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QUANTITATIVE MEASUREMENT OF LIBRARY SERVICES: A REFLECTION OF SERVICES IN THE LIBRARY OF HIGHER EDUCATION CMMISSION, PAKISTAN.Muhammad Javed Iqbal Director Library Higher Education Commission, Islamabad, Pakistan, (mjiqbal@hec.gov.pk) Ph. # 0092-51-90401912Sher Muhammad (mphe517@yahoo.com), PhD Scholar, University of Education, Lahore, Pakistan.Saghir Iqbal (khokhar_qkw@yahoo.com), PhD Scholar, University of Education, Lahore, Pakistan. 9thNorthumbria International Conference York
INTRODUCTION Higher Education Commission (HEC) was established in Sep 11, 2002 by an Ordinance of the Government of Pakistan (Ordinance No. LIII, 2002) for the uplift of the higher education and research activities in Pakistan. The UGC (University Grants Commission) library was established in 70s to support and assist parent organization in its activities and getting goals. HEC Library is established near the main gate of Higher Education Commission, Islamabad. It serves research scholars, teachers and students on one hand and on the other hand it provides services to HEC employees. There is provision of national dailies in English and Urdu. The library is also providing the facility of International and Local journals and magazines. It is a central repository for collection of PhD theses and HEC recognized Pakistani research journals. Its PhD theses collection is a national treasure and an unrivalled intellectual resource. Online full text access of more than 2800 theses is available on HEC website (www.eprints.hec.gov.pk). The readers may have the option to retrieve information by subject, title, name of researcher, year and name of the university. The Library also provides the facility of CCS (Current Contents Services) to users. HEC Library also plays a pivotal role to provide the full access of National Digital Library Resources to its users (http://www.digitallibrary.edu.pk) .
Collections: • Books. • Journals/magazines. • E-Books. (http://www.digitallibrary.edu.pk/Resources.php). • E-Journals.(http://www.digitallibrary.edu.pk/Resources.php). • E-Databases (http://www.digitallibrary.edu.pk/Resources.php) • Research Reports. • Monographs. • M. Phil theses. • Ph. D theses. • Curriculum. • Newspapers (English & Urdu).
Quantitative Measurement:Bordens & Abbott (1997) defines that it is the Collection of information that is numeric in nature. While Leskes (2002) says that Quantitative data is that in which the values of a variable differ in amount [in numeric terms] rather than in kind [in descriptive terms]. This data can be analyzed using quantitative methods and generalized to a larger population.Quantitative Measurement in Library and Information ScienceQuantitative measurement is an effective technique to improve the services in the field of Library and Information Science. It provides a framework to the Library professionals to practise new concepts of quantitative forms in the area of Library and Information Science. It means that quantitative measurement is a method to calculate and measure the services. In the Library of HEC, the monthly progress report covering the different services of Library in a quantitative form is used as a main mean of quantitative measurement. The categories are defined in the descriptive form while their results and achievements are reported in the quantitative form every month. Observations and recordings are made by the staff on day to day basis about the different services provided in the Library. The progress reports are sent to the Higher Management for analysis and improvement of the Library services. So in this way, the monthly progress reports serve as continuous feedback about the working of library in various categories.
Services Offered in HEC Library.i. Digital Library Services.ii Preservation of PhD theses.iii Preservation of back volumes of journals.iv Current Content Services (CCS).v Availability of local and international journals/magazine.vi Availability of English and Urdu national dailies.vii One year preservation of newspapers.viii Research Reports.ix HEC monographs.x Books available on varied subjects. xi Provision of photocopy facility.xii Availability of reference books.xiii Ulrich International periodical directory.xiv Availability of high reputed encyclopaedia.xv Cataloguing in Publication (CIP).
