RETIRING UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN, UNIVERSITY OF JOS, TO DR. A. OCHAI, DEPUTY UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN (ADMIN) MAY 2001

PREAMBLE

Any system, like life itself, continues while individuals move out leaving room for others – as Tennyson said “ The old order changeth giving place to new.”

These hand-over notes merely typify the tradition, since the staff, the many files of correspondence and other documents remaining in the system testify to all that has been done, as well as what has been mooted for possible future action in consultation with others on ground and particularly with you, the Deputy University Librarian (Admin) who has been in post since November 1986.

 I am therefore handing over what I have culled from my experience in the University of Jos Library system, which grew out of the Jos Campus of the University of Ibadan – 29 years less one month. This includes 16 years heading the library – four from July 1, 1972 to mid-August 1976 as sub-Librarian in Charge of Jos Campus Library, three one-year periods as Acting University Librarian – October 1981 to September 1982, October 1988 to September 1989, July 1991 to June 1992 and nine as substantive University Librarian from June 25, 1992 to May 2001.

 Any public organization, and the University of Jos Library is part of one such organization has five major basic components – finance, staffing, stock, services, physical plant within which are included the building(s), furniture, equipment, vehicles and means of communication and projects. Spanning all these is the organizational structure, which in the University of Jos Library is based on three units – Administration, Subject Libraries with Documents Section and Support Services.

 Library Board

This Senate Committee functions in an advisory capacity to the Library but has not met in the last two years because of various reasons. The normal schedule of meetings had been four times a year, with the DVC (Acad.) in the chair on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor. The University Librarian had presented a report on Library activities to each meeting, which the Deputy University Librarian (Admin) also attended as Secretary.

 Strategic Plan

The Library’s strategic plan was incorporated as Chapter 13 in the Strategic Plan of the University of Jos produced in 1998 for 1998-2002. The Library has been executing a major aspect of the plan regarding computerisartion of processes and services. There is a need to begin updating the strategic plan which is also part of the criteria in participating in the proposed Federal Government/World Bank project – Nigerian University System Innovative Programme (NUSIP) for which meetings had already been held in each of the 6 geopolitical zones – University of Jos Principal Officers attended the one for North Central Zone in Ilorin on October 16, 2000.

 FINANCE

Money is released by NUC to the University for the Library as Library Development Funds budgeted under the annual Recurrent Budget, which since 1993 has been a mandatory 10% of the University’s recurrent budget. The Library’s account, which is with the Bank of the North, is operated by the University Administration for the Library. These funds do not lapse.

The Library can make requests to the Vice-Chancellor for capital items, which would be funded from the University’s capital budget. The Library should get 10% of the University’s teaching and research equipment grant but this has not been implemented as advised by NUC, particularly for items like computer hardware.

i)                   Two imprests are operated in the Library, both given in the name of the University Librarian. The general one recently increased to N15,000.00 is operated by the Library Administrative Officer, while the one for Books and Journals for N25,000.00 is operated by the University Librarian who signs both for retirement. The monthly newspaper bill paid from the latter is about N16,000.00. The remaining money is to be used to keep up-to-date the Weekly Law Reports and monthly Laws of the Supreme Court both of which are now available in Jos, for postage of mail and any other local items e.g. lecturer’s publications.

ii)                 Advance to be taken by the University Librarian or Deputy University Librarians has been approved for payment of some books and journals acquired locally. Other books and journals ordered by the Library’s written letters to suppliers are paid for through the Bursary after the supply is made.

Stores Receipt Vouchers are obtained from the Bursary Central Stores for most items purchased, except some small ones paid from general imprest.

UNESCO Coupons – These may be purchased at the instance of the Library from the National Commission in the Federal Ministry of Education or through the NUC when they offer to do the purchasing and deduct payment at source. The Bursary holds the coupons when they are acquired and are requested by the Library to pay for specific items as required. The coupons are useful for payment in foreign currency to organizations that accept them. The balance is checked in the Bursary Cash Office but the Orders/Library Accounts Section should also have the Library’s balance.

