INTRODUCTION
Several scholars have labelled the 21st Century as the “knowledge society”;
People are interested in finding out what has been discovered in research and they want to use that
same information to solve our daily problems to develop a better world.
Furthermore, people also want to share or communicate research results for furtherance of
knowledge (ACRL, 2010).
The knowledge society is characterised by participatory knowledge acquisition, retention, sharing
and solving real life issues.
Central to knowledge acquisition is the ability to understand the need for new knowledge the nature
of knowledge acquired, where to find and how to retrieve such knowledge and how profit from the
knowledge without infringing on the knowledge creator’s rights. This ability is what is embodied in
INFORMATION LITERACY.
KEY DEFINITIONS
1. Knowledge
(Hunt, 2003) Defines knowledge as beliefs that are true and are justified.
(Cortes Ramirez et al., 2006) defines it as justified true belief
(Oxford Dictionaries | English, 2017) defines it as Facts, information, and skills acquired through
experience or education.
Knowledge can refer to a theoretical or practical understanding of a subject.
2. Information
(Patricia Margaret Alexander, 2003) says “information has a meaning ... (it) comes from selecting
data, summarizing it and presenting it in such a way that it is useful to the recipient.”
(INTRONA 1992) defines information as “data that is organized and meaningful to the person
receiving it. Data is therefore raw material that is transformed into information by data processing.
Information can be defined in terms of its surprise value. It tells the recipient something he did not
know.”
(Introna 1992) also says “... information comes into being as the receiver appropriates the data and
gives it meaning”
(Checkland and Howell 1998) state “Information is that which results when some human mental
activity (observation, analysis) is successfully applied to data to reveal its meaning or significance.”
The term ‘information’ has also been described as the structured, organised and processed data,
presented within context, which makes it relevant and useful to the person who wants it.
Information is the data which is transformed and classified into an intelligible form, which can be
used in the process of decision making. In short, when data turn out to be meaningful after
conversion, it is known as information. It is something that informs, in essence, it gives an answer to
a particular question.
The main characteristics of information are accuracy, relevance, completeness and availability. It can
be communicated in the form of content of a message or through observation and can be obtained
from various sources such as newspaper, television, internet, people, books, and so on.
3. Information Literacy
The National Forum on Information Literacy (2018) defined information literacy as a person’s
ability to “know when they need information, to identify information that can help them address
the issue or problem at hand, and to locate, evaluate, and use that information effectively.
(ACRL, 2010) defines information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to “recognize when
information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed
information.”
(UNESCO 2005) in (Secker, J, & Coonan, E 2013) - “Information Literacy empowers people in all
walks of life to seek, evaluate, use, and create information to achieve their personal, social,
occupational and educational goals”
(Bothma et al 2008) in (Baker 2013) defines information literacy as the “ability to know when
information is needed, and to be able to find, evaluate and use the information that was found
ethically”.
(CILIP) in (Blanchett, H, Webb, J, & Powis, C 2012) defines it as ‘knowing when and why you need
information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical manner’
Dictionary of Media and Communication defines information literacy as “A person's competence
measured by their ability to identify, access, evaluate, and organize information in order to complete
a task or solve a problem”
In sum, information literacy, also referred to as information competency, is the ability to access,
evaluate, organise, and use information from a variety of sources. It is a skill that cuts across
computer literacy, library literacy, media literacy, network literacy, and digital literacy. This means
that an information literate person is one who can identify, access, locate, use and communicate
information via computer systems, traditional libraries, tools or technological machines, Internet
environment, and graphic media. This can be illustrated further to mean the ability of a person, in
this case the student, to use computer systems, libraries, electronic gadgets, the Internet, printed
and published resources effectively in order to determine, find, assess, arrange, use and
communicate information, both in formal and informal settings. It is a bundle of skills that
transforms students to life-long learners.
WHY INFORMATION LITERACY
Information literacy is a skill set that is helpful for a lifetime. It equips students with skills that will
enable them to survive academically, at the workplace and during everyday life. Below is a diagram
summarizing the main components of information literacy.
Components of Information Literacy
21ST CENTURY SURVIVAL LITERACIES
(Welsh 2013) states, “because technology has increased the intensity and complexity of literate
environments the 21st Century demands that a person possess a wide range of abilities and
competencies”. (Woody, 2007) proposes that the 21st Century requires people to have six categories
of literacies to enable them to meet their educational, societal and occupational needs. These are:
1. The basic or Core functional literacy fluencies (competencies) of reading, writing, oralcy and
numeracy.
2. Computer and technology literacy
3. Media literacy
4. Distance Learning and E-Learning
5. Information Literacy
6. Cultural Literacy
The boundaries between these categories overlap, but they should be seen as a closely-knit family.
In this view, literacy is comprehensive in the sense that it includes many learnable skills, and positive
attitudes and behaviours that affect every aspect of one’s life.
INFORMATION LITERACY COMPENTENCY STANDARDS – SKILLS POSSESSED BY INFORMATION
LITERATE INDIVIDUALS
Certain analytical and technical skills are possessed by information literate individuals and these
permit them to have the ability to to identify, select, evaluate, and analyse texts and other
information, and to use information in accordance with societal legal, and organizational norms
(Patrick 2013). An information literate individual is able to:
 Determine the extent of information needed.
 Access the needed information effectively and efficiently.
 Evaluate information and its sources critically and Incorporate selected information into
one’s knowledge base.
 Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.
 Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information,
and access and use information ethically and legally.
Standard One – The information literate student determines the nature and extent of the
information needed.

