Challenges Encounter by the Librarians of Developing World in Providing Library Services to Support Open and Distance Learning: the Open University of Sri Lanka Library Experience

Challenges Encounter by the Librarians of Developing World in Providing Library Services to Support Open and Distance Learning: the Open University of Sri Lanka Library Experience

Anusha Wijayaratne, Library, The Open University of Sri Lanka, Nawala, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka

Abstract
Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL), which was established in 1980 and celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, is the pioneer distance learning institution in Sri Lanka. In a country where the traditional university system can accommodate only around 20% of eligible students, the role that is expected to be played by the OUSL, as country’s leading distance learning institution is enormous. The recent challenges brought about by both the changing nature of information access and the phenomenal impact of ICT on libraries have been considerable for a small library with limited resources and affiliated to the premier distance learning institution of a tiny island in the Indian Ocean. This paper provides an overview of the efforts that the library of Open University of Sri Lanka carried out over the years to fulfill the needs of its clientele and keep track of modern technological developments to enhance the library service. This paper will focus particularly on the library automation project, which is considered to be one of the most successful automation project in the country, the newly established digital library services and the RFID security control and library management system that is hoped to be installed in near future.

Libraries are under ever-increasing pressure to enhance the technological capabilities in order to meet the academic demands and compete with alternative information providers for survival. This transition period of shifting to the modern librarianship from traditional librarianship is very crucial particularly to the librarians of the developing countries as they are experiencing severe shortages in terms of funds, technical persons and ICT experts. In addition, there is an obvious reluctance towards the technology and new information media from the part of users as well as from the part of the library staff. The main reason for this divergence is the fear of technology due to lack of confidence. However, the situation is improving rapidly in many Asian countries so as in Sri Lanka.

Although Sri Lanka is an island of just 65,525 Sq. Km and population counts up to 19 million, country's literacy rate - male 90.5%, female 82.4% - is one of the best among the South East Asian countries credit to the free education from the primary school to the University. The interest towards education is tremendous. The parents are willing to give their maximum to provide their children with good education. However, the conventional higher education system is unable to meet the increasing demand for higher education in the country. Each year, well above the 50% of students who sit for the GCE/AL, which is the qualifying examination for Universities, exceed the minimum requirements. The government University system has room to accommodate only around 20% of them. For example according to the University Grant Commission (website at http://www.ugc.ac.lk/) statistics the total number of students get admission to enter the 13 Sri Lankan conventional Universities for the year 2005 is 14237 out of the 63355 qualified. Therefore, a large number of students have to find alternative higher education opportunities. This has generated a boundless market for higher education sector in Sri Lanka. In addition, life long learning, continuous professional education and skills training is increasingly becoming important in the blooming information society. Many local and foreign institutions have already invaded the market. However, these institutions are profit-oriented organizations and majority of students cannot meet the expenses. The government of Sri Lanka has made several approaches to introduce new opportunities for higher education. The most significant measure out of them was the establishment of the Open University.

The OUSL is now in the forefront of the information society as a national leading institution of open and distance learning with 4 regional centres, 16 study centres and 5 teaching centres through out the country (OUSL Handbook, 2005). The University's capacity in terms of number of programs offer, physical resources and human resources has been improved significantly during the last 25 years. The OUSL now offers 42 educational programs with 900 courses form the four faculties (Natural Sciences, Engineering, Humanities and Social Sciences, Education) to well over 25,000 student population. However, the progress achieved during the last 25 years is not up to the expectations. Therefore, the University has decided to restructure the system to utilize the technology to enhance the capacity of serving the various types of clients, who are seeking opportunities for life long learning to increase their work competency, work quality and efficiency. This restructuring program has been energized by the Distance Education Modernization Project (DEMP) funded by the Asian Development Bank. The main aim of this project is to streamline the administrative processes by well established Information Management System and introduce the new technology to develop web-based teaching tools and on-line delivering of programs together with empowering the staff via short-term and long-term training programs. Ultimate goal is to maximize the studentship while ensuring the quality of the courses and the efficiency of the process. The expected achievements are embodied in the following goals.

The library's main responsibility is to support the parent organization to achieve its goals. As one of the Universities of Sri Lankan University system the OUSL also involves in teaching, learning and research. However, as the leading distance education institution of the country it holds additional responsibilities in introducing new teaching learning techniques to fill the gap in higher education and explore the possibilities of enhancing the vocational, professional and earning potential of the society. The library has played a vital role for the success achieved by the OUSL through out the years and now is in the process of strengthening its infrastructure to be a partner of the future progress.

The library's main goal during all these years was to explore the technological potentials to meet the needs of the distance learners while establishing as a model library of utilizing new technology in maintaining library operations and providing the library services. The library had to go through a very cumbersome period during the initial stages as the authorities and governments of the developing world took long time to understand the overall impact of modernizing the libraries on growth of education system. The library had to work hard to prove itself as a critical service point in the OUSL system during the past years. The battle has been partially won by the library and well within the capability of complete it in a victorious style.