Income Generation Photocopying and Binding are two of the major areas generating income in the Library and are to be expanded as noted in the report from the University Council Subcommittee which has been discussed by the Library Management Committee to give a written response on actions to be taken. Packaged duplicating paper for sale mainly to Departments has also generated some funds. This last is managed between the Secretary and the Library Accounting staff.

To improve an existing source of revenue from hiring out chairs, the purchase of about 100 plastic/vinyl chairs had been mooted.

  University Financial Regulations – A booklet on this had been circulated by the Bursar to guide all units in the University. It is available in the Library.

 STAFFING – The current staff members are 118 but more are now being appointed particularly Library Assistants and Porters to be able to offer services as soon as possible at the new branch library for Arts and Social Sciences. The position of an accountant is to be arranged with the Bursar. There has not yet been any definite ratio from NUC for library staff categories but it should be noted that the more branch libraries are established, the more any ratio for junior staff would be “off track” because more junior staff are required to man the entrances/exits and bagstands of each library.

Two NYSC members (one BLS and one Computer Science Graduate) have been requested annually.

The Library Administration was requested by COMPUTER Centre in 1999 to Dr. Akintunde, Deputy University Librarian (Systems) assist in coordinating the INTLINET class every Thursday 8.30-10am and the student interns’ programme.

John Itse now Asst. Technical Officer in the Library was sent to the Computer Centre Workshop on attachment from February 1999 from where he assists in maintaining library computer hardware.

Job Descriptions were being up-dated in each library section to be reconciled with sectional procedures as these too were being revised as need be. The latter is particularly important for digitization of all processes in the library and the maintaining of WebPages for library sections on the University Intranet.

Student Assistants – These were included in the annual Recurrent Budget under junior staff emoluments to assist in some library activities especially reshelving books, filing catalogue cards, and similar library assistant jobs. They work 40 hours a month. Their wages were recently increased to N1600.00 a month.

Two student interns have also been included here to assist in some computer applications.

Casual Workers have off and on been employed in long vacations utilizing students of tertiary educational institutions who may have previously been on attachment in the Library.

Annual Staff Appraisal is carried out by the Library staff appraisal committee comprising of the University Librarian as Chairman, the Deputy University Librarians, the five representatives of staff as grouped into five categories. The Library Admin. Officer is Secretary.

Library Officers – The issue of their terminal grade moving from HATISS 12 to 13 has been long outstanding. Perhaps a repetition of the enquiry to other libraries might be made to the older University Libraries. This issue was mentioned to the NUC Library staff member who is Chairman, Abuja Chapter of NLA for it to be raised at the forthcoming NLA Council meeting. It could be urgently followed up in writing.

Typists - Enquiries had been made about those with Diploma in Computer Applications and other relevant requirements being converted to Computer Operator, which was to be followed up.

Staff Development – This has involved in-house training of new staff on the job through orientation in various sections, in-house training for existing staff in groups by category e.g. the current one for computer applications; monthly staff seminars which need to get back on track, attendance at workshops and conferences for which funds are allocated in the budget; further studies as relevant and convenient to the library and sabbatical leave.

In the current session two staff members are on full-time training for the Masters in Library Science at University of Maiduguri, three are on part-time training for Masters degrees in the University of Jos and one has been on part-time training for the Ph.D. Three who were on part-time for Masters degrees last year are at various stages in completing their theses.

The Library Staff Development Committee has been urged to maintain profiles of staff and have projections for possible recommendation on individual staff members to the Library Administration regularly.

Staff Welfare – The staff welfare scheme was revised and adopted at the general staff meeting of Tuesday 12 December 2000. The clause on illness was still to be well formulated by the Law Librarian. In the meantime, monthly contributions were to begin as soon as the new EXCO had signatories to the bank account changed.

