Designing an electronic library for Caltec Academy, Makerere

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to design an electronic library for Caltec Academy, Makerere Library. The objectives of the study were to; examine the current system used to manage information resources and services, establish challenges affecting the current system used to manage information resources and services identify the sources of materials for inclusion in the electronic library and design an electronic library for Caltec Academy, Makerere. A case study research design was employed while adopting both qualitative and quantitative research approaches of data collection. Data was collected using face-to-face interview, questionnaire and observation methods. Purposive sampling and convenience sampling methods were used to select 48 respondents who participated in the study. Currently students access information materials by visiting the shelves and retrieving the text books they need for those who are well acquainted with the shelves, borrow information materials from the library counter. However, there was no any link to the library electronic information resources from Caltec academy Makerere library. The challenges in accessing information resources were impossibility to access information resources during holidays, inadequate number of copies in the school library, time of accessing the library materials is not favorable, outdated information materials and limited loan period for information resources in the school library. The study found out that the different information resources accessible in Caltec Academy, Makerere Library were; text books, past papers and questions banks, and pamphlets, maps, and atlases. The requirements for designing an electronic library were; security of the information resources, user friendly system, compatibility with the available computers in the library, authority to control by the librarians, easy to search, accessed and retrieved information resources in a usable form, downloading information resources The study concluded that implementation of an electronic library for Caltec Academy, Makerere would help librarians serve the library users better and would enable teachers and students access the library materials they need easily even from home during holidays and at any time. The study recommended that Caltec Academy, Makerere should implement a digital library in order to enhance easy and prompt access to library materials and services.