DEVELOPMENT OF A SCHEME FOR THE CLASSIFICATION OF SCHOOL LIBRARY RESOURCES IN NSUKKA EDUCATION ZONE ENUGU STATE

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ABSTRACT

This study investigated  the development of a scheme for the classification of school library resources in school libraries in Nsukka Enugu state. The research was guided by six research questions which includes; existing schemes used in the classification of school library resources, nature of resources available in the school libraries, resources required for the classification of the  school  libraries,  development  of  a  scheme  for  the  classification  of  the  school  library resources, problems associated with the classification of school library resources and strategies for the implementation of the scheme in school libraries. A research and development (R and D) design  was used  to conduct  the study.  The population  of the study comprises  118 primary schools and 60 secondary schools in Nsukka education zone. A purposive sampling technique was used to select five schools (which has school libraries) each from primary and secondary category. The questionnaire, observation checklist, interview and document analysis schedule was used to collect data from the research. Observation was done on research question 2 which is on the nature of resources available  in the school libraries. Interview was conducted on the existing  scheme  used in  the school libraries, resources  required  for the classification  of the resources, problems  associated  with the classification  of the resources  and strategies for the implementation of the scheme. Data was analyzed using frequency mean and percentages for quantitative data while essay/narratives were used to analyze data from interview and document analysis schedule. Findings from the study revealed that there is no existing scheme for the classification of school library resources in Nsukka Education Zone of Enugu State, there are fairly  adequate  resources  available  in  the  school  libraries,  there  are  not  enough  resources (human, material and ICT) for the classification of school library resources in the area, there is need for the development of a scheme for the classification of school library resources, there are unqualified,  unskilled  and  inadequate  teacher/school  librarians  in  virtually  all  the  schools studied, library resources are provided to the schools by the government as well as other appropriate agencies and authorities but there has been poor handling/management/organization of  those  resources.  Based  on  the  findings,  the  following  recommendations   were  made; appropriate authorities should ensure full implementation of the developed scheme for the classification of school library resources, adequate provision of resources (both books and non- book resources) should be made available, appropriate standard accommodation should be made available to house the library’s collections as well as create reading/study space for the pupils and students, suitably qualified school librarians should be employed to handle the professional task of classification of school library resources, fund should be made readily available for the overall development of school libraries in Nsukka education zone of Enugu state, government policies should take school library development as a major priority and therefore should make policies favorable for the development of school libraries, there should be regular training, re- training and supervision of the school libraries to ensure that the scheme is judiciously and correctly implemented.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

A school is an organized formal setting of instruction offered to children, adolescents and adult alike (Redmond,  2008). These  schools are mostly  managed by the government  at the federal, state and local government  levels.  In  Nigeria, there  are also schools  run by private bodies:  individuals and organizations but are however accredited, regulated and supervised by the government.

Formal education often referred to as schooling is the process of acquiring education in a school. In Nigeria, school is the western type of education brought to the people by the missionaries. Schooling/formal education makes use of teachers, students and stationery as both vehicles, tools and recipients of knowledge or instruction. The learning activities are organized and teachers are professionally trained to handle the affairs of the education process (Aguba,

2006).

Primary school education  is the foundational basic education  given to  a young child between the ages of 6-11years. Within these six years, a child is expected to acquire all the basic skills and experiences required of him or her to advance to secondary or other post primary education. This is obviously connected to the second goal of United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (2000) which is to give universal primary education to young boys and girls in schools. Specifically, this goal states that by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike will be able to complete a full course of primary education (and not secondary, other post-primary or tertiary education). Pupils after the completion of this course graduate with a school  leaving  certificate.  At  this  point,  they  are  required  to  take  a  common  entrance

examination to qualify for admission into the federal and state (or private) government approved secondary schools.

