A survey of the current status of library automation in primary and secondary schools in Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur

Abstract

The study investigates the current status of library automation in primary and secondary schools in Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur(WPKL). The main objectives of this study are to determine the extent of library automation in terms of system, modules and functions being automated and used, to establish the level of satisfactions of the automation systems among teacher-librarian, to identify the problems faced among the teacher-librarians and to explore the perceived impacts of automation system on users at primary and secondary schools in WPKL. The study also aims to identify those schools in WPKL that have automated their library systems as well as to examine the practices. The population of the study comprised of teacher-librarians of primary schools and secondary schools in WPKL. Data were gathered through mail questionnaires to all schools WPKL State School Resource Center (PSPN). Telephone interviews and face-to-face interviews were carried out to gather supporting information. In total, 120 schools returned the questionnaires out of 288 schools which is an overall response rate of 42 %. The findings of this study showed that an increase number of schools in WPKL have automated their library systems and the library automated systems has increased in quantity that is in terms of modules or functions and quality in aspect of service quality. A total of 84 schools (70%) of those 120 schools which responded in WPKL have automated their library system compared to a survey conducted in 2001 by the Ministry of education where only 50 schools(18%) out of 266 schools that responded in in WPKL have automated their library. The results found that acquisition is the function mostly automated in the respondent schools, followed by cataloguing, circulation and OPAC. The study revealed that teacher-librarians have indicated that their library systems have met its overall requirement and Dynabook was a favourite followed by SSMS and Pustaka. The main problems faced by the teacher-librarians towards implementation are getting information, inadequate training, high cost and retrospective conversion. The perceived impacts of automation on users are it indicated students to be more interested to borrow books and supports their technology skills. The findings also revealed that automation also helps the teacher-librarian to ease their workload by enhancing consistency in their work, ease of maintenance, saves time on clerical work and have better access of the collections. The findings also find that automation improves circulation as the library’s image and its services are improved.