Automating Library Operations at the Delta State University Library, Nigeria

Published date01 June 2005
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/07419050510613800
Pages13-18
Date01 June 2005
AuthorOghenevwogaga Benson Adogbeji,Esharenana E. Adomi
Subject MatterLibrary & information science
Automating Library Operations at the Delta
State University Library, Nigeria
Oghenevwogaga Benson Adogbeji and Esharenana E. Adomi
LIBRARY HITECH NEWS Number 5 2005, pp. 13-18, #Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 0741-9058, DOI 10.1108/07419050510613800 13
Brief history of the university library
Just as the university took its roots
from the defunct College of Education,
Abraka, which was established by Edict
No. 11 of 1971, Abraka College of
Education Edict 1969, was opened on
4 February 1969 as an autonomous
institution of higher learning in the then
Mid-Western State and then Bendel
State. With the splitting of the then
Bendel State into Edo and Delta States
on 27 August 1991, the College of
Education which had metamorphosed
into the Abraka campus of the defunct
Bendel State University in 1985,
became the property of Delta State. In
April 1992, the Abraka campus of the
defunct Bendel State University
became the Delta State University,
Abraka.
Thus, the Delta State University
library started as an integral part of the
defunct College of Education, Abraka
as the College library on 4 February
1969. The library was initially located
in one of the residential quarters along
the road leading to the Abraka Hall in
campus II with a branch library in
campus I. With the completion of the
present library building built to library
specifications as it were, the college
library was relocated to this building
and commissioned in March 1980 for
use. The library remained the campus
library from November 1985 until
29 April 1992. On 30 April 1992, the
campus status gave way to a fully
fledged university ± Delta State
University, Abraka. Mr Ejiko E.O
became the acting university librarian
and remained so until November 1995
when he became the substantive
university librarian. The library was
divided into divisions and two branch
libraries as follows:
(1) University librarian office ±
administration office.
(2) Readers service division.
(3) Serials service division.
(4) Special service division.
(5) Collection development division.
(6) Technical services division.
(7) Asaba campus library.
(8) Oleh campus library.
(9) Systems Division.
The library is essentially an
undergraduate students library with
little provision for postgraduate
students.
Automating the library process
In order to meet up with the rest of
the world in the trend of information
management and dissemination, the
governing council of the Delta State
University deemed it necessary to
automate the university library. The
council took the decision to procure
some computer hardware. The funded
and approved specification comprises:
.Server: Compaq Proliant ML 350
with 20GB harddisk, 128MB
RAM, 3 floppy drive, CD-ROM,
PS/2 keyboard and mouse, with
Windows NT 4.0 server installed
and external 8GB tape drive.
.Backup server: AMD K2 500MHZ
with 128MB RAM, 10GB hard
drive, 3 floppy drive, CD-ROM,
PS/2 keyboard and mouse, with
Windows NT 4.0 server installed.
.Standby server: AMD K2
500MHZ with 64MB RAM,
10GB harddrive, 3 floppy drive,
CD-ROM, PS/2 keyboard and
mouse, with Windows NT 4.0
server installed.
.Each of the workstations are:
AMD K2 500 with 64MB RAM,
10GB hard drive, CD-ROM, PS/2
keyboard and mouse with Win-
dows NT 4.0 workstation and
Microsoft Office 2000 preinstalled.
The council approved a total of 22
computers with the aforementioned
specifications. This consists of the
server, backup server, standby
server and 19 workstations. The
major defect of this approval was
the non-involvement of the uni-
versity library (the head librarian)
who would be able to say much
about the software that is to be
used. The hardware was installed
in November 2001 but there was
no library software to manage the
library holdings (database).
.Other accessories: Printers ± the
university is having a total of ten
printers. Four Network printer
(Laserjet 4100N), five HP Laserjet
1200 printers installed in the office
of head of units. A deskjet 845
printer located at the librarian's
office.
The University library has a total of
23 computers, including a server, a
backup server, a standby server, 19
workstations and an additional
computer in the librarian's office
originally intended for internet service
that unfortunately has been
dysfunctional.
Functional specifications
Operating systems
Windows NT 4.0 server and
Windows NT 4.0 workstations were
approved and installed based on the fact
that it has high level security.
Nevertheless crashes resulted due to
low voltage from National Electric
Power Authority (NEPA) and made the
library upgrade the operating system to
a Windows 2000 server.

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