Strategies of Assessing and Implementing Quality Assurance in Nigerian University Libraries

University Libraries play significant role towards achieving the teaching, learning and research needs of Universities. This they can do by quality assurance of their operations and services. This study examines thestrategies of assessing and implementing quality assurance in Nigerian University Libraries. The population for the study comprised the Nigerian University Librarians. Cluster random sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 18 respondents from the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. A questionnaire was administered to sample size, of the eighteen copies of the questionnaires administered only ten were duly completed and returned. Data collected were analyzed using frequency and  percentages. The findings of the study showed that methods, criteria, strategies, and mechanisms used for the assessment of the quality of the university libraries were not uniform. The main strategy used for implementation of quality assurance was integration of the library` services quality assurance agenda into the university structures and the quality assurance mechanisms available and used in Nigerian university libraries were programme accreditation and benchmarking of library systems. The paper amongst other things recommended that the criteria, method, strategies and mechanisms assessment of library information systems,resources and services in Nigeria university libraries should be unified for easy comparability

Motivation and quality management in academic library and information services.

As management fashions go, few have been more pervasive than Quality Management Systems (QMS) like Total Quality Management (TQM) and BS EN ISO 9000 (ISO 9000). Their prominence was fuelled by a mixture of ideological and economic considerations as, by the early to mid-1990s, many organisations were keen to indicate that they were active participants of the `quality revolution'. The exponential growth of interest in QMS was reflected in the library literature although only a small percentage of academic library and information services (LIS) subscribed to the systems. The thesis examines the relationship between QMS and motivation in such organisations. It ventures beyond the benign vision of the `quality gurus' by critically considering the relevance QMS might have for understanding contemporary developments within the organisation and management of academic LIS. The investigation determined that the quality of implementation is a key factor. In addition to senior management commitment, staff are motivated to QMS if there are accompanying changes in communication and training. The more successful LIS were those that did not treat staff as if they were barriers to change, but involved them in the process of implementation. While there were many stated improvements it was discovered that many of the `new' practices within the QMS LIS were not dissimilar to many of the initiatives in their non-QMS LIS counterparts. The investigator identified factors that also limit QMS as a framework for motivation and posits that the crux of the problem can be traced to the concept of `quality' itself. As a self-evident good, workers become morally bound to quality, which enhances their own exploitation. There was evidence that managers can use this legitimating device to quell resistance, via peer pressure, and instil cultural homogeneity

Hackney Community College: report from the Inspectorate (FEFC inspection report; 28/96 and 25/00)

Comprises two Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) inspection reports for the periods 1995-96 and 1999-200

North West Kent College of Technology: report from the Inspectorate (FEFC inspection report; 73/97 and 41/01)

The Further Education Funding Council has a legal duty to make sure further education in England is properly assessed. The FEFC’s inspectorate inspects and reports on each college of further education according to a four-year cycle. This record comprises the reports for periods 1996-97 and 2000-2001

Waltham Forest College: report from the Inspectorate (FEFC inspection report; 86/95 and 92/99)

Comprises two Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) inspection reports for the periods 1994-95 and 1998-99

Westminster College: report from the Inspectorate (FEFC inspection report; 117/95 and 108/98)

Comprises two Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) inspection reports for the periods 1994-95 and 1997-98

National research and development project on healthy universities: final report

This report presents the findings of a National Research and Development Project, undertaken by the Healthy Settings Development Unit at the University of Central Lancashire and funded by the Higher Education Academy Health Sciences and Practice Subject Centre and the Department of Health. The aim of the project was to scope and report on the potential for a national programme on Healthy Universities that could contribute to health, well-being and sustainable development. The project comprised four strands: - Literature Review: A rapid review of relevant academic and policy-related literature conducted in order to clarify theory, scope practice and distil key contextual issues. - HEI-level Research: Comprising an overview audit and follow-up mapping and consultative research, this strand of the project provided an overview of Healthy University activity across English HEIs, generated in-depth data from a purposive sample of universities and explored perspectives on the potential development of a national programme on Healthy Universities. - National-Level Stakeholder Research: Using semi-structured interviews with nine key national stakeholder organisations, this strand of the project mapped current health-related roles and responsibilities and explored views regarding the potential development of a national programme on Healthy Universities. - Joint Action Planning and Reporting: In addition to reporting interim findings at relevant conferences and events, an interactive workshop was held with members of the English National Healthy Universities Network to present findings, validate data, inform the action planning process and secure further buy-in. The project highlighted that higher education offers enormous potential to impact positively on the health and well-being of students, staff and the wider community through education, research, knowledge exchange and institutional practice. It also suggested that investment for health within the sector will further contribute to core agendas such as staff and student recruitment, experience and retention; and institutional and societal productivity and sustainability. The research revealed the richness of activity taking place within HEIs and evidenced a rapid increase in interest in the Healthy University approach, pointing to a growing appreciation of the need for a comprehensive whole system approach that can map and understand interrelationships, interactions and synergies within higher education settings – with regard to different groups of the population, different components of the system and different health issues. There is a clear challenge involved in introducing and integrating ‘health’ within a sector that does not have this as its central aim, is characterised by ‘initiative overload’, is experiencing resource constraints and comprises fiercely autonomous institutions. However, there is also a widening recognition that such a system-based approach has significant added value – offering the potential to address health in a coherent and joined-up way and to forge connections to both health-related targets and core drivers within higher education. The report concludes that there is clear demand for national-level stakeholder organisations to demonstrate leadership through championing and resourcing a Healthy Universities Programme that not only adds value within the higher education sector, but also helps to build consistency of approach across the entire spectrum of education. It issues a number of recommendations with a view to responding to the findings and moving forward

Croydon College: report from the Inspectorate (FEFC inspection report; 26/96 and 96/00)

Comprises two Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) inspection reports for the periods 1995-96 and 1999-200

A Strategic Analysis of Eloquent Systems

Eloquent develops software for library, records, archives, and collections management. Circa 2002, it developed web-enabled software products (WebLibrary, WebRecords, WebArchives, and WebMuseum), and since then targeted its existing DOS-based customers. Now, it plans to target new customers with a low-investment marketing strategy. The library management software industry is saturated with many big and niche players. The records management software industry is expected to grow exponentially due to the recent enactment of the Sarbanes Oxley Act in the United States. The archives and collections management software industries are relatively stable with reasonable level of competition. Considering competition, industry growth, and product strengths, Eloquent should focus on two products: WebLibrary targeted at schools and WebArchives targeted at government archival institutions. It should use direct emails to make itself visible in the marketplace. However, rather than sending spam messages, it should build its own database of potential customers using advertisements and its website

Library development in the Georgian Republic: problems and progress since the dissolution of the USSR.

The paper provides a situation report on the state of libraries and information services, publishing and bookselling in the Republic of Georgia in the South Caucasus. It briefly describes their development, outlines the international development assistance that they have received during the last twenty years, describes their current situation, and indicates some of their future needs