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About Chuka University Online Library
VISION
To provide clientele access to an extensive range of information resources to enhance the academic and research in the university
MISSION
To carry out basic functions of acquiring, processing, organising and dissemination of information in line with the mission of the University
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the university library are:
To provide a basic reference collection aimed at the development of the “liberally educated person”, apart from the curriculum requirements.
To inculcate the necessary skills, knowledge and attitude to the library users, to enable them develop the habits of browsing and independent use of the library resources.
To carry out frequent user survey to keep abreast with changing needs.
To support study, teaching and research within the framework of the university programs by providing the relevant information resources and professional service.
To market the library services to the academic community and other stakeholders.
MEMBERSHIP
Chuka University library membership is restricted to registered students, members of staff and persons recommended by the Vice Chancellor, heads of department or the Librarian
HISTORY OF THE LIBRARY
The Library started in the year 2006 in a small temporary room with a seating capacity of 100 and a humble collection of about 200 textbooks which were transferred from the then mother University’s Main Library at Egerton Njoro. From the temporary structure the Library moved to a bigger library with a seating capacity of 500.
The Library was established by a senior Library Assistant who was transferred from Egerton University main Library. The staff establishment has since grown to 18 members of staff.
A Multipurpose Library is scheduled to be constructed soon to cater for the growing university population.
LIBRARY COLLECTION
The University library has a seating capacity of 500, a collection of 15,000 volumes and about 7,000 titles. The library maintains a comprehensive collection of materials in various formats including books, e-books, Journals and newspapers for use by all faculties at the university.
The library also has a variety of electronic, print and non-print resources available for its users.
The library users can access e-books and e-journals through gateways and databases such as AGORA, HINARI and TEEAL.
Library users can access offline resources e-books and e-journals in CDs on various subjects. The resources are loaned to users to read through personal computers or at the university computer lab.
The library also contains publications by our lecturers.
LIBRARY SECTIONS
CIRCULATION SECTION
Chuka University Library is in the process of automating its services so as to cater for services like:
Registration
Issues/returns
Reservations of materials
Reserve Section
Clearance of users.
Online Public Catalogue
Opening Hours Open: Monday to Friday: 8.00 am – 9.45 p.m. Saturdays: 8.00 am – 5.45 pm Sundays open for general reading
Closed on public holidays
Membership
Services are offered to library registered users who include: –
Undergraduates.
Postgraduates.
Academic Staff.
Non-academic staff, and
External users (As stipulated in the Rules and Regulations).
Borrowing
Materials are renewed on request as long as they have not been reserved by any other user(s).
Reserved Collection
This section contains:
Materials reserved by the teaching staff
Past exam papers
Materials on high demand
Material with delicate binding.
Material that are rare and out of print.
Reserve section materials are:
Loaned out for one hour or overnight/weekend.
Renewable if not requested by other users.
Fines
Fines are not an allowance to retain a book. Users who habitually withhold books loose the privilege of access to library resources. The following fines are applicable: Long loan– Items here accumulate two shillings per item per day for all users. Short Loan – Items here accumulate Six shillings for the first hour and eight shillings for every subsequent hour. Recalled books accumulate two shillings per day one week from the recall date.
Lost or Damaged Material– Penalties shall be as stipulated in the rules and regulations of the library.
ACQUISITION SECTION
Library Collection Development and Management Policy
The section assesses the information needs of the library and acquires a collection that meets the present and future information needs. The methods of collection development include purchases, gifts, donations, interlibrary loans and exchange programs.
-Purchases and donations must be those that support the mission of the library and the programs of the University.
-Evaluation of negotiated and Un- negotiated gifts or donations shall be done to determine their worthiness in terms of currency, format and content of the material.
-Creation of the policy to guide selection of the information resources. The policy shall spell out how many volumes per title shall be purchased.
-Planning for new collection- the library shall provide publishers’ catalogue to the Faculties to aid in the selection.
-Weeding of materials no longer needed in the collection shall be done further to approval by the library committee.
-Exchange arrangement by communicating to the proposed exchange partner outlining ones fields of interest and the materials available for exchange and proposing a basis for exchange.
-The collection development programme should identify areas of potential interest in research and purchase resources that meet needs of new or emerging areas of research.
-Selection policy shall guide on suitable size, range and quality of the collection.
REFERENCE SECTION
This section shall be under the Readers services division of the Library.
Aims and Objectives
Provide an effective reference service to the clientele.
Give direction to library users on the most effective way of using the library.
Repackaging and sorting out information for easy retrieval.
User survey profiles.
Enhancing the image of the library.
Functions
Public Relations Services
Reference section is the public relations point for the library.
It is a continuous service that aims at marketing the services offered in the library and creates a favourable image of the library.