The purpose of the elementary school is to introduce children to the skills, information, and attitudes  necessary  for  proper  adjustment  to  their  community  and  to  society.  Basically,  the subjects taught are reading, writing, spelling, mathematics, social studies, science, art, music, physical education, handicrafts, skills, attitudes, among others. There are other subjects, such as foreign languages, civic education and similar new developments in subjects and syllables. Over the years, new subject matter has made the elementary school curriculum more advanced than before.  Policies  have  also  always  been  developed,  modified  and  implemented  for  the  full realization of the objectives of primary education. This underscores Fafunwa’s  (1974) seven cardinal goals of (primary) education which includes:

1.   To develop the child’s latent physical skills

2.   To develop character

3.   To inculcate respect for elders and those in positions of authority

4.   To develop intellectual skills

5.   To acquire specific vocational training and to develop a healthy attitude towards honest labour

6.   To develop  sense  of belonging  and  to  participate  actively in  family  and  community affairs, and

7.   To understand, appreciate and promote the cultural heritage of the community at large.

On the other hand, students attain secondary education in Nigeria where they spend six years post-primary education. At the end of the first three years (here referred to as Junior Secondary Education), students take Junior Secondary School Certificate Examination which is a qualifying

exam for entrance into Senior Secondary School. Towards the end of the remaining three years in   Senior   Secondary  level,   students   take   West   African   Senior  Certificate   Examination (WASSCE), National Examinations Council (NECO) or National Board for Technical Education Examination  (NABTEB).  The  purpose  of  secondary  education  is  to  expand  knowledge  of subjects already studied, including the systematic study of literature, foreign languages, sciences, mathematics,   social   studies,   and   other   subjects   essential   for   physical   and   intellectual development and to prepare students as future citizens.

School  libraries  are  libraries  operated  in  pre-primary,  primary,  secondary  (or  high schools), technical colleges or trade schools and teacher training colleges. Such libraries often interchangeably referred to as media resource centers, are widely acknowledged as critical to effective and efficient teaching and learning in the schools. Their roles are very fundamental and strategic in the realization of the overall objectives of the parent institution. It may as well be regarded as the catalyst for the accomplishment of the school’s syllables and curriculum and other set objectives of the school. They not only provide the learning resources for the total educational programme of the school but they also help (the pupils) and students acquire skills in observing, listening, thinking and communicating ideas (Opeke, 1994).

The Universal Basic Education (UBE) initiative of the federal government of Nigeria underscores the vital roles of school libraries in the effective implementation of the school’s programmes. It is pertinent and obvious therefore that the school library is very essential and critical to any sound educational programme and as such the need for proper, effective  and efficient  organization   of  its  library  resources.  That  perhaps  supplements   Dike’s  (1993) proposition that the school library can play a crucial role in encouraging reading and the development of reading habits and skills. She outlined six major roles played by the school

library in fulfilling the objectives of modern education. According to her, the school library encourages  reading,  expands  learning  resources,  developes  learning skills, developes  critical thoughts, developes  values,  attitudes  and  appreciations,  and  then  assists  with developmental tasks.

One can therefore quickly deduce from this backdrop that the assisting roles of the library in the realization of the educational roles of the young child are immeasurable. It is at this hub and centre of learning that the young child is prepared with adequate skills for handling information rather than immediate and abrupt acquisition of information resources. These goals are obviously not far from the roles of the school library as a media resource center, equipped and poised to develop  and  improve  the young child  beyond  exclusive  teaching  where  the teacher not  the learner is the focus. But commendable is the role of the school library as a resource centre with several resource based tools which ultimately break down all barriers standing on the way of the learner for the attainment of a purposeful all-inclusive literacy and learning skills. Here, as noted by New Groiler Webster  International  Dictionary in  Dike  (1993), education  can be seen  to include three basic areas: the cognitive domain (knowledge and insight), affective domain (attitudes) and psychomotor  domain  (skills). These can be acquired  by any process  though; formal and informal, inside school or out. Other definitions elaborate on its broad based nature, that is for instance includes mental, aesthetic, physical and moral development.

