DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMPUTERIZED LIBRARY SYSTEM FOR THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF POLICY AND STRATEGIC STUDIES, KURU NIGERIA

Abstract

Most educational institutions in Nigeria, such as the Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education still operate on the manual method of library functions of acquisition, cataloging and circulation. This paper examines the inadequacies involved in the manual method of acquisition, cataloging and circulation functions of a library and proposes a solution by developing a software application to facilitate the automated processing of these library functions. The software was developed using Visual Basic 6.0 and employing MS-ACCESS Relational Database Management System in designing the database. The developed software was tested and found to perform well and produced expected results on completion. With this program, it was possible to record books that were acquired by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, (NIPSS) as well as the cataloging and the circulation section of the library. The new system has some qualities such as reduction in the cost of processing of information, reduction in time spent in the acquisition, cataloging and circulation of books, increase in accuracy and efficiency, and elimination of duplication of effort which makes it superior
to the manual system of information processing. This new system is flexible and can be modified to suit any kind of library and data processing need