Readers Advisory Services
-The section attends to both general and specific queries.
-Reference interview is conducted from time to time in negotiating all patrons’ requests.
-Maximum time to be accorded in-person to patrons will be determined by the pace of activity in the reference area, the number of available staff, and the librarian’s discretion as to the patron’s needs.
-Conducting Literature Searches.
The section conducts both manual and electronic literature searches on the available information resources.
(i) Manual literature searches
– clients are assisted on how to search print material.
(ii) Internet /online Searches
-The section shall be in charge assisting users with Electronic literature searches..
Indexing Services
-Newspaper Indexing is carried out.
-All the local dailies are indexed.
-A standard subject index is maintained and used for indexing.
User education /Orientation
-The reference section conducts user education sessions to fresh students within the first week of registration.
-This is done in all the various sections of the library.
-This also applies to any visitors (internal or external) to the University library.
Current awareness service
-New books shall be displayed for one week before being put on circulation.
-Patrons are allowed to book books on display for borrowing after display period expires.
-The sources of information should always be cited when providing information in response to a request received.
-The reference section provides the information that users need by consulting individual experts, tapping external information sources regardless of their medium, and by accessing the world of information accessible via the Internet.
-Notice boards.
-The section shall weed the notice boards within the library and retain the most current notices. Library Guiding
-The section shall make service areas for reference services highly visible and readily accessible to all users through notices and continuous display.
-The Library shall design service points to accommodate the needs of all users, including the disabled.
ARCHIVES SECTION
Introduction
A sub-section under readers -services that caters for all non-current materials with administrative, evidential, and historical and research value within Chuka University Library shall be developed and Materials in the section shall be appraised after ten (10) years.
AFRICANA SECTION
Africana, Periodicals and Special Collection Section of Chuka University Library shall contain materials written by Africans and those talking about Africa written by foreigners. The section shall house most of the special collection produced by international bodies like FAO, World Bank, WHO, CTA, Thesis and the Government Documents. These items or collection are cataloged and are accessible through the Chuka University public catalog. The contents of what is housed in the section shall also be accessible through a catalog in the section.
Guides to collection
-Guides to collection or “finding aids” describe collection and primary source materials such as:
Africana materials, a collection of theses, a collection of FAO, CTA, and KIPPRA, government publications, periodicals and any other materials that the University deems special. A Prefix denoting the body responsible for the work shall precede the notation. Operating hours
The Section operates as follows: Mon-Friday: 9.00 a.m. -4.45.00 p.m.
Weekends & Public Holidays: Closed
RESOURCE CENTRE SECTION
Policy Guidelines
Chuka University Library Resource Centre shall be situated within the library and shall provide the clients with access to the internet and its wide range around the globe. The Library supports free and open access to all type of information under the laid down guidelines hereunder.
To provide direction as to how ICT will be used to enable and enhance the delivery of Chuka University’s Library and information services.
Library and information services.
To provide guidance for library staff as to what is and what is not considered reasonable in ICT provision.
In order to remain relevant to both advances in both ICT and customer expectations, the policy will be reviewed and revised regularly.
Library clients through use of ICT wherever and whenever they want. Membership
The centre shall be open to all Chuka University Students, academic and Non-Academic staff.
Operating Hours:
Monday to Friday: 9.00a.m. – 4.45.00 p.m.
Weekend and Public holidays: – Closed.
Library E- Resource Policy Guidelines
Herein are the policy guidelines to be observed by the users of the facility:
There shall be a 30 minute time limit on the workstations.
Clients must produce their identification while signing in.
There shall be no reservations for individual computer use.
There shall be no personal belongings.
Food stuffs and drinks shall not be permitted.
Downloading files to the hard drive shall be prohibited.
Users shall be allowed to download files to Re-writable CDs.
No client shall be allowed to install or uninstall any software or change system settings violation to this shall result in loss of the facility’s privileges.
Personal communication shall be allowed (e-mail and chatting).
The facility reserves the right to schedule workstations for instruction or for access to electronic resources available only on specific machine.
Anti-virus software shall be loaded on every computer in the facility.
Personal or other accessories shall not be allowed in the facility.
Staff stationed at the facility shall be available to supervise and to provide limited assistance in the use of the computers and other accessories.
Text handling services (word processing, typesetting, data analysis etc) shall be allowed.
As outlined in the vision the facility shall be for that purpose therefore sending or displaying non-educational or disruptive information/messages, files or images shall be prohibited.
Playing computer games or music from any internet site shall not be allowed.
While accessing internet information services clients shall adhere to intellectual property laws, and security restrictions. No plagiarism.
Disruptive actions, either verbal and or physical shall be prohibited.
