SIWES REPORT (09/52HJ068) ABDULLAHI ABDULAZEEZ OLALEKAN

A REPORT OF THE STUDENTS INDUSTRIAL WORK

EXPERIENCE SCHEME (SIWES), CARRIED OUT

AT
UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF
LAGOS, AKOKA, YABA, LAGOS.

PERIOD OF ATTACHMENT: JULY 2010 – SEPTEMBER 2010.

ABDULLAHI ABDULAZEEZ OLALEKAN

09/52HJ068

SUBMITTED TO
DEPARTMENT OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE,
FACULTY OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION SCIENCES,
UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, ILORIN KWARA STATE.

IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT FOR THE AWARD OF BACHELOR

OF SCIENCE (B.SC) DEGREE IN LIBRARY AND INFORMATION
SCIENCE.

OCTOBER,
2010.

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CHAPTER ONE
1.0: INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND

In the earlier stage of science and technology education in Nigeria, students

were graduating from their respective institution without any technical
knowledge or working experience. It was in this view that students
undergoing science and technology related courses were mandated for
students in different institution in the view of widening their horizons so as
to enable them have technical knowledge or working experience before
graduating from their various institutions.

The student industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) was established

by the industrial Training Fund in (ITF) 1973 to enable students of tertiary
institution have basic technical knowledge of industrial works base on their
course of study before the completion of their program in their respective
institutions.

The scheme was designed to expose students to industrial environment and

enable them develop occupational competencies so that they can readily
contribute their quota to national economic and technological development
after graduation.

The major background behind the embarkment of students in SIWES was to

expose them to the industrial environment and enable them develop
occupational competencies so that they can readily contribute their quota to
national economic and technological development after graduation.

The major benefit accruing to students who participate conscientiously in

Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) are the skills and
competencies they acquire. The relevant production skills remain a part of
the recipients of industrial training as life-long assets which cannot be taken
away from them. This is because the knowledge and skills acquired through

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training are internalized and become relevant when required to perform jobs
or functions.

1.2 OBJECTIVES
The Industrial Training Fund’s policy Document No. 1 of 1973 which
established SIWES outlined the objectives of the scheme. The objectives are
to:
1. Provide an avenue for students in higher institutions of higher learning
to acquire industrial skills and experiences during their courses of
study.

2. Prepare students for industrial work situations that they are likely to
meet after graduation.

3. Expose students to work methods and techniques in handling

equipment and machinery that may not be available in their
institutions.

4. Make the transition from school to the world of work easier and
enhance students’ contact for later job placements.

5. Provide students with the opportunities to apply their educational

knowledge in real work situations, thereby bridging the gap between
theory and practice.

6. Enlist and strengthen employers’ involvement in the entire

educational process through SIWES.

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CHAPTER 2
DESCRIPTION OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ATTACHMENT

2.1: LOCATION AND BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT

The library first started on the third floor of a former secondary school
building which then temporarily housed the University at Idi-Araba while a
plan for the building of the University's permanent site at the north-east of
Yaba adjoining the lagoon was accelerated. The .temporary accommodation
was used till August 1965 when the library moved to its present building.

The first University Librarian was Miss Elizabeth M. Moys. She held the
office from 1963 to 1965. She began the development of the library
collections with the active collaboration of some academic staff. Materials
on reference and other subjects to support the teaching and research efforts
of the academic community were required. The building then was centrally
air-conditioned. It was also designed to have a bindery, photocopying unit,
audio-visual section, lecture theatre and other basic facilities expected in a
University library of the best standing. The Indian Merchants Association of
Lagos later donated some money and grant-in-aid for the establishment of
the Gandhi Library which is now popularly known as the Gandhi Memorial
Research collections.

The University of Lagos library could be described as one of the most

vibrant and standard academic library one could ever thought of in Nigeria
and Africa at large. The library which is an academic one has the motive of
serving the information needs of its immediate community. The level of
clientel served by the library ranges from students (undergraduate and post
graduate), staff (academic and non-academic), reseachers, external users and
other meaning person outside the university community. The libray which is
now located on the permanent site of the university, have various
departmental and faculty library as a sub. The likes of these are:

 Faculty of Education library

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SIWES REPORT (09/52HJ068) ABDULLAHI ABDULAZEEZ OLALEKAN

 Faculty of Business Administration library

 Faculty of Engineering library

 College of Medicine library etc

The importance of the library to the University as the nerve-centre of

academic activities made it one of the targets of meaningful development.

2.2: OBJECTIVES OF THE ESTABLISHMENT

The objectives of the library could be said to be the objectives of all

academic library. It is in this view that the University of Lagos has the
following to be its objectives.

