Introduction to Automating Housekeeping Operations
Library housekeeping operations are the essential, routine activities required for the day-to-day functioning of a library. These operations are traditionally time-consuming and labor-intensive. The application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), broadly termed library automation, aims to mechanize these manual tasks to enhance efficiency, improve the quality and speed of services, and free professional staff from clerical chores to focus on user-centric services.
The primary tool for this is the Integrated Library System (ILS), also known as Library Management Software (LMS). An ILS is a set of interlinked software modules that automate different library subsystems—such as acquisition, cataloguing, circulation, and serials control—by sharing a common, central database. This integration ensures that an action in one module (for example, receiving a new book in acquisitions) automatically updates records in other relevant modules (like cataloguing).
Core Housekeeping Operations and their Automation
An automated library system is designed to manage the specific workflows of each housekeeping operation.
1. Acquisition Subsystem
The acquisition process involves selecting, ordering, receiving, and accessioning library materials. An automated acquisition module streamlines these tasks significantly.
- Functions: The system manages master files for vendors and currency exchange rates. It handles various order types like firm orders, standing orders, and gifts. A key function is budget and fund accounting, where the software tracks expenditures against allocated budgets, commits funds when orders are placed, and processes invoices for payment.
- Workflow: The process begins with user suggestions or librarian selections, which are entered into the system. The system checks for duplicates against the existing catalogue and on-order files. Once approved, it generates purchase orders and can dispatch them electronically. Upon receipt of materials, staff check them in against the order, and the system facilitates accessioning and bill processing.
- Integration and Advantages: A major advantage is its integration with the cataloguing module. Bibliographic data entered during the ordering process is automatically transferred to the cataloguing module, which prevents duplication of data entry and saves staff time. The system can also generate numerous reports on budgets, vendor performance, and recent additions.
2. Technical Processing (Cataloguing) Subsystem
This subsystem is the "pivot" of all housekeeping operations, as it organizes the library's collection and creates the primary tool for access: the catalogue.
- Functions: The core function is the creation of machine-readable bibliographic records for each library item. Modern ILS packages are compliant with international standards like MARC 21 for structuring bibliographic and authority data, and ISO-2709 for data exchange. The system must also support authority control to ensure consistency in names, subjects, and series headings.
- Workflow: Instead of typing multiple cards, a cataloguer enters the data once into a worksheet based on a standard format like MARC 21. The ILS then generates all necessary access points. A significant advantage of automation is copy cataloguing. Using the Z39.50 protocol, a library can search the catalogues of other libraries (like the Library of Congress or OCLC), download the relevant record, and adapt it for local use, which drastically reduces cataloguing effort and cost. For materials not found elsewhere, original cataloguing is performed.
- Product: The Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC): The most visible product of this subsystem is the OPAC, which replaces the physical card catalogue. The OPAC serves as the public interface, allowing users to search the library's collection by author, title, subject, and keywords using basic and advanced search techniques, including Boolean operators. Modern Web OPACs are accessible over the Internet and often integrate Web 2.0 features like user tagging, ratings, and reviews.
3. Circulation Subsystem
The circulation module manages the lending of library materials and is often the most public-facing automated function.
- Functions: Key functions include user registration, issuing and returning (charging/discharging) documents, renewals, reservations (holds), and the automatic calculation and collection of fines for overdue items.
- Workflow: The system works with three main files: the document file (from the catalogue), the borrower file (from member registration), and the transaction file that records all loans. Most modern systems use barcodes on both library materials and member ID cards to make transactions fast and error-free. Increasingly, Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is being used, which allows for multiple-item processing, self-checkout kiosks, and easier inventory management.
- Advantages: An automated system provides real-time status of any item—whether it is on the shelf, on loan, or at the bindery. It can automatically generate overdue notices and provides detailed statistics on library usage, which helps in collection development and management decisions.
4. Serials Control Subsystem
Managing serials (journals, periodicals, etc.) is one of the most complex housekeeping operations due to their continuous nature.
- Functions: An automated system manages the entire lifecycle of serials, including subscriptions, renewals, and cancellations. A key feature is its predictive capability—the system can anticipate the arrival date of the next issue and automatically generate claim notices for missing issues. It also handles the registration (check-in) of individual issues, manages binding processes for completed volumes, and controls routing slips for circulating journals to staff.
- Workflow: The system uses a master database of serials titles and vendor information. It tracks payments against budget heads and manages the check-in of each issue, often using a digital Kardex-like interface.
- Integration and Advantages: The module is integrated with the acquisition system for financial control and with the OPAC to show users the library's complete holdings, including the latest received issue. It can also support article indexing and provide Current Awareness Services (CAS).