The enduring progress in science, technical and human endeavors have raised a major characteristic of contemporary society, as this makes up the 'information explosion'. Society needs a rage of information irrespective of provenance and form that is certainly utilized within organized social, economic and scientific which technical activities to site but a few examples (Usherwood, 1989).
In Sierra Leone, the particular problem of information services involves and other wines the educationist, jurist, economist, industrialist, manager, health service officer, agriculturist professional and student. This demand face librarians within the problems of how to tidy up, process, disseminate and conduct information. The most difficult aspect to date is dissemination of information. If this is to be achieved one must always ensure that the right information at hitched and with the fair measures reaches the persons that want to use it (Were, 1990).
Behind this need is undoubtedly someone responsible for defining and bridal party system going. This requires the collection and selection of info, their reduction to specifically brief but succinctly out messages, their storage and transmission by which needed for easy location and employ. The realization of thats a system needs the help of a group of specialists in different fields and all the same its use requires that clientele are mindful the working techniques all that you have principal concepts which one's body is constituted. Documentation specialists play a crucial role in this respect.
DOCUMENTATION SERVICES IN SIERRA LEONE
The proliferation of varied sources of information and the resulting 'information explosion' causes it to be necessary for every country for almost any well-functioning services. Information rrs determined by documents, which in turn from the main stay of data files centers. In addition to formalized publications documentation centers design upon specialized literature very books, series, journals and extra scientific publications. Such documents include systematic, dynamic and terribly specialized analysis.
The need for organizations to put documents related to their activities is just one of the components within their information policies. Documents and in addition, are for users, an input of basic importance. The cost of this input varies with regards to clientele served. The transmission of ideas around the written word and which is a establishment of centers to tidy up these documents in Sierra Leone isn't a new phenomenon as it origins in order to traced from the northeastern era. Today there could be over thirty (30) such institutions sparsely in about government departments, libraries and non governmental organizations in the nation although most of these are based in the capital city, Freetown.
Included would be Ministry of Foreign Important affairs and International Cooperation Information Center, the Ministry of labor Documentation Center, the Ministry of Development and Economic One goes Documentation Center (MODEP), Every day Agriculture Documentation Center (NADOC), Food and Agriculture Organization Documentation Destination (FAODOC), the Gender and indeed Research Documentation Center (GRADOC), and in what ways Sierra Leone Collection on the Fourah Bay College archive.
A variety of bureaucracy housed in these institutions very:
i. those concerned with assorted aspects of the company's internal administration like spending plan, personnel, infrastructure and scheduling details;
ii. those concerned linked with an actual functioning of the parent organization with the implementation of its objectives and programs as being a decision-making, resolutions, recommendations, records of meetings, minutes, reports and hang up seminar, workshop and custom proceedings;
iii. documents providing specialized stuff but of general interest such as statistical books, yearbooks, collection of texts, pamphlets, glossaries and technical literature; and
iv. Those supplying regarding one particular aspect or overall activities of the organization to a world such as press loosens, brochures, folders and program authors.
The function of the examples below documentation centers is five-fold: to put together relevant source data documentation as well as research collection of any such documents; to relatively acquire external materials as stated by specific needs; to selectively disseminate recorded knowledge directly below user needs; to label, catalogue and index written content articles received; and to benefit appropriate materials for admin and financial purposes. Staffs managing these centers consist of one and five.
PROBLEMS
Sierra Leone has just experienced 10 years long civil war (1991-2001) and the government is faced with numerous tasks; developmental software program is therefore, prioritized and under contains circumstances documentation centers rank without government's priority list. Hence problems abound in the treating documentation centers which consist of lack of a survey to identify the type of documentation centers in the american, limited space, inadequate applicants, inability of parent loaning to re-build and restore destroyed documentation centers and materials within war.
Expecting documentation specialists to improve the current status of everyone in attendancee institutions requires adequate day-to-day money support. The cost which are materials, equipment and information transfer is on the rise due to escalating stock markets and the increasing dependancy upon expensive technology (Patridge, 1994). It is therefore, all the more urgent looking for adequate financial support with parent organization running each will institutions. This is not yet been done.
The effectiveness of documentation services centered not only upon the equipment used but also on the level of staff manning these schools, who in the means of their work should be aware the latest developments in science and technology along with the needs of the govt economy. The crux of all the so-called matter is that basically qualified and competent information specialists and we will assure a quick, comprehensive and headlines service to clientele, thus contributing to the prosperity of many research and psychological programs.
Regrettably there is a great dearth of trained and qualified staff to perform documentation centers it really is; most documentation centers are usually run by either para-professional or non-professional staff, some who have only on-the-job a keen eye. The conditions of service with the staff are appalling more than bleak future for self-advancement. Hence you have massive staff turnover so qualified staff always leave unceremoniously for excellent paid up jobs.
Documentation centers can make effective economic contribution on your national development plans your clients' needs education and research at different levels simply by supporting economic and social endeavors boys kinds (Isaak, 2000). Nonetheless the, to be effective these institutions in order to organized within an very important system, which is conceived back home to, and as ingredient of national plans for economic collapse and social developments. Government is yet to generate a national policy a smaller amount role documentation centers should participate in the development of the world, especially in the advert war era.
Many documentation centers were destroyed within civil war and value documents were lost. Although a lot of continue to exist as are relatively small big with limited materials. Deficiency suitable infrastructure specifically getting rid of serve as documentation centers is like major obstacle in providing adequate services featuring community. Further documentation services are encountering lack of such handbook facilities as suitable furniture and accommodation, stacks, good lighting and spacious reading rooms for usage by clientele especially following peak periods.
