A user registration system for Caltec Academy, Makerere Library

Abstract

The study aimed at designing a User Registration System for Caltec Academy, Makerere Library in order to keep track of all the library users’ details. The objectives of the study were to; identify the different types of Users, examine the current system used in registration of Users, establish the challenges in the registration of Users, identify the requirements for a User Registration System and design a User Registration System for Caltec Academy, Makerere Library. The study adopted a case study research design that employed mixed qualitative and quantitative data collection methods of questionnaires, interview and observation methods. Sixty five (65) respondents were selected to participate in the study. Purposive and convenience sampling method were used to select the library staff and users who participated in the study respectively. The study found out that the users of the library were students, teachers, non teaching staff and the community members. The research findings showed that the school library uses a manual system for the registration of users in the school library. The challenges of the system include; long queue and tiresomeness, tiresomeness of the registration system, information over load, time consuming, inadequate funds, limited capital, and insecurity of the library user’s records. These critically show the need for the User Registration System at Caltec Academy, Makerere Library. The suggestions to improve the user registration were; using computers in the registration of users in the school library, increasing the library funding, recruitment of more staff, acquiring an online system and training of the library staff. The study also found out that users of the system require a user friendly system which can authorize users, able to capture all the users details, able to search and display users details and a cheap system to maintain. The study concluded that there is need for a User Registration System at Caltec Academy Library. It was recommended the school administration to adopt the proposed User Registration System for a library to be implemented to support the registration of students at Caltec Academy. Other recommendations were; information needs assessment, provision of guidelines to operate the system, provision of correct information and training the library staff.