The information literate student defines and articulates the need for information.

The information literate student identifies a variety of types and formats of potential
sources for information.

The information literate student considers the costs and benefits of acquiring the needed
information.

The information literate student re-evaluates the nature and extent of the information need.
Standard Two – The information literate student accesses needed information effectively and
efficiently.
Performance Indicators:

The information literate student selects the most appropriate investigative methods or
information retrieval systems for accessing the needed information.

The information literate student constructs and implements effectively design search
strategies.

The information literate student retrieves information online or in person using a variety of
methods.

The information literate student refines the search strategy if necessary.

The information literate student extracts, records, and manages the information and its
sources.
Standard Three – The information literate student evaluates information and its sources critically
and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system.
Performance Indicators:

The information literate student summarizes the main ideas to be extracted from the
information gathered.

The information literate student articulates and applies initial criteria for evaluating both the
information and its sources.

The information literate student synthesizes main ideas to construct new concepts.

The information literate student compares new knowledge with prior knowledge to
determine the value added, contradictions, or other unique characteristics of the
information.

The information literate student determines whether the new knowledge has an impact on
the individual’s value system and takes steps to reconcile differences.

The information literate student validates understanding and interpretation of the
information through discourse with other individuals, subject-area experts, and/or
practitioners.

The information literate student determines whether the initial query should be revised.
Standard Four – The information literate student, individually or as a member of a group, uses
information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.
Performance Indicators:

The information literate student applies new and prior information to the planning and
creation of a particular product or performance.

The information literate student revises the development process for the product or
performance.

The information literate student communicates the product or performance effectively to
others.
Standard Five – The information literate student understands many of the economic, legal, and
social issues surrounding the use of information and accesses and uses information ethically and
legally.
Performance Indicators:

The information literate student understands many of the ethical, legal and socio-economic
issues surrounding information and information technology.

The information literate student follows laws, regulations, institutional policies, and
etiquette related to the access and use of information resources.

The information literate student acknowledges the use of information
The above skills are summarized in the diagram below:
IMPORTANCE OF INFORMATION LITERACY
We now have a knowledge society where everyone is interested in getting information that will be
transformed to knowledge. The process of this transformation requires a set of skills: the ability to
determine, find, evaluate, organise, use and, in addition, share information from a variety of
sources.
Below are some points about information literacy that reinforce its importance:
 Information Literacy education teaches students how to extract credible information from
an increasing variety of both print and digital information sources.
 Information Literacy imparts in students the abilities to identify and source for the most upto-date and authoritative information that would assist them in doing their work more
effectively.
 It imparts in students the ability to expand their knowledge, ask informed questions, and
sharpen their critical thinking skills for further self- directed learning.
 Empowers students to become life-long learners.
 Information Literacy is not just for students at their studentship levels but also position men
and women in their work places to be possessors of needs determination skills, needs
assessment skills, research-based problem solvers, information analysers, knowledge
creators, etc.
 Information Literacy broadens the thinking horizon of students‟ vis-à-vis their quest to know
how to know and learn how to learn.
 It exposes to students the various categories and sources of information for knowledge
creation.
 Information Literacy inculcates in students the ability to evaluate and determine the right
information for every knowledge problem.
 Information Literacy inculcates in students the knowledge of how to use information,
elegantly and coherently, to create new knowledge.
 Information Literacy inculcates in students the ability to use information resourcefully and
legally.
 Information Literacy arouses the interest of students to become self-motivated learners and
thinkers who are creative, analytical and effective.
 Information Literacy inculcates and improves research skills in students.
THE BASIC LIBRARY RESEARCH PROCESS
Understand your assignment