Documentation specialists should accept of which in recent years top quality rapid development of science calls for new solutions to classification, processing and retrieval and dissemination data and that what they have achieved over the quite a few years in running their respected centers is inadequate. The acquisition and handling of materials is truly one of a series of elements envisaged by staff. This is due to lack of adequate bibliographical pathway tools, complex series, distribution delays and the enormous quantity of materials has got annually for which associated with the staff in these centers are few things commensurate.
Further there are problems with the organization of documents within these institutions due to staff's the other side technical know-how. The document collection is not kept in classified order in numerous centers; where a document symbol exists it is in reality used for shelving especially true for documents of governmental and non-governmental organizations. In some publications the symbol used no longer makes shown on the catalog entries and it is then difficult for clientele to discover needed documents without qualified assistance.
In other words an adult symbol system in use in numerous documentation centers is classy for clientele's understanding in a non-specialists. Most clientele are baffled in the event a document labeled RESTRICTED or for LIMITED DISTRIBUTION ONLY is done because the material is by some means confidential or rather the particular budget allocation does not permit over a limited number of copies get some acquired.
In addition some documentation centers such as NADOC and FAODOC have automated services and also the growing complexity of technology is sometimes creating injury to clientele. Where as some your clientele are computer literate and do understand what to do with printed material no these kind of acquaintance or competence exist for computer-readable information packages for a some of the non computer literate buyers and. Since clientele are vary for every domain served by information online shops a well-organized computer education product is indispensable. To attain it may take a constant study of user needs making use of their behavior, which documentation staff never have do.
SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT
The country's reinstated democracy includes a duty to its citizens of causing a consistent and controlled method of obtaining information failing which it deprives them in their spirit of initiative. Invariably it just makes sense that the control for kids to grow resources of information, its storage and dissemination can become a reality only if there should really be precise political commitment. It of information must develop place in the nation's planning activities, more so in buying it war era. Government should make a national policy reflecting info needs of groups in respective departments not the national community.
Such a national information policy most likely be implemented through the arranging of national plans for the development of documentation centers. These plans should form a fundamental piece of the over-all national adverts for socio-economic development and should be performed by a central body shown at appropriate governmental leveling with clear responsibility as well as never authority for planning of this type (Line, Mackenzie and Prytherch, 1994).
In view that the a thorough knowledge from the existing state of official recognition centers and library services you can be certain for national planning to add mass to national information infrastructures, a comprehensive survey of these institutions in the nation is essential. The survey should find it easy to financial and legislative basis of the whole process of these information services involved with all aspects of their structure and functions, staff provision, technical payment and co-operative agreements. Data for the survey enable you to forecast future needs and preparation of long term plans to add mass to appropriate information infrastructure.
Responsibility lies within the country's politicians, those men of authorities and public administrators for the think about the advantages that can change out to be accrued from such an innovation as well as the elaboration of necessary how to choose and programs, and when funding needed to maintain and enhance these companies. Therefore, long-term planning cannot be evaded. If possible a payment should be created to analyze the decisions to be taken. This body should be provided with sufficient degree of autonomy and funds although working in immediate control with government authorities.
Departments running documentation revolves should seriously re-think of improving the level of staff manning these companies. Current developments in science call for well-trained and competent staff in an array of disciplines so as to build up self-confidence and exercise authority off of the centers they manage. My previous demands therefore, requires helping diverse routines in information processing just like collecting, classifying and cataloguing, indexing, healing techniques, thesauri and open analysis.
To attain these the education of staff should secure central in parent organizations' demonstrative plans. Staff should have the know-how to attend seminars, workshops, and conferences and pursue review courses in relevant walks of life. In this light the country's library school should expose special courses in review and encourage students to make it work a career. Graduates is undoubtedly awarded certificates and accorded similar status and scenarios of services as prospects accorded to professionals of equivalent educational process in other fields.
To alleviate the hump of technical processing each documentation center need to keep in good order the many various its documents with environmentally friendly indexing and cataloging procedures like these cumulative and subject search engine spiders. Given the scattered nature of info needed by documentation specialists with their acquisition procedures, they should consider the production of a regularly up-dated tutorials that would include the bibliographical control tool, gang of libraries, reference units and information systems with a sign of their holdings, policies offer coverage of own documents, telephone number, e-mail amend, if any, description of exchange agreements, lists of recommended basic principle and access rights to these organizations. Such a publication may well be a useful medium in which to market new publications. Since the country is faced with Information Technology challenges serious thoughts has to be given to automate court docs services for increased efficiency (Inglis, Ling & Josten, 1999).
Orientation to selective use of documentation centers is is necessary. The present under-utilization of the centers is caused by a lack of habit to consult them. A user education service through these institutions is therefore, much more. Increased awareness through this education presents about two results: allocation of greater funds and resources to vary procurement, selection and be utilizing; and a greater experience the available documentation. By so doing there may be improvement in methods regarding document retrieval by clientele.
In order to avail resources to clientele co-ordination just about all components of documentation centers and libraries in the nation through networking is normal. Such aspects as cooperative acquisition of materials, exchange, production for each union catalogs, interlibrary loans considering the fact that possible centralized processing manufactured for documentation centers found in gov departments, should be explored to generate both staff and clientele a basis for access to each will centers. Support should visit sought from donor organizations and international organizations which includes UNESCO and International Federation for Documentation (FID) for you information, human and financial elements, capacity building and sets of rules dissemination techniques.
CONCLUSION
Documentation centers can make efficient social and a financial contributions to national development plans your clients' needs information dissemination, education offer research at different quantities. However to be effective these institutions has to be organized within an integral system which will be itself conceived in regards to, and as part of each and every national plans for downward spiral and social development. It is only through this way that everybody such service institutions results in meaningful contribution to national objectives and get financial support for the business's development and sustenance.
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