Thesis-1998-Al-humood.pdf (24.47 MB)
A plan for the establishment of a national bibliographic network for Kuwait in the light of international and local standards
thesis
posted on 2010-10-28, 11:41 authored by Nahla Al-humoodThis research was carried out in order to gather information on the current situation and
practices of libraries in Kuwait so as to investigate the possibly of designing a model for
establishment of a national bibliographic network in the State of Kuwait. As context for the
research, background is provided on national bibliographic networks in developed countries and
in the Arab World, together with consideration of the role of a national library in such a network.
In order to gather data, three questionnaire surveys (for library administrators, cataloguers and
automation specialists) were distributed to all types of libraries in Kuwait. Information was
sought on the composition and training of staff, the nature and extent of library resources and
databases, the degree of automation of systems and services, and the nature of co-operation and
resource sharing. Opinions were also sought on the feasibility of establishing centralised
cataloguing and the implementation of a national bibliographic network. Follow-up interviews
were also carried out, and professionals in both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia were consulted for
advice on practical solutions and recommendations for an effective national bibliographic
network.
The findings of the questionnaire surveys indicated some deficiencies that Kuwait libraries face:
the absence of a leadership role by the national library; lack of a deposit law for national
publications that would ensure a collection that would provide central focal point for a national
information infrastructure; coverage by the national bibliography is neither comprehensive nor
adequate; there are no formal systems of co-operation for resource sharing; implementation of
standards for bibliographic services has been ineffective; many libraries still lack automated
systems; lack of professional staff was noted by all sectors. Nevertheless, respondents were
positive in their concern for needing strong leadership, adequate financial support for the national
library, and expressed a desire for co-operation, which was felt to be possible even under the
current circumstances. Based on the findings of the survey and experience described in the
literature, it is concluded that a national library is the most appropriate body to develop and
maintain the bibliographic databases that would be the centre of national bibliographic network.
A model for such a network is presented, discussing the links to different libraries in the country
and the duties and responsibilities of the national and other libraries in attaining successful
functioning of the network. Recommendations are made for the functioning of the proposed
national bibliographic network.
History
School
- Science
Department
- Information Science
Publisher
© Nahla Al-humoodPublication date
1998Notes
A Doctoral Thesis. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Doctor of Philosophy of Loughborough University.EThOS Persistent ID
uk.bl.ethos.263641Language
- en