The continual progress in science, technical and human endeavors are really a major characteristic of recent society, as this constitutes the 'information explosion'. Society needs a great number of information irrespective of provenance and form that may be utilized within organized social, economic and scientific including technical activities to site but a few examples (Usherwood, 1989).
In Sierra Leone, the actual problem of information services involves amongst others the educationist, jurist, economist, industrialist, admin, health service officer, agriculturist builder and student. This demand face librarians of your problems of how to prepare, process, disseminate and control information. The most difficult aspect to date is dissemination of information. If this is to be achieved it is essential to ensure that the right information at timing and with the works measures reaches the persons that need to use it (Were, 1990).
Behind this need is obviously someone responsible for defining and incurring system going. This involves the collection and selection of knowledge, their reduction to skillfully brief but succinctly true messages, their storage and transmission whereby needed for easy location and use. The realization of so system needs the expertise of a group of specialists in a fields and however its use requires that clientele are mindful of this the working techniques as well as the principal concepts which the machine 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' survives necessary for every country in order to get well-functioning services. Information varies according to documents, which in turn form the main stay of paticulars centers. In addition to lawful publications documentation centers interest upon specialized literature such as that of books, series, journals and additional scientific publications. Such documents require systematic, dynamic and enormously specialized analysis.
The need for organizations to produce documents related to their activities is just one of the components of their information policies. Documents accordingly, are for users, an input of basic importance. The importance of this input varies about the clientele served. The transmission of ideas through the written word and too as the establishment of centers to prepare these documents in Sierra Leone isn't a new phenomenon as it origins could be traced from the portuguese era. Today there are over thirty (30) such institutions sparsely locked in government departments, libraries and non governmental organizations in the united states although most of these are found in the capital city, Freetown.
Included the particular Ministry of Foreign Relationships and International Cooperation Forms Center, the Ministry of labor Documentation Center, the Ministry about Development and Economic On that chance Documentation Center (MODEP), Home Agriculture Documentation Center (NADOC), Food and Agriculture Organization Documentation Cardiac (FAODOC), the Gender that's why Research Documentation Center (GRADOC), and his awesome Sierra Leone Collection at the Fourah Bay College storing.
A variety of paperwork housed in these institutions such as that of:
i. those concerned with different aspects of the organisation's internal administration like price, personnel, infrastructure and strategies;
ii. those concerned through actual functioning of the parent organization with the implementation it's objectives and programs regarding decision-making, resolutions, recommendations, highlights of meetings, minutes, reports and gratifaction seminar, workshop and discussion proceedings;
iii. documents providing specialized professional opinions but of general interest right from statistical books, yearbooks, selection of texts, pamphlets, glossaries and is technical literature; and
iv. Those supplying helpful tips for one particular aspect or overall activities of their organization to a herd such as press builds, brochures, folders and periodicals.
The function of all these documentation centers is five-fold: to assemble relevant source data documentation and maintain research collection of in such documents; to relatively acquire external materials as reported by specific needs; to selectively disseminate recorded knowledge following user needs; to categorize, catalogue and index print received; and to make use of appropriate materials for administrator and financial purposes. Staffs managing these centers range between one and five.
PROBLEMS
Sierra Leone has just experienced ten years long civil war (1991-2001) and the government is faced with numerous tasks; developmental software programs are therefore, prioritized and under this kind of circumstances documentation centers rank lower in government's priority list. Hence problems abound in treating documentation centers which move from lack of a survey to identify the documentation centers in state, limited space, inadequate staff, inability of parent administrations to re-build and download destroyed documentation centers and materials through war.
Expecting documentation specialists to change the current status inside their institutions requires adequate investment capital support. The cost for the materials, equipment and information transfer is on the rise due to escalating foreign currency markets and the increasing compulsion upon expensive technology (Patridge, 1994). It is therefore, all the more urgent to seek out adequate financial support by using parent organization running wish institutions. This is yet to be done.
The effectiveness of documentation services is based not only upon the apparatus used but also on it gives you staff manning these providers, who in the process of their work should be aware of the latest developments whereas in the science and technology and in addition needs of the national economy. The crux off matter is that when qualified and competent information specialists which takes assure a quick, comprehensive and thing service to clientele, thus contributing to the success of many research and developmental programs.
Regrettably there is several hours dearth of trained and qualified staff to own documentation centers in the country; most documentation centers remain run by either para-professional or non-professional staff, some of whom have only on-the-job emotions. The conditions of service of those staff are appalling in with bleak future for self-advancement. Hence you will find massive staff turnover as being a qualified staff always leave unceremoniously for good paid up jobs.
Documentation centers can even make effective economic contribution to generate national development plans by promoting education and research at different levels and also supporting economic and social endeavors of various kinds (Isaak, 2000). But nevertheless, to be effective these institutions they need to organized within an fundamental system, which is conceived in return to, and as step in national plans for monetary and social developments. Government is yet to generate a national policy the online role documentation centers should play the development of the countryside, especially in the published war era.
Many documentation centers were destroyed through civil war and lucrative documents were lost. Although a lot of continue to exist all of these are relatively small dimensions with limited materials. Shortage suitable infrastructure specifically meant to serve as documentation centers certainly are major obstacle in providing adequate services on the community. Further documentation services are being affected by lack of such keep fit facilities as suitable bedroom and accommodation, stacks, good lighting and spacious reading rooms to use by clientele especially during peak periods.
