A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF NEPAL NATIONAL LIBRARY AND KAISER LIBRARY WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THEIR SERVICES

Abstract

The thesis is entitled ‘A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF NEPAL NATIONAL LIBRARY AND KAISER LIBRARY WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THEIR SERVICES’. As the title suggests, the work takes a strongly comparative stance regarding the services provided by the two libraries i.e. the NNL and the KLib. The comparison carries its relevance given the close similarities between the two libraries. Both are the government libraries as well as reference libraries. The services they provide to the users are almost similar. The historical backgrounds are also more or less similar, as both of them have been established on the foundations of personal collections. Despite being the libraries of top priority of the government, the numbers of persons visiting these libraries are very low. Moreover, the numbers of visitors in the NNL are even decreasing in the last few years. So it seems that little has been achieved and a lot has to be done in fulfilling their goal of attracting the common people towards them and inculcating the reading culture in Nepali society. So the problem identified for the study was whether the library services provided by them were at par with the users’ expectations. Usefulness of collection, number of library users, budgetary pattern and collection management are some other issues covered during the study. In this context, the objective of the study is to find out, compare and analyze the facilities and the services provided by these two libraries in the light of user’s expectations so that one can learn from the better part of the other. The study also aims to work out the practical solutions for their improvement. As the title of the thesis suggests, the study was limited to the NNL and KLib only and concentrated specially on their services. The significance of the study lies on the fact that this is the very first time that the two libraries (NNL and KLib), which are getting almost equal importance by the government and have a lot similarities, are being studied comparatively in the light of their services. So the findings may be helpful for them to know about their shortcomings and to get suggestions for their improvement. The researcher hopes that this study also makes a base for the further research. v The study focuses on exploring the present conditions of the libraries, the services provided by them to the users, their constraints and the suggestions from both the users as well as the concerning staffers for the further improvement of these libraries. Available literatures regarding these libraries were reviewed through various sources. The research works done in the past found to be very few. Though there had been a few studies on the NNL and the KLib separately on various aspects, no studies had yet been conducted comparing the two. The very few literatures available regarding their studies were reviewed. Besides, concerned literatures including the brochures, souvenirs, the news letters, annual reports, web-sites, government policies and various articles published by various scholars on various journals, magazines and newspapers were also reviewed. Some theoretical review was also done regarding the national library and public library. The study was conducted during 2007 and 2008. Direct observation, interviews and the questionnaires were the methods applied for the study and data collection. Library-users’ opinions were collected mostly through questionnaire. The library staff members were interviewed. Questionnaires were distributed to 50 users in each library on random sampling basis. But only 35 users of the NNL and 40 users of the KLib returned them duly answered. Collected data have been presented in the tabular form and then into diagrammatic representation. The data have been analyzed on the basis of ratio as well as descriptive analysis. The study revealed that both the NNL and the KLib have been suffering by the inadequacy of fund. Though they get lion’s share of the annual budget allocated by the government for the library sector in the country, large sum of the budget found to be spent on staff salaries and administrative functions. The budget for the addition of new books and other facilities is always scanty. The study showed that the demand for the circulation service is high among the users, but both the libraries are not conducting such service. The users also want these libraries extend their opening hours. Both the libraries have been following the government office time-table for their opening. The NNL has been the depository of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). But ironically it has not been able to be the national depository. The NNL’s aspiration to be the national vi depository has yet to be fulfilled by the government through some statutory provisions. So one of the principal functions of a national library to act as a national depository and publish the national bibliography has not been fulfilled. Regarding modernization activities, both the libraries have been automated. The KLib also provides online/internet services to its users, though not sufficient, but the NNL does not. On the other hand, the NNL has larger collection than in the KLib and has been ahead in conducting mobile library services, which the KLib is not conducting. The other services provided to the public in general seemed to be almost similar in both the libraries. But in case of the physical facilities to the users the KLib found to be in better condition. The number of users found to be almost double in the KLib, than in the NNL. Besides being a library the KLib is also a mini-museum with different pictures, paintings and some other forms of artifacts from the past. This has the responsibility of preserving all these artifacts also. The staffers in both the libraries are the government employees. The professional librarians and trained manpower found to be in short supply in both the libraries. The libraries are recommended to review their policies and provide circulation service to the users and extend the library opening hours if possible. Finally the government is requested to initiate necessary steps for the statutory provision of making the NNL a national depository. It is recommended to increase the budget for the addition of more reading materials, facilities and services in both the libraries. It is worth considering that there is a necessity for a separate building for the NNL in some better location. June 2009 BIDYA SHARMA