Staff Unions The library is the only unit in the University that has large members of staff in all three unions. Care has to be taken to avoid sensitive issues causing problems in their working relations.

STOCK – Statistics for the last annual report ending at June 2000 show volumes of books 149228; total serial titles 5274; bound journals 24603. More up-to-date statistics should be in place by now for the expected NUC monitoring team. The more recent collection of journal abstracts on CDROM begun in 1998 could not be renewed for 2000 mainly because of late information from the Bursary on the need to renew the supplier’s performance bond. Payment has since been made so the supply for 2001 is expected anytime now.

Orders for Books from Abroad – The November 2000 discussion with Blackwells Safari of Ibadan and their Oxford representative was still to be concretized with the placement of an order to Blackwells to compare their handling charges with the “mark up” which local suppliers use to cover their foreign exchange exercise.

The other option to be considered cuts out “problems” of library/local supplier relations and had been in operation by most University Libraries up to the early 1980s. It is now being used again by some University Libraries as noted at CULNU meeting. It involves placement of orders direct to the publishers’ abroad, which entails the use of form M by the Bursary to arrange payment.

It should be noted that the library’s request sent about the same time (November 2000) to all lecturers to submit core titles of books required for their courses is still to be answered by the majority of lecturers. A reminder to them might help.

Supply by Local Booksellers – The revised procedure for receiving lists of books and subsequent supply from local booksellers in the general office has been in place since last year to avoid booksellers frequenting the offices of staff involved in recommending and placing orders.

Organisation of Books – A backlog of books awaiting processing has built up partly because of the transition to computerized processing. Some problems arose from the computer software TINLIB and the inability to install the CDMARC software to obtain ready-made cataloguing records. The recent contact with the supplier of the alternative BIBLIOFILE is to be followed up for payment with UNESCO coupons to allow for its urgent supply. The other aspects of organization of books refer to the catalogue records to be made available as soon as possible for the Arts and Social Sciences Library and the computerization of the existing card catalogue as retrospective conversion, an exercise that has been under discussion since 1997 but found to require plans for a specially funded project.

Local Journals – The problem of payment for local journals should be solved if the recent agreement with the Bursary for the University Librarian or Deputy University Librarian to take an advance is followed and the request is made to the supplier to forward the receipt in time so that prompt retirement of the advance can be made. The outstanding bills are to be settled by this means as soon as possible.

Foreign Journals – The current 2001 renewal is for 170 titles at a cost of about N14m. With the recent Internet connectivity on the campus, it is hoped that next years’ renewal may be for less print titles if the full-text electronic versions of some journals required are located through the Internet. The Deputy University Librarian (Systems) has started checking this so that Subject Librarians can take this up on their return from the ASUU strike.

However, the provision of copies of articles from backsets of journals in response to users’ requests may still have to be through cooperation with colleagues abroad or purchasing the expensive British Lending Library coupons through the British Council, which had been avoided in the last two years.

Exchange Arrangement for Journals – This has been discussed for years to have locally produced journals exchanged for specific foreign titles from libraries overseas. Since some University of Jos journals had been resuscitated over the last two years, these might be purchased for such exchange. However, the check for availability of journal texts on the Internet would first be necessary and if found, could rule out the exchange exercise.

SERVICES

These embrace several activities some of which continue to have problems – loans of books, consultation of reserved materials, Documents stock and serials. These, like in other Libraries, have their share of loss or mutilation.

The recommended increase in porters and the erection of a waiting-room, other physical structures and more photocopying services were planned as some counter action. In the end, more vigilance by all staff is required.

Interlibrary Loans/Computer Services It is hoped that the Internet connectivity recently made available would cause the interlibrary loan exercise to be reversed so that University of Jos Library can give out much more and have much less to borrow.