Two   outstanding   associations   have   helped   the   establishment,   maintenance   and monitoring of school libraries world over; the International Association of School Librarianship (IASL)  and  the  school  library  section  of  IFLA  (i.e.  International  Federation  of  Library Associations and Institutions). These are however at the highest governing levels. However, the two major projects that provided the initial impetus to school libraries in Nigeria was the Federal

Libraries Service which started in 1964 – this was part of UNESCO pilot project on school library in Africa that involved the establishment of model school library and college library services. Other organizations that played significant roles in the development of school libraries are West African Library Association (WALA) and Nigeria Library Association (NLA). NLA was born out of WALA. The Nigeria School Library Association has however played significant roles in the improvement, managing and organizing, monitoring and providing standards for the establishment administration and control of school library resources and services.

School library resources are very special in so many ways; in their nature and types, size and format, in their organization, circulation, dissemination and in the resources used in preserving and storing them. As a result of the special nature of its clients, school library resources include but are not limited to the following:

      Audiovisual resources which basically includes cartographic materials (e.g. maps, charts, globes, block diagrams, etc)

    Microforms (e.g. microfilm, microfiche, ultra fiche, etc).

      Graphic  materials  (e.g.  slides,  filmstrips,  posters,  cartoon,  radiographs,  pictures  and photographs, etc).

      Compact, Audio and Video disks (e.g. CD-ROM, CD-RW, sound recordings, motion pictures, etc.)

    Three dimensional objects (e.g. models, realia, toys, games, puzzles, dioramas, etc.)

Each level/stage of users in school libraries have information resources suitable for them depending on the age, abilities, physical nature (consideration for the physically challenged or people with learning disabilities such as dyslexia and so on). These kind of resources for these

different groups ranges from picture books, beginning readers, fiction materials (which may be juvenile, youth or adult fiction), monographs, manuscripts, textbooks, exercises, solution sets, questions and answers, vertical files, pamphlets, etc.

Aside the type/category of books and other resources found in the school library, there are also resources emanating specifically from different subject areas stipulated in the syllable and curriculum  of educational  authorities.  (See  APPENDIX  I  for  list  of subject  areas  for both primary and secondary schools). School library resources may also include general reference works  such  as  dictionaries,  encyclopedias,  geographic  sources.  Other  specific collections/resources may also include the following:

    School management and administration

    School curriculum (for pre-primary, primary and secondary levels)

    School syllables (for pre-primary, primary and secondary levels)

    Guidance and counseling texts

    Government regulations, and

    Policies on education, etc.

In libraries, a classification  system is used  to systematically group together items  that have similar characteristics. The classification assigned to library materials is known as the “call number”. The first part of a call number is derived through a classification  system. Materials are classified for basically two reasons: 1) to enable them to be found quickly and easily; and 2) to bring together on the shelf materials that deal with similar subjects. Libraries group or classify materials by subject as well as by format (for instance, video or audio), size

(regular   or  oversize),   circulation   policy  (reference,   reserve,  or  circulating),   or  type

(periodicals, government documents) (Peterson, 2013).

As   pointed   out   by   Ekere   and   Mole   (2014),   classification   schemes   are   logical arrangements of subjects plus a system of symbols representing those subjects. Each classification  scheme  organizes  the  entire  body  of  knowledge  into  classes  and  further division and subdivision done in line with the format, rules and principles of each scheme. Classification schemes often possess the following features:

1.   General works: All classification schemes provide this class where all general works are categorized.   Works   grouped   here   includes   encyclopedias,   dictionaries,   general periodicals, etc

2.   Form class: Here, a classification scheme is interested in classifying a work by its form of presentation and not by subject. The  form of presentation for literature texts (evident in the 800 class of the DDC) is by the form of the information material – prose, poetry or drama

3.   Form  division:  This  uses  a  table  of symbols  to  represent  all  works  in  the  body  of knowledge.  Basically,  treatment  could  be  by  the  form  of  presentation  or  mode  of treatment.