All good papers must start with well a defined topic. Determine if the topic is assigned to
you or you have the liberty to select one?

Must you research only scholarly or professional journals or can any type of source be used?

How long must your project be?

Start early delay limits the materials available to support your topic.
Background Information

Look up your topic in the library catalogue (OPAC), almanacs and subject encyclopedias.

List the terms to use in your search. Include synonyms and related terms.

Read articles in the sources you find to set the context of your research. Pay close attention
to the vocabulary the authors use.

Note any relevant items in the bibliographies at the end of these overview sources. They can
provide leads to other useful books or articles.

Consider the types of sources appropriate to your topic. Will books suffice? Do you need
primary sources? Should articles be exclusively from scholarly journals? Do you need
statistics?
Resources Search
Research Tips

Work from the general to the specific. Find background information first, then use more
specific and recent sources.

Record what you find and where you found it. Write out a complete citation for each
source you find; you may need it again later.
Finding Books
Begin with the Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC)

Use keyword searching for a narrow or complex search topic. Use subject searching for a
broad subject.

Write down all the information you will need to find it in the stacks (author, title,call
number). Notice its circulation status (Is it listed as available?)

When you pull the book from the shelf, scan the bibliography or footnotes for additional
sources.

Also remember to scan the shelves next to this title, since other books related to your topic
may be located in the same call number area.
Finding Journal and Magazine Articles

Magazine and journal articles provide more recent information than books. If your topic is
very current you may not find it discussed in books and may need to go directly to articles.

Use the library web page to search for articles in electronic journals and electronic book
collections.

You may be able to find the full text of most articles online. A librarian at the Information
Desk will be able to help you.
Finding Information in Other Sources
Reference Sources

Statistics strengthen a paper by quantifying the size and scope of a problem. The Library
Special Collections Section is a good source of such data.

Definitions provide a common base of reference. Look in the general and specialized
dictionaries located in reference.

You may consult subject encyclopaedias to have an overview of a subject
Internet sources
There is a wealth of valuable information available on the Internet. Because the information is
virtually unfiltered, you must take special care to critically evaluate what you find.
Evaluate What you have Found
Critically review the information gathered for reliability, credibility, perspective and purpose. Listed
below are a few of the questions good researchers should ask.

Who is the author?

What is the purpose of the article or book?

What makes the author qualified (or not) to write this?

For what audience is the source intended?

What particular bias does the author have or what assumptions does the author make?

What are the author's conclusions and are they justified from the research or experience
presented?

On what resources was the author's research based?
Revise
You many need to repeat these steps several times before you have a polished product.
1. Check for plagiarism - the unauthorized use of the language and thoughts of another author
and the representation of them as one's own.
2. Consult a style manual, for correct citation.
3. Finally, proofread carefully.
Final Product
Congratulations, you have completed all the necessary steps to create a quality product. Reread
your paper checking for format and grammar errors. Review the initial assignment to see that you
have fulfilled all the requirements. You are ready to tackle your next project.
https://www.beloit.edu/library/research_tips/researchprocessguide/
The above processes can be summarized with the diagram below:
Define your
topic
Cite your
Sources
Gather
background
Information
Evaluate Your
Sources
Locate Your
Sources
The research process
UNIT 3
ORGANISATION OF INFORMATION AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN LIBRARIES
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this unit students should be able to:

Define classification

Identify purposes of organizing information

Familiarise with the Library of Congress Classification scheme

Understand the meaning of a call number
INFORMATION ORGANIZATION
Libraries organize information. Otherwise nothing that is in a library could ever be found.
Organisation of information in Libraries is done through the application of two core concepts in the
Library science field namely classification and cataloguing. In this chapter, classification of library
material will be mainly focused on. The term classification has been defined by various scholars
differently but maintaining the same meaning altogether. Classification provides a descriptive and
explanatory framework for ideas and a structure of the relationship among the ideas.
The following are some of the definitions by various authors as indicated by the Sher-e-Kashmir
University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology;

Margaret Mann says. Classification is the act of arranging things according to their likeness
and unlikeness. She further says, It is a sorting or grouping of things.

