UPGRADING TO ONLINE ACCESSING OF LIBRARY RESOURCES
SUMMARY
This report aims to put on the table of a proposal to upgrade library resources from Baruch Collage from manual to online. Online accessing of the library resources is far much batter and more comfortable compared to manual. The Librarian can keep track of the books that have been borrowed from the library. Also, students can access some library material online instead of going to the library and crowding. In conclusion, the upgrading from manual to online in Baruch College Library is highly recommended. This up-gradation will not only make accessing library resources easier but will also facilitate success among students.
INTRODUCTION
A library is one of the essential amenities in an institution. This is because it contains all resources and materials that students require for learning. Students at Baruch college access these resources manually. This report has come in place after concerns from students and the library management on library use. This project aims to state and show Baruch college stakeholders the advantages of having online access to library resources. These are:
- Students don’t need to go to the library to access materials,
- The Librarian doesn’t need to go through piles of books to know who borrowed a resource and if they have returned it or not.
- They are easy accession of books, and students don’t waste time scrolling through rows of readers since they are well-sorted and entered into the system.
- It also controls how students borrow resources and ensure all students get a turn to use these resources.
SYSTEM DESCRIPTION
The college uses manual access to resources where students go to the library and sign on a book when they borrow resources. They also indicate when they will return the book. It uses the old technology where resources are arranged alphabetically regardless of the subject.
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION AND RECOMMENDATION
The issue with this system is that it is tiresome during the books’ sorting and arrangement and tracing a lost book. Also, students overcrowd at the library, and others miss a chance to utilize the library resources. I recommend the stakeholders of the college to facilitate an up-gradation of the system to an online. This means a new system must be implemented since the new system uses modern technology of the use of computers, and there is software that helps to keep track of a resource, and also students will be able to access some resources even at home.
SYSTEM REQUEST
This project needs a sponsor, and the head of the college would be the ideal owner of it. The main business reason for the project is to make reading materials and resources readily available and at the students’ disposal. The system should solve the problem of deterioration, pose easier access of information, have an easy means to retrieve information, structure a heritage for generations to come, and provide many contents and an infinite number of resources. The college will get recognition due to its online library; it will also be a college of choice for many students, and also it will record a higher academic performance.
FEASIBILITY STUDY
The college will be able to implement the system since it has all the necessary requirements i.e. staff and money. The existing library staff will just undergo training on how to run an online library. The funds allocated to the college and the student’s fees are enough to im
plement this system. The cost and return are calculated as the number of grant awards multiplied by %of faculty saying citations are needed to give awards then divide by (number of grant proposals multiplied by % of proposals that have sources from the library) then multiplied by ((average size of grant x figure of grants expended in a year)/total budget of the library).
It is then found that implementing this new system would mean an increase in the grant fund given to the college. The technology to build the system is readily available, and all you need are computers and the internet. You also need servers, Ethernet cables, and lastly, CCTV cameras. The staff needed to build this system are computer programmers and software developers. You also need a computer instructor to teach your library staff on how to use this new system. Government support has a huge impact on the building of this system in terms of cost provision. Also, students’ and parents’ cooperation is highly recommended in the building of this system since students will have to halt the usage of the library during this period, and parents have to pay the school fees for their children. Assumptions that the college has a more essential and spacious library, have enough staff to run the system, and is located at a place with a good network and internet are made. A Risk of this project is the loss of all data and resources due to the attack of the computers by computer malware. This may cause the college to undergo a considerable loss.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, online access to library resources will be more efficient compared to the manual one. From the report, we see that the online method has more pros than the manual one. Also, the project objectives to show how the online method is better than the manual one and the benefits of the new system to the college have been shown. The report has also demonstrated how the system will generate profit to the college
