Designing a website for Mbogo Mixed Secondary School library

Abstract

The aim of the library website is to serve as a guide to the library resources and services. Library websites provide information about libraries and library services as well as access to online catalogues, electronic databases, digital collections and different library tutorials. The aim of this project was to design a Website for Mbogo Mixed Secondary School library, test it and recommend for implementation. The objectives that guided the study were to: find out the library materials available at MMSS library, identify the library services offered by MMSS library, establish the methods of providing library services to users/clients at MMSS library and design a Website that will supplement the current communication channels in disseminating library services to the library users, test it and recommend for implementation. A case study research design was used while adopting both qualitative and quantitative research approaches. The data collection methods included: interviews, questionnaires and document review. Sample size was 500 users and this included: nine (5) library staff and 495 library users (students) from which data was collected. Major findings were: Mbogo Mixed Secondary School library mostly uses the traditional means of communication to disseminate library services to its users which seem difficult to reach to a wide variety of users as it serves students from all classes and also attracts a lot of foreign students. The findings further revealed that the current means of communication are limited hoping that the proposed library website would provide room for social media communication channels like face book, twitter, YouTube, Google plus among others to supplement on the current communication channels. The study therefore recommends the library management to adopt and implement the designed website so that it can be hosted by Web hosting Company that has 24 hour server running and obtaining domain name, this will enable full time accessibility of the website. Further, the study recommends that, for the proposed system to effectively serve the Mbogo Mixed Secondary School community, the library staff should be trained and acquire newer skills that can enable them to work with new technologies and that will enable them to ensure up to datedness of the website and interaction with the library social media sites like facebook, twitter, YouTube, Google+ among others. The library staffs need to train library users on how to utilize the website.