4.   Notation: Usually, all classification schemes have a series of symbols representing the various  categories.  This  typically  differentiates  one  class  or  subject  from  another. Notations may be pure or mixed. It is pure when it uses only one set of symbols (either alphabets  or  numbers),  and  mixed  when  it uses  both  alphabets  and  numbers  (often referred to as alpha-numeric notations)

Several classification  schemes have been developed over the years in an attempt to give library collections the best organization it deserves. A library can only be adjudged an efficient one only when its collections and resources have been specifically and effectively organized for ease of retrieval and for the most appropriate user. This authenticates Ranganathan’s fourth law which states, ‘save the time of the user’. The cataloguing and classification scheme is to a library what the compass is to the mariner, aviator or simply the traveler. American Library Association (2002) aptly noted that the librarian have the professional duty of ensuring that all library users have free and equal access to the entire range of library services, materials and programs. Equal and free access to library materials has at some points been hindered by the inability of the resources to be effectively organized (this problem partly created by the bias created by the two chief schemes (Library of Congress Classification Scheme and Dewey Decimal Classification Scheme) available for the librarian for the organization of resources found in libraries, museums, repositories and archives.

There  are  also  other classification  schemes  which  have  been  used  and  experimented  in organizing library resources, although some have either gone into extinct or are rarely used; Bliss Bibliographic Classification (BC), Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), Library of Congress Classification (LC), Dickinson Classification, Colon Classification, Cutter Expansive Classification,  Universal  Decimal  Classification,  Brinkler  Classification,  among  others.  The Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) and Library of Congress Classification (LC) schemes have been  the most popular and  frequently patronized  schemes  in  modern  times  as a result of a number of ideals and qualities which they possess. While the Library of Congress Classification (LC)  dwells  and  specializes  in  organizing  information  resources  in  academic  and  special

libraries, the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) has been widely used globally in organizing public and school library resources.

The  Dewey  Decimal  Classification  (DDC)  or  Dewey  Decimal  System  is  the  scheme currently  in  use  for  organizing  school  library  resources.  The  DDC  is  a proprietary  library classification system first published in the United States by Melvil Dewey in 1876. It has been revised and expanded through 23 major editions; the latest issued in 2011, and has grown from a four-page pamphlet in 1876 with fewer than one thousand classes to a four volume set. It is also available in an abridged version suitable for smaller libraries. It is currently maintained by the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC), a library research center. OCLC licenses access to an online version, WebDewey, for catalogers, and has an experimental linked data version on the Web with open access.

The Dewey Decimal Classification introduced the concepts of relative location and relative index which allow new books to be added to a library in their appropriate location based on subject. Libraries previously had given books permanent shelf locations that were related to the order of acquisition  rather than  topic. The  classification’s  notation  makes  use of three-digit Arabic numerals for main classes, with fractional decimals allowing expansion for further detail. A library assigns a classification number that unambiguously locates a particular volume in a position relative to other books in the library based on its subject matter. This makes it possible to find any particular book using the number, and to return it to its proper place on the library shelves. The classification system is used in 200,000 libraries in at least 135 countries.

Development  implies change which is the process of changing and becoming larger, stronger, or more impressive, successful, or advanced, or of making something to change in this way. It involves by extension, the systematic process of making something better. In the context

of this study, development encompasses a methodical process geared towards the improvement on the organization of school library resources in Nsukka education zone. The processes hinge on and relates to the nature of resources in the libraries, personnel, tools used for the organization of the library resources, e.t.c.

In developing countries like Nigeria particularly in Nsukka educational area, it appears that either the use of classification schemes in school libraries is unknown or the aim of the use of classification schemes has not been fully realized. This begs the question of whether the scheme dedicated for the classification of the resources is in use or is appropriate. As a foundational reading, learning and resource centre, the school library is expected to be a place where pupils and students are encouraged to read and not dispirited.

The inevitable question therefore is how the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) (a scheme which has been used globally for the classification of school library resources) has been deemed proper for the classification of school library resources. Most school libraries especially in a developing  nation  like  Nigeria  cannot  subscribe  and  pay  for  this  reputable,  standard  but relatively scarce and expensive scheme. On the other hand, effective understanding and use of the technicalities of the scheme by available teacher or school librarians is another factor noteworthy

In Nigeria, the 6-3-3-4 system of education has been in place (although there has been some monumental shift to a 9-3-4 system which however was not fully implemented or was not found acceptable). There was however a noticeable lapse in the 6-3-3-4 system where there was no consideration for pre-primary or early childhood education which may be in the form of crèche, kindergarten,  etc.  This  gave  rise  to  the  inclusion  of  one  year  early  childhood  preparatory

education to give rise to the new 1-6-3-3-4 system of education. This new structure is obviously inclusive and captures the basic tenets of school education.

