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An Online Book-bank Monitoring System
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The book-banks of all the faculties are under the general supervision of the main university library. Each Faculty and in some cases departments have book-bank units which are directly supervised by the University Library.
The University library has recently created a database of library books that can be accessed online, where researchers, teaching staff and students can check the availability of a given book by following a link on the University library website. This system however has not been made possible for books in the book-bank section. A database has been created but is only used for record purposes for all the books purchased and disbursed to various book-bank units. This means that when it comes to monitoring, the process becomes manual whereby a printed list from the database is carry to a book-bank unit to compare with the books available.
Individual book-banks are not yet electronically and digitally linked to the main library,thus calling for the study of the current system so as to design a suitable online book bank monitoring system. Distance learning has become a buzzard for educational programming in many institutions of higher learning in recent year. The need to provide access to post-secondary coursework at a distance has been identified as a top priority for many universities and colleges. The driving force behind this has to do with the increased demand for access to higher education, the rising cost of colleges, the growth of information technology and competition among private enterprises in the ever-increasing commercialization of the education market (Slade, 1999 [2]). This is evident in Makerere University; with the increased number of students, management of individual book-bank units and students of different faculties has become harder. Much as book-banks are under direct control of the University Library, monitoring by the coordinator is very difficult. The books are purchased and distributed to respective units, but monitoring is very difficult taking into account the limitations of the manual system. In some cases, the book-bank staff may be tempted to flout the rules of the University library in terms of lending policy and procedure.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The current monitoring system is manual and as a result highly tedious in terms of monitoring the book-banks. These book-banks place orders for books from the University Library. Monitoring of these book-banks is currently difficult due the fact the staff in the main Library in charge of book-banks is small and one must physically walk to a particular book-bank unit (Faculty/Department) to assess the performance. Since books are manually recorded, grouped and stored, many a time, it becomes very difficult to know how many books of a given type are available in individual book-banks by the Book-bank Coordinator. Producing a list of lost books and defaulters for example is also a nightmare. This calls for the automation of the book-bank monitoring system.
1.3 OBJECTIVES
1 .3.1 GENERAL OBJECTIVE
The general objective was to design an online book-bank monitoring system to enable a central monitoring mechanism of the book-bank be more faster and less error prone.
1 .3.2 Specific Objectives
i . To study and analyze the current monitoring system/procedures of the book-bank in order to come up with proper requirement specifications for the new system.
ii. To design an online system to monitor the activities of the book-banks.
iii. To create an application that will enable the coordinator to evaluate various book statistics, which can influence decision-making.
1.4 Scope
The study covered Makerere University Main Library book-bank section, and also focused on three book-banks namely Faculty of Computing and Information Technology (FCIT), Institute of Adult and Continuing Education (department of adult Education and Communication studies) and Faculty of Law.
1.5 Significance of the study
The current system is highly manual and therefore tedious in terms of monitoring the book-banks in the University. Libraries are changing rapidly as they strive to bring access to electronic resources, seamless document delivery systems and information literacy skills to their communities. The new electronic information environment is pushing many libraries to rethink their services and reengineer their organizations (Holly, 1999 [3]).
Therefore the electronic system will help to speed up the process of book-bank monitoring in light of the increasing number of student population and shrinking number of staff. It will further allow the coordinator and other stakeholders to access the information on the book-banks online by logging into the system using their respective log-on rights.
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]This project was aimed at developing an online book-bank monitoring system in Makerere University. The responsibility of monitoring book-banks in Makerere University is vested in the main library and is executed by the Bank-Bank section. It was intended to address the current problems encountered in using a manual system to monitor the activities of the book-banks. The study covered three book-banks namely;Faculty of Computing and IT, Faculty of Law and Department of Adult Ed ... Continue reading---
CHAPTER SEVEN - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]FINDINGS, RECOMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION7.1 FINDINGS AND ACHIEVEMENTSThe newly developed online book-bank monitoring system as described in chapter five solves problems experienced using the file based manual system as it provides for quick data generation that saves time Security is catered for through access password for both the coordinator and the book-bank staff. The system is able to generate reports, which can be used for monitoring and decision-making. The system is user friendly, as it d ... Continue reading---
TABLE OF CONTENTS - [ Total Page(s): 2 ]LIST OF FIGURES 5 .1 Architectural Design 5 .2 The Context Flow Diagram of the Proposed System 5 .3 Level 1 Data Flow Diagram of the Proposed System 5 .4 Key to the Data Flow Diagram 5 .5 ERD of the Proposed System 6 .1 The Login form 6 .2 Book entry form 6 .3 Book-bank entry form 6 .4 All books in the book-bank system 6 .5 Books in the AECS book-bank 6 .6 Book defaulters 6 .7 Book Statistics 7 .1 MUK Library home page 7 .2 Book order form 7 .3 Borrower’s cardLIST OF TABL ... Continue reading---
CHAPTER TWO - [ Total Page(s): 3 ]Therefore it is not surprising that organizations, whose operations are information intensive, like libraries, have tried to incorporate information technology in their systems. Major world libraries have installed online public access catalogues (OPACs) since the late 1960s. The ability to search online databases half a world away has also been available to libraries since the mid-1970s; and during the 1980s libraries introduced microcomputers and compact disk technology. However the developmen ... Continue reading---
CHAPTER THREE - [ Total Page(s): 2 ]3.2.3 Document reviewThe researcher also looked at the available relevant literature like list of books in the database, order lists, invoices and correspondence documents with book-bank units and faculties/departments. Also reviewed were lists of Book-Bank users who borrow books, library files, registration records, rules and regulations and procedures of borrowing and returning books.-The main library keeps a record of all books bought and disbursed to different book-banks. These books are rec ... Continue reading---
CHAPTER FOUR - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]System StudyThis chapter explores a critical analysis of the workings of the current system.4.1 DESCRIPTION OF THE EXISTING SYSTEMThe monitoring system that exists is highly manual. The library currently has a database that contains a list of all books disbursed to each book-bank, but this is hardly used in the monitoring process since it cannot be accessed online. Monitoring is done using the traditional methods, which involves the use of paper i.e., Paper work based contrary to modern computer ... Continue reading---
CHAPTER FIVE - [ Total Page(s): 11 ]Level 0 Data Flow DiagramFigure: 5.1 Architectural design ... Continue reading---
CHAPTER SIX - [ Total Page(s): 4 ]LOGIN SCREENFigure 5.1 Login screen5.3.2 BOOK ENTRY FORMFigure 5.2 Book Entry form ... Continue reading---
REFRENCES - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]1 . Main Library Sections, the book-bank section; Makerere University website, available online (retrieved on 19/10/2005 from http://www.makerere.ac.ug/library) 2 . Slade, A.L. (1999). Delivery Library Services at a Distance: Case Study at the University of Washington: (4): Journal of Library services for Distance Education 2 2-4.3 . Holly H.R (1999). Library Support for District Learning Program: A distributed model: T . (1) 4 –5. he Journal ... Continue reading---