 Photocopying and Binding Services have been addressed under the income generation committee report. However, no decision was taken on the backsets of local newspapers piled up in the Bindery because enquiries to some institutions about the availability of their microforms version were still to be renewed. Additionally, the issue of the nonfunctionality of the two microfiche readers obtained in the previous NUC/World Bank project compounded the problem, as recently confirmed by responses from several Nigerian University Libraries no longer interested in acquiring such equipment in the light of the computer age.

Digitisation of some local newspapers may be a possible project to even become an area for income generation as was mooted for some of the Library’s archives. 

Audio Visual Unit This was envisaged as an offshoot of Documents Section when the new library building was being planned.

Towards this end, a TV camera was acquired in the NUC/World Bank Project and in 1999, 3 library staff members who happened to have experience of camera work were allowed to go to the NTA Jos for some hours for three months – a Chief Library Officer, and two Assistant Supervisors.

PHYSICAL PLANT

Buildings/Furniture The Main and Medical Libraries had needed some refurbishing – both externally and internally but attention and funds had in the meantime been focused on other items, like repair of furniture and more computers.

Quotations were obtained about two months ago for recarpeting the University Librarian’s office and general office and window curtains were to be replaced. This is to be followed up.

Problems from electrical wiring in the Main and Medical Libraries had been reported to Works and Maintenance Department. In the Main Library, the 3-phase system sometimes caused all wall sockets to be non-functional, creating a big loss of work time for many staff using computers. In the Medical Library, the Bindery had one line for electric power non-functional.

The installation of lightning protection at the Main Library was costed by Works and Maintenance Department about three years ago but there were inadequate funds then. This too needs to be readdressed.

Some broken chairs needing repair are still in the Courtyard as well as some wooden rods left over from previous building repairs but which have no storage space. Some old carpets are also lying around in the Main Library awaiting repositioning.

As regards the kiosk in the Courtyard, a decision on use/renovation is expected from the former Library Cooperative group when the members return from the ASUU strike. This would be a source for income generation with snacks and small items of stationery.

The perennial reopening of leaks in the roof of the Main Library particularly is to be brought to the attention of the Director of Works again as the rainy season has now opened them up.

Office and storage space is inadequate. As Arts and Social Sciences Collections have been moved out of the Main Library, the creation of a bigger store to be partitioned in part of the vacated Serials area has been mooted. This would allow for the evacuation of two existing small “store” rooms which might then be reverted to an office for the Library Admin. Officer and Accountant.

The Law Library continues to be short of space.

The 8 Offices for Librarians in the former Arts Block still need some furniture for proper occupation. Some of the windowpanes already need replacement.

The area for photocopying in the Medical Library needs urgent attention, so also does the former toilet next to the photocopying room in the Main Library - Works and Maintenance Dept. had been contacted for these.

The two remaining display boards with photos of heads of library sections are to be mounted in the Law Library and Arts and Social Sciences Library. I had the four boards made (one for each library) as my donation to help improve the entrance areas. In the Main Library, matching blue curtains were still to be procured to complete the effect.

The request to replace the external notice board at the Main Library, which had been placed with the Equipment Maintenance Centre is also to be followed up.

The outstanding request to Physical Planning Division to create the waiting-room off the Porters’ area to prevent unauthorized persons entering the Workroom, and the extension of the entrance to allow for more controlled access to the General office (all in the Main Library) should be followed up urgently.

Equipment - The inventory of equipment in the library is supposed to be kept up to date by the Library Admin Officer. It is usually checked annually by the Bursary Assets Section. The purchase of several computers and accessories and eight clusters of solar units for the library was approved at the Administrative Tenders Committee meeting of 23 May 2001. The distribution of computers among the libraries and the solar units for the Main Library has already been documented in correspondence to the Deputy University Librarian (Systems) copied to you.

Security for library property has been of concern to the Library Administration and the recent “break in” on the night of Friday 25 May 2001 when 2 fuse boxes were stolen, heightens such concern especially for items like computers. The attention of the Acting Chief Security Officer had been drawn to this and there was to be a continuous posting of security staff outside the library from Saturday 26 May 2001.