This report explains the data for September, 2010. Key tasks and activities are described in it. Progress on key task is described in quantitative terms. Number of Library visitors is an important category which stands at 584 while the no. of internet /digital library user is 273. Another important achievement in this month is PhD theses shifting (Hard Form) to the National Library of Pakistan which stands at 495.
This report explains the data for October 2010. Key tasks and activities are described in it. Progress on key task is described in quantitative terms. Number of Library visitors is an important category which stands at 733 while the no. of internet /digital library user is 360. Another important achievement in this month is PhD theses shifted (Hard Form) to the National Library of Pakistan which stands at 781. No. of photocopies arranged for the visitors is 2110 which is a remarkable achievement.
This report indicates the performance in the key areas of number of library visitors, number of internet / digital library users. Number of Library visitors is an important category which stands at 625 while the no. of internet /digital library user is 345. Another important achievement in this month is PhD theses shifting (Hard Form) to the National Library of Pakistan which stands at 185.
This graph presents the information about the Ph. D theses received in the HEC Library from year 2002-2008. HEC Library is a pioneer to preserve theses. It shows the progress on the concerned subject for these years. In the start receiving of Ph. D theses was slow as only 193 theses were received in year 2002-03. But gradually it improved up to 2007. In year 2007-8 it stands highest at 1227. In 2005, the figure is lowest because theses received from the universities were less in quantity. Universities were reluctant to send theses to HEC. But Director Library then took the initiative. He personally contacted the library heads in the universities and requested for their support for this service. He assured them this task was taken up for the preservation of research data across Pakistan. Overall 2771 Ph. D theses were received and preserved from 2002-03 to 2007-08 which is remarkable achievement in our context.
HEC Library purchases national and international journals and magazines on weekly and monthly basis. These journals and magazines serve as a rich resource of current knowledge. This bar graph summarizes the information about journals and magazine received from year 2002-03 to 2007-08. This graph represents an upward trend overall. In the start, only 240 journal/magazines were received in year 2002-03 but it reached the figure 1127 in year 2007-08. It indicates that in the category of journals and magazines HEC Library is improving its service year by year.
Access to quality newspapers of Urdu and English is another critical services being provided in the HEC Library. Every day readers are provided access to 19 English and Urdu dailies of Pakistan. Copies of these newspapers of last one year are also available as record. The graph sums up the record of newspapers received from year 2002-03 to year 2007-08. This graph indicates upward trend almost every year. In year 2002-03 the figure of newspapers stands at 6108 and in the year 2006-07 and 2007-08 it reaches the figures of 6783 and 6916 respectively which shows a remarkable progress.
Library visitors is another important category where employees of HEC and students of various universities visit the Library for their purpose. The graph represents the number of visitors from 2002-03 to 2007-08. Significant of progress can be noted from year 2002-03 to 2004-05. In year 2004-05 more visitors consult the Library as compared to other years and the number of visitors stands at 12585. But downward trend was seen from year 2005-06 to 2007-08 in the category of visitors. The reason of this trend is that in these years. HEC was funding the universities in the area of strengthening the facilities. So as the facilities improved in university libraries, the number of students decreased in the library.
Male and female ratio is another critical category. Here the visitors were categorized on the basis of gender. Male and female students from the public and private universities visit the HEC Library on regular basis. This data shows the percentage of visitors from year 2002-03 to year 2007-08 on the basis of gender overall. It is reported that mostly male visitors consult the Library as the percentage stands at 79%. While the percentage of female students is 21% only. This indicates that out of 5 visitors 4 visitors are male and one visitor is female. In recent years, the participation of female students is increasing as compared to past period.
