An online current awareness system for Makerere Institute of Social Development

Abstract

ABSTRACT The study aimed at designing an Online Current Awareness System for Makerere Institute of Social Development Library. The objectives of the study were to; identify the current status of Current Awareness services, establish the challenges encountered in offering Current Awareness Services, review the existing literature an Online Current Awareness System so as to document requirements for an online CAS system design and implement an Online Current Awareness System for Makerere Institute of Social Development Library. The study employed a case study research design while adopting both qualitative and quantitative research approaches in collecting data. Questionnaire, interview, and documentary analysis methods of data collection were used because of the nature of study. Simple random sampling method was used to select the 42 students, 10 lecturers, and the 2 Librarians who participated in the study. The study findings showed that majority of the respondents agreed that the library rarely displays the new arrivals, a good number of respondents disagreed that there are emails sent to them notifying about the new updates in the library. Majority of library users access citation alert services. The study findings revealed that Makerere Institute of Social Development Library use a variety of methods in offering current awareness services to users which include personal visit to the library, communication through word of mouth, library displays and library newsletters. Findings from the study revealed that most of the challenges the respondents faced in current awareness services were; delayed display of the new arrivals, irregular CAS delivery by email, absence of internet access to some users, increased costs to the library in providing CAS to users. Based on the findings and the challenges identified regarding manual CAS in MISD Library, this study concluded that developing and implementing an Online Current Awareness System the library and so as to improve on service provision in the MISD Library. The recommendations for the study were; use of social media networks, use of notice boards, visiting the classes and inform them on the new updates, library visit hours, training of the library staff, and orientation of library users.