The Notebook computer handed to the University Librarian’s office by the Bursar in 1994 had developed faults in 1995 and passed to the Computer Centre for repair. It could not be fixed then and has since been in the office. It is being handed over to Deputy University Librarian (Systems) The small hand scanner in the office also an acquisition of about 1994 had been tested some months ago but is not now operational. This too is being handed over to Deputy University Librarian (Systems).

Two computers, which were upgraded in July 2000, were again returned to the “contractor” for check-up so are outstanding there.

Vehicles - Running costs for two vehicles with drivers (two attached to the one for general library use because of shift duty) have been provided for in the recurrent budget – FG06 N50 has been attached to the University Librarian while FG22 N50 has been for general library use. In the last three years, the car for general use has been supervised by the Deputy University Librarian (Admin). Approval was given to purchase a small bus, which is meant to replace the car for general use, particularly to cater for transporting the increased staff from four of the libraries after evening duty. The supply of the bus is expected in June 2001.

Spare keys to FG06 N50 are being handed over to you while the driver, a Senior Transport Supervisor, is reporting directly to the Library on 1^st June 2001.

It should be noted that in July 2000 the University Administration recirculated a Federal Government circular of 1999, which disallows public officers from driving official vehicles.

Communications - With 5 Libraries in the system, (including that at Centre for Continuing Education) there is no gainsaying the need to maintain good communications. Adequate telephone connections are therefore very important. One direct telephone line exists in the office of the University Librarian but this is mostly non-functional. The library’s internal intercom system of 16 extensions commissioned on 4 November 1996 has been very useful within the library when electric power is available. Replacement of ICs already paid for two extensions are expected from the contractor. The six extensions from the campus-wide intercom system have also been useful in maintaining communications with other units outside the library when the control point in the Administrative Building has electric power.

The request to Works and Maintenance Dept. for a telephone extension in the Law Library is still outstanding. Liaison with that Department is still needed to ensure appropriate placement of extensions proposed for the Arts and Social Sciences Library.

Since the telephone exchange on the township campus no longer exists, the Library Administration has had to use the Centre for Continuing Education’s direct line to communicate with the Libraries for Medical Sciences and Centre for Continuing Education, but this is only possible when the library’s direct line is functional.

Of the two fax machines acquired about 1996 during the NUC/World Bank project one had worked but both now require repair. The University telecommunications staff have not been able to service that model.

In the meantime, the Library pays annually to maintain a fax box number 191 at the Anglo Jos NITEL Headquarters for which the key is being handed over to you.

It might help to improve communications arising from written correspondence if a stamp with the time of the day is obtained as is in use in the Vice-Chancellor’s office.

PROJECTS There are some projects in which the University of Jos Library is involved:

a)     The Nigerian Periodicals Index (NPI) The coordinating editorship has been the responsibility of the University Librarian of University of Jos for the Committee of University Librarians of Nigerian Universities (CULNU). The actual editing of indexed items has been done by two Assistant Editors Dr. Akintunde and Mrs. Ajulo. Dr. Akintunde withdrew from the current exercise in which three junior librarians Mrs. Ndor, Mr. Abubakar and Mrs. Choji were assisting Mrs. Ajulo with Mr. Abubakar as the major assistant. 14 University Libraries are participating as of now and subject areas have been redistributed to obtain some more indexing to fill out the volume 4 awaiting production.

A request for sponsoring an indexing workshop at three centers was made to NUC and other University Libraries in 1998/99 sessions. Only University of Nigeria, Nsukka deposited N10,000.00, which is being handed over to you. It could be returned to UNN since nothing positive has yet arisen.

b)     National Documentation and Information Centre for Science and Technology (NADICEST) has eight nodal centers of which University of Jos is one for Earth and Environmental Sciences. It is expected that some emphasis be placed in developing the library’s collection in these areas and continuous recording of these to be available as a database. There should be regular communication on this to the Coordinator, Prof. Mrs. A.O. Ike of Dept. of Library Studies, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.

c)      Jos/McMaster Project – At the winding down of the Jos/McMaster programme at Katarko in Yobe State at the beginning of 1999, it was agreed that the University of Jos Library would establish a Resource Room within the Main Library to hold materials and artifacts still housed at the University Linkage Office. N160,000.00 was deposited in the Bursary to be withdrawn by the University Librarian for setting up the Resource Room, which is yet to be done.

