Enhancing Library Services: Challenges and Solutions
Mr. Somxay KHAMPAHAVONG, Deputy-Director of UCL, discusses the work experiences and needs for better services at the University Central Library. The focus is on acquisition, classification, and circulation of information, adapting to electronic forms, addressing user needs, and improving librarian skills and collection diversity. Challenges include foreign language materials dominance, lack of trained library management staff, and the need for quality information in less time.
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Some work experiences and needs in order to provide better services by Mr. Somxay KHAMPAHAVONG Deputy-Director of UCL 1
New Building of University Central Library 2
The ground floor of the new building Library. 4
We have three priority tasks: acquisition; classification; and circulation of information. . The three spots seem very basic and we are accustomed to this job for a long time Hardware replaces manual labor. And that is why we must make further efforts to ensure that the service reaches its goal (having sufficient answers to the needs of our users) Abstract: Experiences of librarians and the problems during their work in the library of the university Some skills that we needs to provide better services 5
Introduction Flow of information. It s flooding the libraries The information in the electronic form replaces those in paper form. Difference between the former librarians (librarians who are accustomed with information on paper) and librarians today (they will be able to do everything with this information) User needs are varied and they need a lot of good things precise, much more quality and is used very little time. 6
I. Collection and skills experiences librarians 7
I.1Collection 1.Most library materials are in foreign languages such as English, Thai, French etc. represent more than 60% of resources in libraries. 2. By comparison with many years ago, Lao language printed materials are increasing. However, most of our books are not intended for curriculum or teaching: they are coming from different donations, and are science- fiction or general readings. 8
DDC 9
I.2 Skills and experience 1. Most people working in libraries have not been trained to library management, they come from different departments of the University of Pedagogy in Vientiane; or from humanities and social sciences. 2. They followed short-term training in the country or abroad 3. After their training, they work better and disseminate information, especially printed materials 10
4.The non-printed materials are increasing year by year. The capacities to use these documents are limited and this is why we have to get new knowledge to provide better service for documents. 5. An important point is that English proficiency is quite low. English is a barrier to carry out the work. 11
Students of the School of Political Science have visited our library 12
II. Applying Information Tools and Technologies 1. UCL2003: end 2003 to 2007 2. PMB: 2007 to now 3. PMB with a new version 4. Digital Library (Our goal is to digitize excellent reports of students, government reports, theses and dissertations done by students of the university.) 14
Students research documents in the library using a computer 16
Notes: Usingcomputer equipment in the library is something new for us as librarians. Why? Because most of us are older. It really is a great challenge for us to fully capture computer knowledge. 17
III. Tasks of Librarians Priority activities : 1. Acquisition 2. Classification 3. Circulation (services) 18
1. Acquisition 1.The acquisition is primarily by donation, and a small part, it is by purchase ( It s done by university and projects). 2. We lack some skills such as English and knowledge of materials studied and become barriers. 19
3. We work closely with teachers and students to have precisions on the documents they need. We ask them the documents they need; or to give us the list of documents they need. At the same time, we make contact with publishing houses in the country and abroad especially with publishing houses in Thailand. 20
2. Classification 1. We use Dewey classification. 2. To index each document, we use one hand to guide subject heading and secondly, we downloaded all data from the book by internet. 3. Nobody was formed for that. We are learning this job on working for classification. Notes: English is limited and this is why we found more difficulties to do the good job. Reading documents quickly to understand the content to give books number became a job that requires a lot of precisions. 21
3. Circulation (services) 1. The printed materials are used the most. We are accustomed for it: books, reference books, journals and newspapers, 22
2. Supports the needs the users would like to know and get them for studying, researching analyzing etc We give them answers right away or offer them to seek information in such and such documents librarians have mastered. 24
3. The students like the non- printed in service but we don t have enough the non-printed that satisfy users. . But it always happens that we encounter problems such as English and mastering the content of books in general 25
4. Internet service now is not very appreciated. Why? .. Computers are too old and over the internet connection is too slow sometimes we can not connect to the internet. 26
II.2 Training It s our best-seller for us. We are also responsible for the training of people working in other libraries in the capital and in the provinces and for people who work in libraries or those who want to work for information services There are issues why they can organize training although they have not been trained in this profession 27
Workshop on DLPMB Union Catalogue 28
Here are some answers more or less correct. 1. The trainers are people more experienced in library work and in addition they are older(older=experiences). They have learned a lot through experience during their work with service documents. They have developed over from these experiences. 29
2. In the past, in Laos there was no school that trained librarians. In the past, in Laos there was no school that trained librarians, or people who want to work in documentation centers 3. We organize training based on real needs of libraries. Sometimes we want to deny propositions from other libraries in the area of training, but according to the needs that are in front of us, we are obliged to do so. (In any place of the blind the one-eyed is king 30
IV.Needs of competencies of Librarians and Information Professional In this part that we want to have lessons with our colleagues as librarians or as providers information. In our opinion and according to our experiments, it seems to me that we are very weak in this work. This is why we can have experiences from all and we want to thank very much for giving us your experiences. 31
Willy-nilly , we want to have some skills that will be really essential for services information. (services must meet the needs of users). 32
Here are some points that we suggest to improve our librarians. 33
1. Sharing among librarians in the different countries of south-east Asia. 2. Education and Training: Competencies of Librarians and Information professionals Skills must be constantly improved by participation in seminars and conferences, training in short-term. Computer knowledge and English are both essential. 3. Exchanges among libraries about their respective experiences. Visiting libraries to learn is one important factor for the quality of our work. 4. Continuing education for librarians is a strategy to provide the best services information 34
As librarians involved in the dissemination of informations should always study and perfect the work for the service quality. 35
Thanks you for your attention! One more time, We hope that our relationship between libraries in southeast Asia countries remains successful. We remain open heart to receive colleagues from libraries in countries of South East Asia 36
