KEKAL ABADI Buletin Perpustakaan Universiti Malaya University of Malaya Library Bulletin Vol. 25 No. 1/2 2006 ISSN 0127-2578 University of Malaya Library 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tel: 603-7956 7800 Fax: 603-7957 3661 URL: http://www.umlib.um.edu.my Lembaga Pengarang / Editorial Board (2006) Zaila Idris, Zaharah Ramly, Lisdar Abd. Wahid, Mohamed Zaki Abd Rahman, Norazlina Dol @ Othman, Noorsuzila Mohamad, Mohamad Rizar Mosbah Penyelaras / Coordinator Nor Ima Mohamed Kahar Penasihat / Adviser Che Puteh Ismail, Ketua Pustakawan / Chief Librarian Pengatur Taip / Typesetter Noorsuzila Mohamad Penerbit / Publisher Perpustakaan Universiti Malaya 50603, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Telefon / Telephone 603-79673206, 603-79675887, 603-79578058, 603-79567800 Fax 603-79573661 Emel/E-mail [email protected] URL http://www.umlib.um.edu.my Pencetak / Printer Jabatan Penerbitan, Universiti Malaya 50603, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. 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KEKAL ABADI Jil. 25 Bil. 1/2 Disember 2006 / Vol. 25 Issue 1/2 December 2006 ISSN 0127- 2578 KANDUNGAN / CONTENTS Access and Preservation 1 Information Skills Programs : Implementation and 6 Evaluation Reading Habits and Attitude in Malaysia: Analysis of 16 Gender and Academic Programme Differences Laporan Persidangan 25 Conference Reports Ulasan Buku 30 Book Reviews Tesis / Latihan Ilmiah 31 Theses / Academic Exercises Kertas Kerja Persidangan 66 Conference Papers Berita Ringkas 103 News in Brief Hal Ehwal Staf 105 Staff Matters Kekal Abadi 25 (1/2) 2006 ACCESS AND PRESERVATION Haji Ibrahim Ismail Former Librarian, University of Malaya Library Abstract The article traces the main functions of libraries and librarians whilst at the same time discussing the problems faced by not only librarians but library users in fulfilling contemporary needs and challenges. An historical analysis on changes in libraries and how technological developments have changed expectations in terms of library service, collection development and acquisition, among others; are elaborated. The whole article is based and centred along the core areas of preservation and access in libraries. Abstrak Artikel ini meneliti dengan mendalam fungsi Perpustakaan dan peranan Pustakawan serta membincang masalah yang dihadapi bukan sahaja oleh Pustakawan bahkan pengguna Perpustakaan dalam mengatasi keperluan dan perkembangan maklumat semasa. Analisis kronologi perubahan di Perpustakaan dan caramana perkembangan teknologi telah memperbaharui dan menukar ekspatasi dari segi perkhidmatan Perpustakaan, pembangunan koleksi dan perolehan, diantara lain, telah dibentangkan. Keseluruhan artikel berasaskan dan berkitar disekeliling konsep utama rencana ini, iaitu pemuliharaan/pemeliharaan dan akses di Perpustakaan. Introduction the teaching, learning and research in the many academic disciplines at the university. The Access and preservation is a subject that is librarian’s mandate is to acquire books and receiving great attention in the library world other materials required by the campus especially in the United States and United community for teaching, learning and research. Kingdom. In this paper, the title “Access and The library’s clients know of the library’s Preservation” is preferred instead of ‘Access existence and that it is the librarian’s duty to versus Preservation’. The word ‘versus’ provide for their scholarly needs. From the list of indicates competition. In a competition there is a courses offered by the university, the library winner and a loser which is not the case here. users have an idea on the range of information Unlimited access is detrimental to preservation. sources they have access to when they step Over zealous preservation limits access and into the library. They also know what they may causes great hardship to library users. not find, although it is likely that they may find a little on the subject in the library even though the subject may not be a course of study or 1.0 ACCESS research at the university. When one ponders on what it is that librarians do, the words “access and preservation” seem 1.2 Collection development to describe the profession. Everything that librarians do is related to these two functions. The materials for study and research The word “access” is used to encompass all the have to be acquired. The library’s acquisition, activities, beginning with the establishment of and collection development policies and libraries, acquisition and collection development practices are further steps on the ladder of policies and practices, the organization of access. The Quantity and quality of the collections