Nsukka education zone in Enugu State, Nigeria is the area of interest for the development and testing of the classification scheme in organizing school library resources. It is located at Nsukka Senatorial Zone of Enugu State and a former part of Nsukka Local Government Area which has benefited a lot in the intervention of governmental and non-governmental agencies. One of such agencies is the World Bank assisted project through the Universal Basic Education (Onyebuchi, 2010). Most school libraries in this zone were built and equipped with different kinds of resources with an aim to encourage library services among children.

This area has adequate primary and secondary schools where unfortunately virtually all the school libraries were very poorly organized. Most of the libraries found in these schools have no tools for the classification of their resources and so, are not organized. There are no classification schemes found in them for the organization  of their resources. An example is St. Theresa’s College (established in 1948) but has not organized its resources since inception, and in fact has no scheme to organize its resources. Other school libraries use a makeshift in-house scheme (which  are somewhat  illogical) and thereby making retrieval of information resources in the libraries  almost impossible  and  invariably discouraging  the pupils  and students  who  are the primary users of the libraries.

Several efforts however have been in place to improve school library services in Nsukka educational area. Educational Trust Fund (ETF) has helped in developing some school libraries in Nsukka educational area. This has been achieved by donating furniture and other resources to these school libraries as well as other parts of the country (Onyebuchi, 2010). Other primary and secondary schools in other geo-political zones have also benefited from this intervention. All

these were geared towards meeting the objectives of the National Policy on Education to give every child opportunity and all the skills, attitudes and insights needed at that foundational level of education.

Statement of the Problem

The roles and relevance of school libraries all over the world is enormous and clear. It is at this library that pupils and students alike develop basic learning, cognitive and psychomotor skills that eventually launch them to other serious academic tasks later in life. For a young child, exposure  to organized books and other learning resources is a significant step towards their academic,  social  and  mental development  and consequent  sustenance  of such  habit  as  they advance in age and learning.

Pupils and students need to have a properly and an efficiently organized (classified) libraries for a number of reasons. First, it offers an enabling environment for prompt and systematic retrieval of information resources. On the other hand, it enhances and encourages quest and hunger for reading and research. And so, in order to remedy the frustration undergone by the young ones in their hunger for information and other learning aids, there is need to have their libraries organized. Most often, this hunger for information is usually triggered and heightened during exam situations, but then, it is through this first quest that they invariably discover other uses of the library beyond preparing for examinations.

The  Dewey  Decimal  Classification  (DDC)  marginalizes  school  library  resources  by its classification and subdivisions. The scheme excluded numerous native concepts and collections, lacks specificity in the inclusion in its summaries (the DCC has three sets of summaries: the first set comprises  of three  segments. The  first  segment  comprises  ten  main  classes,  the second segment comprises hundred divisions while the third segment comprises one thousand sections).

The terminologies and subdivisions which it has are obviously beyond the level of understanding of the nature of school library clients (pupils and students) which it is poised to serve. Most recent  contemporary  concepts  and  subjects  may  not  be  found  in  the  scheme  and  therefore creating no place for the organization of such critical materials found in the schools.

Apart from the bias created by the Dewey Decimal Classification (chiefly visible in the Western-Centric approach in dividing the vast body of knowledge into only ten classes), there is an obvious significant disproportion found in its inability to effectively, systematically and specifically organize school library resources (which are vividly different from the nature of resources which the DDC has greater focus on). For example, the organization of such special information resources such audio-visuals have been a herculean task. This is also visible in its failure to capture some major components of most other non-book resources which forms a larger component of resources found in school libraries.

Moreover, the geographic  treatment  given by Dewey in  his table is mis-leading  and erroneous. Most locations were wrongly represented making indigenous sub-divisions incorrect. The DDC which is used in the classification of school library resources failed in a number of ways to capture exactly the geographic locations found within territories and states in Nigeria. This  maybe  as a result of the determination  of the scheme  to  capture every smaller global geographic location/entity (which will be evidently problematic). Each smaller geographic entity within nations are therefore expected to develop a scheme of in-house nature to capture the exact environment it intends to serve and to yield maximum results as efficient and as appropriate as possible.

