| dc.description.abstract | This study was designed to analyse the various methods used for document delivery in Kenya, examine their inadequancies and seek methods of correcting those inadquencies. Four major aspects of document delivery were looked into, namely:
Document delivery within the library,
Delivery in providing outreach services,
Inter-library loan delivery services,
Delivery of materials to libraries by suppliers.
To accomplish the objectives of the study,various issues that contribute directly to availability and non-availability of documents were investigated.These issues include,inter alia: catalogue use and non-use and reasons for non-use; methods used to locate documents; the length of time taken to locate desired materials; the length of time books and journals stay in the bindery; processing of new materials;processing of ILL requests; time taken to deliver materials to the sub-branch libraries and field stations; methods used to deliver documents; photo-copying services, renewal and preservation services and effects of failure to locate desired materials.
The study showed that many users do not get desired materials when they require it and that they sometimes have to wait for long period of time before such materials can be located. While the acquisition librarians blamed book suppliers for delays in the supply of materials the study found out that the librarians contributed to the long delays by not paying for the books in time.
From the inerview and the responses of the librarians and users, the study concluded that adequate document delivery services are paramount in providing library services;a fact that all the respondents appreciated as evidenced by the numerous suggestions they gave on how to improve the existing document delivery systems.
In order to improve delivery within the library,the study recommended,among other things,that librarians carry out failure surveys in their libraries to establish how they occur in an effort to improve the availability of documents when they are neede;that articals in journals be separated so that only those on the same subject are bound together or each artical bound separately with manila paper;that books should not take more than two weeks in the bindery;that the reservation and the inter-library loan services be well publicized.that librariies computerize their services to ensure better and faster services;that libraries co-operate and acquirethe necessary equipment for electronic document delivery;that library managers motivate their staff;that libraries direct some library services such as current awareness and selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) to the administrators inorder to win their support;and that libraries use all available methods of delivery such as,company salesmen,Ministry of health officers;Flying docters services,Relief Agencies,and personal cars for outreach document delivery.Inorder to avoid delays in the delivery of materials from the suppliers,librarians should pay for the ordered books in time and that each library should have avan dedicated to library work,particularly for inter-library loan delivery services. | en_US |