The last part of the Katarko project is the recording of statistics on the Weather Station for which another N160,000.00 was also deposited in the Bursary. Mr. G. Ahonsi, staff member from Geography Dept, is the officer with that responsibility and the annual statistics are being deposited in the Library. The University Librarian signs for Mr. Ahonsi to collect money for trips to Katarko roughly every 3 months. Money for about two more trips remain. The Library has a file on these. The record of weather statistics register is being handed over to you.

d)     Proposed Book Consortium for schools in Jos and environs – This proposal was made after a meeting with representative from some schools to try to obtain donations of books from an organization in the USA contacted through Dr. Ostien, a lecturer in the Law Faculty. TCNN’s bookshop was to give some of their container space for shipping the books. Each institution was to give a deposit of N5,000.00 to TCNN representative Dr. Garland by January 1999. Five including University of Jos Library, gave their deposit in time but three were late (St. John’s College, Jos, Govt. Secondary School, Du and Little Lambs Private School, Jos). Their N15,000 had been held by the University of Jos Library. Although the response from USA was poor, the schools when informed in October 2000 felt University of Jos Library could try another organization while TCNN also agreed they could hold the deposit for any further effort. The N15,000.00 is being handed over to you and could be given with a covering letter to TCNN representative to join the earlier deposit.

Orders Section had a list of donor organizations, which was to be checked for further action. The Library files has details of the efforts in this proposed consortium

e)     Proposed Zonal Consortium for Chemical Abstracts on CDROM – Neigbouring federal university libraries and research institutes totalling 10 were written about this and the University Legal Officer was requested to draft an agreement as suggested by the publishers of Chemical Abstracts to arrange a procedure for having this expensive item available by a cheaper means. Only one institution, - Raw Materials Research Institute of Abuja responded.

With Internet Connectivity, now being explored in the University of Jos this project might be unnecessary, or, if such material is accessible on the Internet, the project might have a different slant, to provide references from University of Jos to other libraries.

f)       SCAULWA – (Standing Committee of African University Librarians in West Africa) had Mrs. Ojoade, the University Librarian of University of Jos coordinating in Nigeria aspects of the conference now forthcoming in September 2001 in Accra, Ghana. Mrs. Ojoade was also one of the three representatives from Nigeria on the EXCO. This had been decided when the conference was to be held in March 2001. The EXCO in Ghana and their contact in the U.K., Diana Rosenberg, have been reminded again that Mrs. Ojoade has retired from 31 May 2001.

The issue at stake is that it may be safer to make payment of US $400 for the University of Jos 2000 and 2001 institutional membership in SCAULWA now, although it had been offered as the current compensation for the University Librarian’s coordination.

g)     ETF (Education Tax Fund) project for Libraries – University of Jos Library had sent its requests at the end of March 2001 for utilizing its N3.5m allocation. From telephone discussions with ETF office, it was learnt that any release would only be made from June 2001.

CONCLUSION

From the above, which might be tagged a continuous “to do” list, two major points must be highlighted in conclusion – good communications and frequent follow-up, which is virtually part of good communications. Frequent follow-up should be both verbal and written and every other day, where need be.

As “no man is an island,” so no unit in the University can claim to be so self-sufficient to be able to exist efficiently and effectively without other university units.

A word to the wise is enough.

I thank you for all your cooperation over the years and wish you God’s blessings and guidance as you begin to oversee the library.

                                                            Mrs. A. B. Ojoade

                                                            31 May 2001