The main library now possesses an ample resource collection with wide spectrum of information formats comprising 100,000 books, 110 journal titles, 1860 audiovisual materials, 265 CD ROMs and several online e-journal database. The Audiovisual Resource Centre of the library is quipped with video players, DVD players, television sets and audiocassette recorders to provide viewing and listening facilities. The library also has powerful computer network system, which consists of 12 staff terminals, printers and scanners. The most outstanding achievement of the OUSL library is its successful automation project, which is one of the best in the country.

The library stepped to the new era by introducing the integrated library management software - Alice for Windows (AfW) - to replace the CDS/ISIS package in year 2000. By that time there were only very few libraries a head, in using integrated library management systems in Sri Lanka. Fortunately, the computer literacy level of the library staff was good in Sri Lankan standard. However, there were none who had a special training in integrated library management software systems. There were no proper place to go for a local training and the funds were too limited to consider foreign training. Therefore, the library had to learn through practice and earn through dedication and hard working.

The biggest challenge the OUSL library faced is the retrospective conversion. There were 4 databases - book, borrower, periodical and ordering - to be converted from CDS/ISIS to AfW. (Wijayaratne, 2005). The period of conversion passed with success as well as failures. It took more than six months to straighten up the databases and complete the backlog. The automation of back-office functions commenced with cataloguing module and move to the ordering and periodical control simultaneously.

The OUSL library was able to fulfill its long-term dream of introducing fully automated circulation system in mid 2003. The reason for the delay was that it needed to plan with great care as a slight mistake from the part of the library can damage the library reputation and can generate doubts among the members on reliability of the new system. Therefore, all the persuasions were taken to ensure the security and accuracy of transactions. The existing circulation policies were revisited in the light of upcoming new and expanded user services. (Wijayaratne, 2006). The barcoding of library materials and the membership was carried out as an in-house project and the backlog was completed well within the target time frame as all members of the library staff had given their fullest cooperation. The most of the uncertainties among the clientele is now cleared up and library staff is competence with the new system. Therefore, the circulation operations such as issues, returns, bookings, reservations etc are functioning accurately and efficiently. Sending reminders, recall notices, cost-recovery notices are very methodical. Eligible candidates are now enjoying the privilege of receiving the membership over the desk within a few minutes time.

The library catalogue is now available in two modes namely through the campus wide network and in world wide web. Those who access via the campus wide network can view their user specific loan details such as current loans, due dates, loan history too. As a recent development, the library has introduced the online reservation facilities for books not on-loan for the sake of the remote users to ensure the book will be ready to be collected at the time the member arrives.

The OUSL library was able to materialize one of its major goals with the collaboration of DEMP. The Virtual Information Resources Centre has launched its services in April 2006. It consists of 15 user terminals to facilitate the access for e-resources and Internet browsing. In addition, it is equipped with 4 file and print servers to store and archive the e-resource collection; 2 CD ROM servers to provide simultaneous access to selected CD ROM databases; printers and scanners as auxiliaries.

The library now focuses on strengthening its e-resources collection. The library has started a digitization project, which covers the OUSL course materials and past question papers. A web portal inclusive of on-line gateways for subjects of OUSL interest; research publications of OUSL academic and administrative staff; links to subscribed e-resources and important free on-line resources; digitized resources and achieves together with the online library services is being designing.

The next goal of the OUSL library is to complete the automation by implementing RFID library material management and security control system. The University Grant Commission of Sri Lanka is funding this project. None of the Sri Lankan libraries has implemented such a system yet except to the library of University of Moratuwa, which is in the process of installing.

The functionality, efficiency and effectiveness of the RFID system in the Sri Lankan context are yet to be discovered. However, there won't be much doubt of the power of RFID technology in library stock management and security control, as it has been very successfully used in many libraries around the world for many years.

As the library of the country's leading distance education institute, the OUSL library has to face number of specific challenges related to catering the distance learners. In addition, as in most developing countries we have to cope up with the negative attitudes of administrative bodies and the lethargic approach of the government towards library automation. However, the OUSL library is always under a good leadership supported by a staff small in number but dedicated, skillful and enthusiastic.

The government's attitude towards libraries has been changed during the last few years and the government has made several approaches to develop the libraries particularly, University libraries. The establishment of Standing Committee of Library and Information Science (SCOLIS) under the University Grant Commission is one of the good examples. The SCOLIS has done a commendable service to the University librarianship during the last few years. It specially focuses on upgrading the standard and quality of library services and enhancing the usage of ICT in the libraries.

Most importantly the government has identified the capacity of distance education to accommodate the huge number of A/L completers who cannot gain admission to conventional Universities and its ability in meeting the increasing needs of life long learning. The establishing of network of` `Tele Centres' through out the country is already in progress to provide access facilities for distance learners in order to promote distance education by using ICT. In addition, the government has launched a program called `Nana Sala' to take the communication technology to the village with the aim to increase the IT literacy rate from 20% to 60% over a period of 3 years and develop Sri Lanka as a regional centre of the Asian IT dissemination networks (Mahinda Chintana, 2005). If these projects achieve their goals in time, the provision for distance education in Sri Lanka will be vastly enhanced in near future. Therefore, it is very important for the OUSL to boost the process of achieving its development goals to upgrade the quality and maintain the standards of distance education in Sri Lanka. This will certainly raise the position of the library system as a vital service point, which delivers the much needed information for SUCCESS.