A library ordering and acquisition system for Uganda National Council for Sciences and Technology

Abstract

The project aimed at designing and developing an online resource ordering and acquisition for Uganda National Council for Science and Technology. This was achieved by the project objectives which were to examine the current system of resource ordering and acquisition, determine the challenges associated with the current ordering and acquisition system, determine the requirement for developing a library ordering and acquisition system, design and develop a library acquisition system for UNCST. It began with an extensive search for information concerning stakeholders’ attitudes towards the automation function in the library. The automation of the circulation and cataloguing function led to the acquisition too. The project cast-off a case study project design and a qualitative research approach. Data was extracted from both secondary and primary sources. Primary source involved the application of face to face interviews with respondents whereas secondary data was obtained through reviewing existing documents in the library. The data collection tool explored the participates’ experiences and opinions of resource ordering and acquisition patterns in the library. Respondents were overwhelmingly in favor of automating the acquisition function as a trend. The project had a sample size of twelve (12) respondents which was reached through the application of the data saturation principle. This project applied the qualitative content analysis as a (text) interpretation method for the qualitative interviews and other data materials given. Findings obtained from the project that made the system design and development viable were the major challenges encountered in the resource ordering and acquisition process in UNCST Library. These included bureaucracy, lack of a CDP, unnecessary delays, fraud and embezzlement and the scattered nature of book publishers which laid a basis for requirement elicitation, design and implementation of an online resource ordering and acquisition system for UNCST library. The project however, concluded that purchase prevails as the major mode of resource acquisition and other methods are neither alternatives nor supplements but rather complements and it recommended that UNCST should improve its library budget to meet its housekeeping functions and maintenance of the automated systems, train library staff to equip the with modern skills and should make use of the developed ordering and acquisition system as a solution to all the challenges encountered with the manual resource ordering and acquisition system in UNCST library as well as formulation of a collection development policy to guide resource acquisition