As a result of these deficiencies, there is an urgent need to develop a scheme that will fully capture and organize school library collections in primary and secondary schools in Nsukka

Educational Zone of Enugu State Nigeria. This need is significant and timely because an information resource not well organized (classified) especially in early childhood education will pose enormous problems for the children, not only in the locating and retrieving of the resources but also in their consequent utilization and circulation.

In order to combat the consequences created by this anomaly, the researcher therefore deemed it necessary to remedy the situation which needs an urgent action, thus the need for the development  of a scheme  for  the  classification  of  school  library  resources  in  primary  and secondary schools in Nsukka, Enugu State.

Purpose of the Study

The general purpose of the study is to develop a scheme for the cataloguing and classification of school library resources in primary and secondary schools in Nsukka education zone, Enugu State. The specific objectives however are to:

1.   Determine the existing schemes used in the cataloguing and classification of resources in school libraries in Nsukka, Enugu State.

2.   Determine the nature of resources available in school libraries in Nsukka, Enugu State.

3.   Ascertain the resources required for effective cataloguing and classification of library resources in the mentioned area

4.   To develop a scheme for the cataloguing and classification of school library resources in

Nsukka, Enugu State.

5.   To identify the problems encountered in the classification of school library resources?

6.   Determine  the strategies necessary  for the implementation  of the scheme  in Nsukka, Enugu State.

Research Questions

The following questions have been developed to guide the study:

1.   What are the existing schemes used in the cataloguing and classification of resources in school libraries in Nsukka, Enugu State?

2.   What is the nature of resources available in school libraries in Nsukka, Enugu State?

3.   What are the resources required for effective cataloguing and classification of library resources in the mentioned area?

4.   What  scheme  is to be developed  for the cataloguing and  classification  of school library resources in Nsukka, Enugu State?

5.   What are the problems encountered in the classification of school library resources in the area?

6.   What are the strategies necessary for the implementation of the scheme in Nsukka, Enugu State?

Significance of the Study

This  study will  be  useful  to  a number  of individuals,  organizations  and  institutions. Specifically, the study will be useful to school administrators, education agencies, school/teacher librarians, teachers, cataloguers and researchers.

For the school administrators, this study will enable them make policies that will be in line with and improve learning and effective information organization and dissemination in their various schools. School administrators and policy makers will find the adoption of the scheme timely and as a means of giving their libraries the best organization it deserves.

School/teacher librarians will find the results from the study very vital because the herculean task of organizing library resources would have been reduced by the adoption and implementation of the scheme. The visibly will find it very easy and less tedious/technical cataloguing the different kinds of library resources at their disposal.

Teachers,  on  their  own  will  also  benefit  from  the  dividends  of  this  research  as  its effective use will invariably improve and enhance pupils and students reading habits alike. Teachers as well as students will find it very easy to retrieve and locate information resources in their libraries and therefore be encouraged to study.

Cataloguers will on their own part benefit from the findings of this research as it will not only  broaden  their  horizon  about  cataloguing  indigenous  information  resources  but  also expose them to various possibilities as well as areas that need modifications, adaptations and constructive  criticism  in  the  aspect  of cataloguing  and  classification  and  the  tools  used therein.

For the researchers, the findings from this study will be appropriate and then quench their constant   hunger   and   search   for   literature   on   research   and   development   design, methodologies, etc which would have been solved at the completion of this study.

Scope of the Study

The area covered by this study is Nsukka in Enugu State. The study dealt specifically with Nsukka Educational Area (which differs from Nsukka as a political entity).

Focus will be given to the collections of primary and secondary school libraries in the mentioned area. School administrators such as school management boards (e.g. PPSMB),

school  administrators  (e.g.  headmasters,  principals,  proprietors),  staff  which  basically includes schools and teacher librarians forms the population of the study.

This study on the other hand focuses on the development of a special in-house scheme for the cataloguing and classification of school library resources in Nsukka, Enugu State.



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