PRESERVATION AND SHIFTING OF PH.D THESES, A VALUABLE TASK Conservation and preservation of PhD theses from various fields is the foundation on which the pillars of research and innovation stand. HEC Library is assigned the task of conservation and preservation of all the PhD theses produced in public & private sector universities of Pakistan. HEC has adopted a preservation policy to preserve PhD theses in hard and soft form. All the universities are required to submit their PhD theses/dissertation to HEC. On receiving, HEC digitizes the material and provides it online for public access through Pakistan Research Repository free of cost. While the hard copies of PhD theses are received by HEC Library staff who processes these for shifting to the National Library of Pakistan, Islamabad for permanent conservation. The HEC Library has shifted 1800 PhD theses/dissertation up till now. It is a commendable task taken up by the HEC. It is hoped that preservation of PhD theses/dissertation would be ensured on all subjects on continuing basis through this process.
Experience Based Reflection of Management. These reflections are presented on the basis of experiences gained through the workings in the HEC Library. Monthly progress reports are used as the main instrument to judge the standards of working of the services provided in the Library. Progress reports are prepared on the categories of journals received, newspapers received, library visitors, visitors helped, photocopies arranged for users, PhD theses received and processed for shifting and the reference services. The progress reports are the reflection of performance and help the management to review and improve the services. Facilitation to the visitors, readers, scholars and digital library users is a key management strategy adopted to improve the services. Our reader or the visitor is our priority. The trained staff always welcomes the scholars and help and guides them properly. Rapid access to the information is another aim which is followed in the provision of services to the users. Whether you need an old reference book or you ask for years old international journal, either you demand a previous month old copy of a national daily or you require specific information, you would be helped and guided in a professional way.
PhD theses are considered a gorgeous foundation of research and information. The preservation of PhD theses is taken up as a cherished task in the HEC Library. PhD theses on all the subjects are received by our staff from universities and degree awarding institutions. Theses are properly checked, listed category wise and then these are arranged for shifting to the National Library of Pakistan. Up till now, we have shifted 1800 PhD theses. Our service will serve as mean to consult this material by our present and future generations. Queries on different issues are received telephonically and by email then these are answered via email or telephone. The Library has developed a website of its own with address http://www.hec.gov.pk/InsideHEC/Divisions/RND/HLIB/Pages/HECLibrary.aspx , a visitor can search Digital Library Services, PhD theses, and other services through this website. Access of HEC Library is another reflection of increasing services. Library is equipped with the latest computers in order to facilitate the searching on the internet and access to the digital Library and various databases. As visitors are increasing day by day so sometime to control the rush of researchers, they are allotted computer for a specific time space. The categories in the progress reports suggest that the number of users and visitors is increasing. Moreover the access to information is changing forms as varied type of services is offered to the users. There are some gray areas in the working of HEC Library. We are facing the constraints of resources we need more library staff to improve our working facility. We also want to increase our shelf stuff. But for all this we need more fund and support from the top management.
FINDINGS HEC Library is serving as special library providing various services to the visitors and scholars. Library is extending quality services of digital Library, preservation of PhD theses, availability of national and international journals/magazines with back volumes and highly circulated national dailies. Monthly progress reports are being used to review the services of Library. These reports are updated on the daily and weekly basis on various categories. Facilitation to the visitors and users is a key strategy adopted to improve the services. In this strategy users and visitors are helped and guided according to the nature of problems. Rapid access to information is also being used as a technique to provide access to informative material quickly to the user. Preservation of PhD theses is a valuable task of HEC Library. Uptill now HEC Library has preserved and shifted 1800 PhD theses to National Library of Pakistan on various subjects. Queries on different issues are received from all over the country and these are disposed of on the spot. The Library has developed a website of its own with address http://www.hec.gov.pk/InsideHEC/Divisions/RND/HLIB/Pages/HECLibrary.aspx. A visitor can visit Digital Library Services, PhD theses, and other websites through this site. Library is equipped with the latest computers in order to facilitate the searching on the net and access to the digital Library and various databases.
CONCLUSION This paper is of great value as it provides a reflection of working of a Special Library in the Pakistani context. This paper can be seen as a model for developing countries in order to improve services of Library & Information Science. This reflects that a traditional library is swiftly changing into a modern library using latest technology.