According to Richardson, Classification is putting together like things.

Berwick Sayers defines library Classification as The arrangement of books on shelves or
description of them, in a manner which is the most useful to those who read.

New Encyclopedia Britannica defines library classification as a system of arrangement
adopted by a library to enable patrons to find its material quickly and easily.
PURPOSES OF ORGANIZING INFORMATION IN LIBRARIES
The following are the major reasons for creating a systematic library system:
Helpful sequence – Collocation of Items
The core purpose of classification is to arrange documents in a way convenient to the users as well
as to the library staff. The arrangement of documents in classes gives a mutual relation between
them. This brings together closely related subjects.
Correct placement of documents.
When documents are taken out from the shelves by the users or library staff, there should be system
that enables the placement of the documents on their proper shelving places
Mechanized arrangement
This is done by allocating notation, which expresses order. Thus, it becomes possible to easily insert
or reinsert the various documents in their correct places. This is how a mechanized arrangement is
achieved.
Addition of new documents
A library acquires new documents from time to time and this requires a system that enables Library
personnel to find the most appropriate place for each of these among the existing collection of the
library.In case of a newly emerging subject, which may not have been provided for in the existing
scheme, there should be inbuilt qualities which may allow the fixing of a position of the newly
emerging subject amidst another subject having literary warrant.
Withdrawal of documents from stock
In case, the need arises to withdraw a document from the stock for some reason, the library
classification should facilitate such a withdrawal.
INFORMATION ORGANIZATION IN LIBRARIES
Taylor (2006) notes that collections of any appreciable size are arranged according to some system,
and the arrangement is generally referred to as classification. Taylor further surmises that
classification provides logical, or at least a methodical, approach to the arrangement of documents.
Libraries use different types of classification schemes and this is dependent on various reasons
which include the type of Library, type of clientele, availability of resources and the size of the
collection. In this chapter, focus is going to dwell on two schemes only namely Library of Congress
Classification Scheme (LC) and the Dewey Decimal Classification Scheme respectively.
Library of Congress Classification Scheme (LCC)
The system divides all knowledge into twenty-one basic classes, each identified by a single letter of
the alphabet. Most of these alphabetical classes are further divided into more specific subclasses,
identified by two-letter, or occasionally three-letter, combinations.
Below is an outline of the Library of Congress Classification scheme;
CLASS
SUBJECT(S)
A
General works
B – BJ
Philosophy, Psychology
BR – BX
Christianity, Bible
C
Auxiliary sciences of history
D – DR
History (General) and History of Europe
DS – DX
History of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, etc.
E–F
History: America
G
Geography. Maps. Anthropology. Recreation
H
Social sciences
J
Political science
K
Law (General)
KB
Religious law
KD
Law of United Kingdom and Ireland
KDZ,KG – KH
Law of the Americas, Latin America, and the West Indies
KE
Law of Canada
KF
Law of United States
KJ – KKZ
Law of Europe
KJV – KJW
Law of France
KK – KKC
Law of Germany
KL – KWX
Law of Asia and Eurasia, Africa, Pacific area and Antarctica
KZ
Law of Nations
L
Education
M
Music and Books on Music
N
Fine Arts
P – PA
PB – PH
PJ – PK
PL – PM
Philology and linguistics (General). Greek language and literature. Latin
language and literature
Modern European languages
Oriental philology and literature, Indo-Iranian philology and literature
Languages of Eastern Asia, Africa, Oceania. Hyperborean, Indian and
artificial languages
Literature (General)
PN
French, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese literature
PQ
English and American literatures. Juvenile Belles letters
PR, PS, PZ
German, Dutch, and Scandinavian literatures
PT
Science
Q
Medicine
R
Agriculture
S
Technology
T
Military science. Naval science
U–V
Bibliography. Library science. Information resources
Z
Source: Taylor, A.G. (2006:428-429) Introduction to cataloging and classification. 10th ed.
(Referencing needs corrections)
THE MEANING OF CALL NUMBERS AND THEIR ARRANGEMENT ON THE SHELVES
The LC number appears in three main parts, and may contain additional parts that together provide
a unique identifier for the item. One or more parts may be omitted and this represents the judgment
of the cataloguer that the remaining parts suffice to provide a unique identifier. The three main
parts are organized in this way:
a.
The first letter or letters e.g. (HF)
A single letter represents a broad or general subject for example: H = Social Sciences and
multiple letters mean a narrower subject within it for example: HF = Commerce, a subdivision of the
main subject represented by H in the LC scheme.
This part of the call number is arranged alphabetically on the shelves, so G would come before H
which would come before HF
b.
A number (HF 5549 ARM)
This middle part further defines the subject. For example in the subject area of commerce, it
designates a type of material. 5549 = Personnel Management/ General works. To determine the
arrangement of the call number on the shelves, read these numbers the way you would count: 50
comes before 500 which comes before 5000.
c.
The last letters e.g. (HF 5549 ARM)
The last three letters represent either the first three letters of the Author’s surname or the
first three letters of the title of the document. For example ARM represents the author’s surname
which is ARMSTRONG. In the case that there is no author or the authors are more than three then
the first three letters of the title would be used. If the title reads ‘Personnel management’ then the
call number would be HF5549 PER
d.
One or more Cutter numbers (HF 5549 .A76)
Named after a Cataloguer, this number represents the beginning letter of a person's (author or
editor) last name with a number that interpolates it between other names beginning with the same
letter
For Example:
Armstrong, M. = .A76
Atkins, A.T. = .A85
The above number may be preceded by a cutter number that further divides the subject, or gives
some information about the form of the item, such as whether it is an outline, form book, or case
book. To determine the arrangement on the shelves, read Cutter numbers the way you would read a
decimal: .3 comes before .301 which comes before .31.
UNIT 4
INFORMATION ACCESS TOOLS
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this unit students will be able to:

