: COMMUNICATION SKILLS
LIBRARY SKILLS
1. What is a library
• An information center that facilitates the access and use of information in form of books,
non-book material and computerized databases
i. Information is an assemblage of data in an understandable form recorded on a
piece of paper or other medium and capable of communicating
• A place where information is systematically organized and disseminated to users
• A store house for what has been written on a variety of subjects
2. The role of the library in a university
• To support teaching, learning and research by providing information, resources and services
• Provides relevant and up to date information
• Provide useful resources as required by users
• Provides services in a relaxed and good atmosphere for study
3. Types of libraries
• Libraries can be categorized according to two perspectives
i. Accessibility
There are two types depending on this criterion
• Open access
Users locate books and journals by themselves by look along the book
shelves for what they want
• Closed access
o Users are required to fill in request forms for the books they want
which are then brought to them or are collected at a later time.
o The users do not have the facility to look along book shelves by
themselves to find the books they want
ii. Purpose
1. Public libraries
a. Serve the general public at all levels
b. Aim to provided information over the whole range of human
knowledge
c. Promote culture and play a positive part in encouraging an active
use of leisure and recreational time
Kenya national library
2. Academic libraries
a. Found in institutions of learning
b. Aim to support teaching, learning and research activities
3. National libraries
a. Main aim is to ensure that all the publications of a particular
country are acquired and preserved for posterity
, b. Stores books from elsewhere as well
c. Seeks to provide national reference services
d. For publishing
e. For research and development in librarianship and information
science
British library, library of congress etc
4. Special libraries
a. Serve specific subject fields
E.g. libraries in government ministries, research institutes,
international bodies- ICIPE, AMREF, KIE, ICRAF, UNESCO
5. Digital libraries
a. Mainly accessed through computer with internet facilities
b. Store up-to-date information on diversified fields
4. Organization of library materials
• There are a lot of materials that can be found in the library
• These materials are systematically arranged to enable users locate them without difficulties
• Materials in the library are placed under two broad categories depending on the way they
are shelved and sued by library users
• We have reference and call materials
• Reference materials are not taken away from the library while call materials are allowed to
borrow and take away from the library
• Different collections of library materials are found
i. Open shelf books
1. Organized in various sections according to their subject areas
2. Are available for borrowing
ii. Periodicals
1. Are shelved separately from other books
2. Not borrowed out of the library
3. Include pamphlets, text books
iii. Short loan
1. Different shelf at the front desk
2. On great demand by users
3. Borrowed for use in the library for specific time periods depending on
demand
4. Can be borrowed out of the library overnight
iv. General reference
1. General publications for quick reference by library users
2. Used only in the library
3. Found in the reference section
4. Include dictionaries, atlases, encyclopedias
v. Non-book collections
LIBRARY SKILLS
1. What is a library
• An information center that facilitates the access and use of information in form of books,
non-book material and computerized databases
i. Information is an assemblage of data in an understandable form recorded on a
piece of paper or other medium and capable of communicating
• A place where information is systematically organized and disseminated to users
• A store house for what has been written on a variety of subjects
2. The role of the library in a university
• To support teaching, learning and research by providing information, resources and services
• Provides relevant and up to date information
• Provide useful resources as required by users
• Provides services in a relaxed and good atmosphere for study
3. Types of libraries
• Libraries can be categorized according to two perspectives
i. Accessibility
There are two types depending on this criterion
• Open access
Users locate books and journals by themselves by look along the book
shelves for what they want
• Closed access
o Users are required to fill in request forms for the books they want
which are then brought to them or are collected at a later time.
o The users do not have the facility to look along book shelves by
themselves to find the books they want
ii. Purpose
1. Public libraries
a. Serve the general public at all levels
b. Aim to provided information over the whole range of human
knowledge
c. Promote culture and play a positive part in encouraging an active
use of leisure and recreational time
Kenya national library
2. Academic libraries
a. Found in institutions of learning
b. Aim to support teaching, learning and research activities
3. National libraries
a. Main aim is to ensure that all the publications of a particular
country are acquired and preserved for posterity
, b. Stores books from elsewhere as well
c. Seeks to provide national reference services
d. For publishing
e. For research and development in librarianship and information
science
British library, library of congress etc
4. Special libraries
a. Serve specific subject fields
E.g. libraries in government ministries, research institutes,
international bodies- ICIPE, AMREF, KIE, ICRAF, UNESCO
5. Digital libraries
a. Mainly accessed through computer with internet facilities
b. Store up-to-date information on diversified fields
4. Organization of library materials
• There are a lot of materials that can be found in the library
• These materials are systematically arranged to enable users locate them without difficulties
• Materials in the library are placed under two broad categories depending on the way they
are shelved and sued by library users
• We have reference and call materials
• Reference materials are not taken away from the library while call materials are allowed to
borrow and take away from the library
• Different collections of library materials are found
i. Open shelf books
1. Organized in various sections according to their subject areas
2. Are available for borrowing
ii. Periodicals
1. Are shelved separately from other books
2. Not borrowed out of the library
3. Include pamphlets, text books
iii. Short loan
1. Different shelf at the front desk
2. On great demand by users
3. Borrowed for use in the library for specific time periods depending on
demand
4. Can be borrowed out of the library overnight
iv. General reference
1. General publications for quick reference by library users
2. Used only in the library
3. Found in the reference section
4. Include dictionaries, atlases, encyclopedias
v. Non-book collections