through cataloguing and collections will be determined by the library’s classification, the provision of circulation and period of existence, the financial resources at its reference services, the management of stacks disposal and how successful the librarians are and library security. in their acquisition work. Much as the librarians desire to be comprehensive and provide every possible item that may be required, they have to 1.1 Establishment bear in mind that there will be titles that they are not able to acquire for one reason or other. The decision to establish a library is the first What they are unable to provide will most step on the ladder of access. The type of library certainly not be in the librarian’s favour on the will determine the sort of access it will provide. scale of access. For the enterprising librarian, a After a library has been established and its situation such as this calls for the exercise of collection development policies and practices ingenuity to get the material. Interlibrary loans, are implemented, almost every aspect of the borrowing from the lecturers’ personal work after that falls within the ambit of either collections, and even persuading the lecturer access or preservation. As librarians in a concerned to change the title are possible research university library, the role is to support approaches to better the score. 1 Kekal Abadi 25 (1/2) 2006 1.3 Cataloging moment because of loans or the books may be used at the reading tables or may be left at the Another step on the ladder of access is photocopying rooms or are waiting to be bibliographic access through cataloguing, shelved. The access conscious librarian must classification and indexing. Over the years, continuously monitor to ensure that books are librarians have fine tuned the cataloguing and returned to the shelves as quickly as possible to indexing procedures and practices. They are ensure access is not temporarily denied. Stack able to provide bibliographic access to a reading should be done regularly in order to document through several bibliographic ensure books are where they should be. Any features: author, editor, title, series, subject and book that is out of place must be sent quickly to now keywords. All these help to trace a its proper shelf. Librarians must constantly bear document and thus accelerate access. in mind that someone is looking for the book. OPAC has two messages: ‘checked out’ or ‘stacks’. Ideally this is what one expects. If the Junior librarians are only familiar with OPAC book is not out on loan, it must be on the shelf. (Open Public-Access Catalog) and how simple Unfortunately librarians are unable to guarantee and easy it is for users to have bibliographic this most of the time. access to the collections in a library by typing on a computer keyboard in the library or from their offices, residential colleges and even 1.6 Security homes. They are able to know whether the books are in the library or on loan and when The collections that have been built they are due. They are also able to reserve the painstakingly over the years need to be books in their names without having to step into protected in order to assure users that they may the library. Senior librarians will remember the access them at all times. Library security is days of the stripdex catalogue, card catalogue, aimed at ensuring the safety of library assets. COM (Catalog On Microform) catalogue, But even libraries with very sophisticated library manual loan systems and how messy they were security systems report losses of valuable to create, maintain and use. books and parts of books. Book thieves resort to very innovative ways to steal books from libraries. Vandalism too is rife everywhere. When books or parts of books are missing, the 1.4 Services loss to the whole community is tremendous. The next step on the ladder of access is what Librarians have to be constantly vigilant at the librarians refer to as circulation and reference stacks and library exits. Librarians’ efforts at services or in corporate language, client best can only be preventive. Thieves will not services. The range of tasks and services are stop stealing. Vandals will not stop mutilating. aimed at providing access to the user: opening hours, open and closed stacks, reference shelves, home loans, restricted loans, From the above discussion, one realizes how entitlements, length of loan periods, renewal of access conscious librarians are. All the efforts loans, reservations, interlibrary loans, search are aimed at providing access to the information services, etc., are procedures and mechanisms resources that have been assembled. Librarians that enable users to make efficient