Documentation specialists should accept rrn which in recent years the particular rapid development of science and technology calls for new methods of classification, processing and retrieval and dissemination of data and that what they have achieved over the the seasons in running their particular centers is inadequate. The acquisition and handling of materials is one among the a series of cons envisaged by staff. It's because lack of adequate bibliographical embody tools, complex series, distribution delays and the massive quantity of materials modelled annually for which the number of staff in these centers seriously isn't commensurate.
Further there are difficulties with the organization of documents during institutions due to staff's gone technical know-how. The document collection isnt kept in classified order in the principle centers; where a document symbol exists that it is used for shelving extremely true for documents of governmental and non-governmental organizations. In some publications the symbol used one of the most shown on the catalog entries and labeling will help you difficult for clientele boys needed documents without people assistance.
In other words a greater symbol system in use in the principle documentation centers is all-round for clientele's understanding as non-specialists. Most clientele are baffled any time a document labeled RESTRICTED and LIMITED DISTRIBUTION ONLY is very done because the material is mysteriously confidential or rather because of the budget allocation does not permit on just the limited number of copies for you to acquired.
In addition some documentation centers such as NADOC and FAODOC have automated services but these growing complexity of shipping is sometimes creating difficulties for clientele. Where as some people are computer literate and do understand what to do with printed material no this kind of acquaintance or competence exist for computer-readable information packages for a a good number of non computer literate potential customers. Since clientele are anyone served by information mortgage loans a well-organized computer education system is indispensable. To attain this involves a constant study of user needs with behavior, which documentation staff have never do.
SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT
The country's reinstated democracy posesses duty to its citizens of causing a consistent and controlled method to obtain information failing which it deprives them their spirit of initiative. Invariably it makes perfect sense that the control as part resources of information, its storage and dissemination can be realized only if there is a great one precise political commitment. Software program of information must seek a place in the across the us planning activities, more so in this article war era. Government should begin a national policy reflecting the fabric needs of groups in respective departments as well as the national community.
Such a national information policy requires to be implemented through the combine of national plans to add mass to documentation centers. These plans should form element the over-all national brands for socio-economic development and should be done by a central body organize at appropriate governmental degree with clear responsibility too authority for planning in this area (Line, Mackenzie and Prytherch, 1994).
In view where a thorough knowledge of the existing state of transmit centers and library services is very important for national planning for the development of national information infrastructures, a comprehensive survey of these institutions england is essential. The survey should during the financial and legislative basis of approach these information services along all aspects of their structure and procedures, staff provision, technical issuers and co-operative agreements. Data for the survey can often forecast future needs that has a preparation of long term plans for the development of appropriate information infrastructure.
Responsibility lies while using country's politicians, those men of govt and public administrators for the look into the advantages that can position accrued from such an innovation and for the elaboration of necessary the right and programs, and just because funding needed to uphold and enhance these centers. Therefore, long-term planning cannot be evaded. If possible spent should be created to review the decisions to be studied. This body should discover sufficient degree of autonomy and money although working in immediate control with authorities.
Departments running documentation establishments should seriously re-think of improving the quality of staff manning these crops. Current developments in science and technology call for well-trained and competent staff in an array of disciplines so as to encourage self-confidence and exercise authority on the centers they manage. This type demands therefore, requires lessons in diverse routines in information processing along with collecting, classifying and cataloguing, indexing, access techniques, thesauri and doubt analysis.
To attain these pursue a career of staff should you have to be central in parent organizations' developmental plans. Staff should be allowed to attend seminars, workshops, in order to conferences and pursue research courses in relevant of all ages. In this light the country's library school should bring in special courses in certification and encourage students to create it a career. Graduates gardening awarded certificates and accorded similar status and conditions of services as the ones accorded to professionals of equivalent educational procedures in other fields.
To alleviate the a problem of technical processing each documentation center should keep in good order all the variants of its documents with insightful indexing and cataloging procedures that is to say cumulative and subject spiders. Given the scattered nature of information needed by documentation specialists throughout their acquisition procedures, they should consider the production of a regularly up-dated guide that would include group of bibliographical control tool, set of two libraries, reference units and information systems with a sign of their holdings, policies but will coverage of own blog posts and articles, telephone number, e-mail address, if any, description of them exchange agreements, lists of recommended factor and access rights about bat roosting organizations. Such a publication would be a useful medium in which to build up new publications. Since the country is faced with Information Technology challenges serious thoughts may well be given to automate documentation services for increased efficiency (Inglis, Ling & Josten, 1999).
Orientation to selective utilization of documentation centers is you will have to. The present under-utilization of the centers is due to a lack of habit seek advice from them. A user education service these types of institutions is therefore, indeed , this will. Increased awareness through this education may bring about two results: allocation of greater funds and resources to rise procurement, selection and implement; and a greater take advantage of the available documentation. By so doing we will have improvement in methods much like document retrieval by users.
In order to apply for resources to clientele co-ordination shut off components of documentation centers and libraries england through networking is essential. Such aspects as cooperative acquisition of materials, exchange, production of their time union catalogs, interlibrary loans in the instance possible centralized processing especially for documentation centers found in government departments, should be explored to present both staff and clientele a foundation for access to the particular centers. Support should are made sought from donor options and international organizations to complete UNESCO and International Federation numerous people Documentation (FID) for material, human and financial cashmoney, capacity building and component part dissemination techniques.
CONCLUSION
Documentation centers creates efficient social and economical contributions to national development plans by promoting information dissemination, education but will research at different adds up. However to be effective these institutions may well be organized within an integral system that's itself conceived mention, and as part wonderful national plans for financial disaster and social development. It's through this way which has such service institutions produce meaningful contribution to national objectives and find financial support for the availability of development and sustenance.
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