Define information access tools.

Use various information access tools for both printed and electronic resources in finding
information
Information Access Tools
Information access tools are utilities that are used to locate information. They are information
finding aids that are meant to enable users to locate pieces of information quickly and easily in a
source that contains large amounts of information such as a book, library, the internet or a
database. Different access tools are used to find different kinds of information. Retrieval tools are
crucial for retrieving information for educational outcomes. Information retrieval tools according to
Edom (2012) are the simple mechanisms or apparatuses that aid the library user to locate, retrieve
and use the needed documents from the library or information from a book or document.
The Information Access Model
Most accounts of the information access process assume an interaction cycle consisting of query
specification, receipt and examination of retrieved results, and then either stopping or reformulating
the query and repeating the process until a perfect result set is found. In more detail, the standard
process can be described according to the following sequence of steps:
1. Start with an information need.
2. Select a system and collections to search on.
3. Formulate a query.
4. Send the query to the system.
5. Receive the results in the form of information items.
6. Scan, evaluate, and interpret the results.
7. Either stop, or,
8. Reformulate the query and go to step 4.
The Information Access model
The Tools
Some of the most commonly used information access tools are: Indexes, Bibliographies, Abstracts,
and Library Catalogues.
a) Indexes
An index is a list of words or phrases ('headings') and associated pointers ('locators') to where useful
material relating to that heading can be found in a document. The pointers or locators are usually
page numbers, paragraph numbers, book sections, or chapters. In a typical back-of-the-book (BoB)
index, the headings might include author names and the pages they are cited, subjects, place names
events and concepts selected by the book writer as being relevant and of interest to a possible
reader of the book. An index can simply be an alphabetical list of the subjects discussed in a book
with corresponding page number; also a separate publication that points to information found in
other sources.
According to Cook (1981) stand alone indexes are tools designed to make readily available
information that appears in other separate publications.
The purpose of an index is to save the time of the reader by grouping certain related concepts or
subjects and giving their locations in a document. An index as an aid to finding information may
contain cross references all over the book linking related topics or subjects e.g. see or see also.
Types of Indexes
There are two main types of indexes and these include:

