The failure of libraries to meet their set goals and objectives” based on Kyambogo university. You are kindly requested to fill in this questionnaire; the information provided will be kept confidential.

Tick only the correct answer incase of an open question give opinion where asked.

1. Sex
2. a) Male
3. b) Female
4. Age bracket
5. a) 20- 30
6. b) 31-40
7. c) 41- 50
8. d) 51 and above

3. What type of Library is found Kyambogo University?
4. Public
5. Academic
6. Special

4. Are you satisfied with the library service offered at Kyambogo University?
5. a) Yes
6. b) No

5. If no, why?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

6. How is Kyambogo University funded?
7. a) Government
8. b) University
9. c) Private partnership
10. d) Donors

7. Is Kyambogo university budget funded well?
8. a) Yes
9. b) No

8. If no, how does this affect the operations of the library?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

9. Do you have library promotions?
10. a) Yes
11. b) No

10 If yes, mention them

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

11. Are you motivated at this work place?
12. a) Yes
13. b) No
14. If yes, how?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

13. Is Kyambogo University library fulfilling its set goals and objectives?
14. a) Yes
15. b) No

14. Give reasons to support your answer above.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

15. How has Kyambogo university library embraced information communication technology in the service delivery and operation of the linrary?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

16. In your own opinion what can be done to improve the services of Kyambogo University library?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Thanks for your cooperation.

APPENDIX IV

INTERVIEW GUIDE TO STUDENTS

Dear respondent

I am a student carrying out a research about “The failure of libraries to meet their set goals and objectives” based on Kyambogo university. You are kindly requested to fill in this questionnaire; the information provided will be kept confidential.

Tick only the correct answer incase of an open question give opinion where asked.

1. Age bracket
2. What type of Library is found Kyambogo University?
3. Are you satisfied with the library service offered at Kyambogo University?
4. How is Kyambogo University funded?
5. Do you have library promotions?
6. Is Kyambogo University library fulfilling its set goals and objectives, give reasons?
7. How has Kyambogo university library embraced information communication technology in the service delivery and operation of the library?
8. In your own opinion what can be done to improve the services of Kyambogo University library?