Name or Author index

Subject index
TYPE OF INDEX
DESCRIPTION
EXAMPLES
Author Index
Name or Author index as the name implies
provides an alphabetic list of authors in a
document and the page numbers where they are
cited.
Abbeduto, L. 233, 235, 239
Aboud, F. 425
Abrams, D. 422
Acredolo, L.P. 49, 50
Adams, M.J. 189
Adamson, L.B. 68
Ahmad, Y. 344, 34
Ainsworth, M.D.S. 82, 86, 87, 88,
89,
Subject Index
A subject index lists subjects and their related
concepts in a book. It makes extensive use of
cross referencing to aid the reader to quickly find
related terms and concepts in a document.
Adolescence, 383–399
alcohol & drugs, 408, 357
and employment, 405, 416
and gender identity, 391, 394, 406
and gender, 394
see also Adolescence, theories
and psychoanalysis, 383
and puberty, 391
and sex, 391, 392, 395, 405
b) Bibliographies
A bibliography “directs us to sources which contain the required information”, Behrens (2000). In
other words, bibliographies tell us where to find the information in recorded form.
A bibliography is a list of literary works by a particular author, or a list of works on a particular
subject or a list of works published in a certain geographical area.
Chowdhury (et al., 2008) notes that bibliographies are usually categorised by their content, such as:
Author bibliography: A bibliography of works by and about a specific author, e.g. World
Shakespeare bibliography Online (www.worldshakesbib.org)
Subject bibliography: A bibliography of documents in a given subject, e.g. Digital Library Evaluation
and Assessment Bibliography (www.uni.edu/digitalbibeval.html)
Trade bibliography: A bibliography that provides the record of the publication output of various
publishers, e.g. Books in print (www.booksinprint.com/bip)
National bibliography: A bibliography that records a nation’s publishing output, and thus is the
single most authentic and comprehensive source of information on the publication output in and
about a country e.g. Zimbabwe National Bibliography published by the National Archives of
Zimbabwe.
c) Abstracts
An abstract is a brief summary or synopsis of the most important parts of a document. It is a highly
condensed version of the original document itself. Most abstracts are between 50 and 250 words in
length. The prime function of an abstract is to summarise the nature of your research project, its
context, how it was carried out and what its major findings were. Abstracts provide more
information about the contents of the source and by reading the abstract it is possible to draw
conclusion whether the original source is worth consulting for more detailed information.
Library Catalogues
Libraries are concerned with storing and retrieving the information, consequently as the quantities
of information grow there is need to make use of information retrieval tools to facilitate easy access
of the information stored. A library Catalogue is one of the retrieval systems used to retrieve
information. The Library Catalogue is a very crucial information source in the library as it guides the
reader / client where to locate the books and helps clients to know the library’s comprehensive
holdings.
The Library catalogue indicates where the books are on the library shelves. Apart from indicating the
location of every book in the library, it will also indicate whether or not the library has a particular
book on a particular discipline. A Library catalogue is an essential tool, especially when a library has a
large collection. It serves as a key to the resources of a library. Without library catalogue, it would be
difficult to know what is available and where it can be located. It is also known as a retrieval tool.
The information retrieval system act as a bridge between the organizers of information or
generators of information and their clients.
The Midlands State University Library has an online catalogue also called the Online Public Access
Catalogue (OPAC) that can be used to locate many sources of information such as books, journals
and electronic resources. The OPAC is available on the internet.
Kasimani and Rajendran (2019) posits that, An OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) is an online
Bibliography of a library collection that is available to the public … because it allows the users to
search about the collection and resources of library. Online public access catalogue (OPAC) provides
facilities for library users to carryout online catalogue searches, and then check the availability of the
item required.
Kumar and Singh (2017) says that,
Online Public Access Catalogues (OPACs) are the interfaces that help users communicate with the
collections of a library. Online Public Access Catalogues (OPACs) allow users to search the library’s
catalogue, and also provide other facilities, such as checking borrower records, reserving reading
materials.
Behrens (2000) defines a library catalogue as “a systematic list of the information sources which are
held in a library collection. The catalogue describes each source in sufficient detail to identify it
uniquely and indicates where the sources can be found in the collection”.
Purposes of Library Catalogues
1. They enable a person to find a book of which either author, title, subject is known
2. It also directs the user where the materials are located.
3. Show what the library has for a given author, on a given subject
4. To assist with the choice of the book by edition or by its character (literary or topical)
5. To show the availability status of an item i.e. whether it is readily available or loaned out.
The Midlands State University Library has an online catalogue also called the Online Public Access
Catalogue (OPAC) that can be used to locate many sources of information such as books, journals
and electronic resources. The OPAC is available on the internet.
PRACTICAL EXERCISE
How to Search the Midlands State University OPAC
Follow the steps below to search the OPAC:
1. Go to www.msu.ac.zw
2. Click on the “Libraries” link
3. On the library home page click on Electronic Resources and on the drop down menu select
“CATALOGUE”
4. On the Online Web OPAC page there is a search box. If you click on the drop down arrow it
gives a list of options of how you may do your search e.g. by
 Title
 Author
 Subject
 ISBN
 Series
 Call Number
5. Type in your search terms using any of the above options and click on the “GO” button
6. You will be re-directed to a screen showing the number of search results and a brief
description of each record
7. On a result of your choice, click on the title of a record; this will take you to a detailed page
showing:
 Item type e.g. Book, Periodical, Reserve Item
 Current Location
 Call Number
 Copy Number
 Status i.e. Availability
 Due Date
 Barcode Number
8. Check the availability of the book and its location and note down its Call Number
9. Approach the appropriate shelf to retrieve the book
Information Provided By the OPAC
The OPAC provides the following information for the user:
1. Author of the document
2. Title
3. Publisher
4. Date of publication
5. Physical location of document (Main Library, Batanai Library, Zvishavane Library etc)
6. Call number of the document
7. Availability of document e.g. whether it is loaned out or readily available
8. Item type e.g. whether it’s a book, journal, dissertation or electronic resource
ADDITIONAL READING
ACRL (2010) ‘Introduction to Information Literacy’, 4(August 2014), pp. 22–25. Available at:
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/issues/infolit/overview/intro/index.cfm.
Cortes Ramirez, J. A. et al. (2006) ‘The Knowledge-Creating Company’, Organization Studies, 5(1), pp.
14–37. doi: 10.1016/S0969-4765(04)00066-9.
Foster, N. F. and Gibbons, S. (2005) ‘Understanding faculty to improve content recruitment for
institutional repositories’, D-Lib Magazine, 11(1), pp. 1–10. doi: 10.1045/january2005-foster.
Gibbons, S. (2009) ‘BENEFITS OF AN INSTITUTIONAL REPOSITORY’, in Library Technology Reports, p.
1. Available at: http://miracle.si.umich.edu/publications/American_Archivist_IRs.pdf.
Gonzalez, A. B. (2007) ‘Guidelines for the creation of institutional repositories at universities and
higher education organisations’.
Hunt, D. P. (2003) ‘The concept of knowledge and how to measure it’, Journal of Intellectual Capital,
4(1), pp. 100–113. doi: 10.1108/14691930310455414.
Kietzmann, J. H. et al. (2011) ‘Social media? Get serious! Understanding the functional building
blocks of social media’, Business Horizons. ‘Kelley School of Business, Indiana University’, 54(3), pp.
241–251. doi: 10.1016/j.bushor.2011.01.005.
Nández, G. and Borrego, Á. (2013) ‘Use of social networks for academic purposes: A case study’,
Electronic Library, 31(6), pp. 781–791. doi: 10.1108/EL-03-2012-0031.
Noreh, A. (2009) ‘Impact of Electronic Resources on Academic and Research Programs of the
University’.
Patricia Margaret Alexander (2003) ‘Ch.3 Data Information and Meaning’. Available at:
https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/27367/03chapter3.pdf.
Prabhakar, S. V. R. and Rani, S. V. M. (2018) ‘Benefits and Perspectives of Institutional Repositories in
Academic Libraries’, Scholarly Research Journal for Humanity Science & English Language, 5(25). doi:
10.21922/srjhsel.v5i25.10948.
Sims, J., Wolf, M. and Yang, H. (2017) ‘Social Media ? What Social Media ?’, Sage Jornal, p. 17.
Woody, F. (2007) ‘Understanding Information Literacy : A Primer’, Communications, p. 94. doi:
10.1016/j.acalib.2016.10.013.