 The main purpose of the library is to support the objectives of the

university in the area of learning, teaching, research and service.
 To provide information materials that are needed for learning all the
courses offered in the university.
 To provide all resources needed for carrying out effective learning and
research activities.
 To provide information sources for the purpose of extra – mural
studies, recreation, entertainment and general studies.
 To serve as a depository of the university publications and all other
national publications.

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2.3: ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

Office of the university

Librarian

System Technical Services Research and

Readers Services Dept. Bibliographic Dept.
Development Department
Acquisition

System Analyst
Circulation

Accounts
Exchcan

Binder
Catalog

Section

Gifts &
Section

Reserved Book Room

Reference
Serials

Libraries

International
Section

General
uing

Faculty

Admin

y
Govt and
ge

Archives

Services
Pub.

Catalo
guing Book OP Readin
and Proces g
Classif sing AC Loan Inter
Floors
ication Servic Lib.
Law
es Loan
and
Boulus

Catalo
Orders
guing

Orders Accessions

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Websit Networking
e-
e Admin Unit
content
2.4: VARIOUS SECTION OF THE LIBRARY
Devel
opmen
t Unit
Basically, the library is divide into units or department, these units also have
sub-unit under them. They are:

1. Technical Services Department

2. Readers Services Department
3. System Development or Automation Department
4. Research and Bibliographic Department

These aforementioned departments have units under them.

TECHNICAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT

This is the department that is responsible for technical activities that is to be

carried out in the library. The following are the sections under this
department.

CATALOGUING AND CLASSIFICATION SECTION

The Cataloguing Section is responsible for classifying and cataloguing all

materials the library acquired whether by purchase, gift, or legal deposit.
The library of Congress Classification Scheme has been put to use since the
inception of the library used at the inception of the library.
Name Authority, Series Authority and other files were created as well as the
shelf list. All these serve as a useful reference data for cataloguers who work
there and for other new libraries that need to set up such records.

SERIALS SECTION

Serials are document that are printed or publish successively or at interval.

These are document that are published daily, monthly, annually etc. the

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section subscribe to both local and international journals, magazine,

Serials section oversees the procurement of journals and the keeping of

records in the Kardex and other files. The section over sees the acquisition of
serials documents – purchase, gift, endowment, legal deposit – processing of
serials and the management of all serials document in the library.

ACQUISITION SECTION

The Acquisitions Section has been playing a crucial role in the acquisition of
relevant materials for the library. The section takes sole responsibility of
acquiring information materials that will assist users in their information
need pursuit. Thus, before information material are acquired, suggestions are
sent in from the Chief librarian, the various faculty of the university, the
departments and all other Academic staff in the university academic system.
The following are types of information materials acquired by the section:
textbooks, dictionary, encyclopedia etc

The sections perform the following sections:

 Acquisition of information materials – purchase, endowment, gift,

exchange
 Accessioning of acquired information materials serially.
 Stamping of information materials to indicate ownership by the
library.
 Ordering of information materials from publishers and booksellers.
 Filing of book cards.

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GIFT AND EXCHANGE SECTION

The Gift and Exchange section oversee to the proper solicitation of gift items
in the library. It solicits on behalf of the library information materials from
individual, local and international donor by reaching out to them.

READERS SERVICES DEPARTMENT

The Readers Services department serve as one the major department of the
library system in the sense that it serve as the department where library
materials and users come hand in hand. The department takes charge of all
users needs in the library. The departments have some major section and
units under it. These include:

Circulation Section: The circulation section circulates materials tom users.

It is in this section that books change hands. The most important and daily
tasks performed by this section is shelving, charging and discharging of
information materials, taking of users statistics, registration of users,
preparing books for bindery, preparing books for bindery sections and all
other services that will help in meeting users needs.

Law Library: The law library is a section under the Readers Services
department that is stocked with law information materials. This section take
care of all law related materials such as text books, law reports, statutes,
journals, law magazines, law dictionary and other law related stocks.

Bolous Library: The Bolous library is also an aspect of the Readers Services
department that house Engineering related information materials for the use

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of final year undergraduate students, postgraduate students and lectures form

the university. The section house information materials in the field of
computer engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical and electronics
engineering, civil engineering, systems engineering, environmental sciences,
computer sciences, telecommunication science among others.

Journal Section: This section is responsible for the stocking of journal both
international and local. Majorly, the section stock international journal in the
field of sciences, social sciences, arts, engineering etc and assist researchers
in finding information materials that will assist in their information need
pursuit.

Reserve Book Room Section: The library set aside a special area for
keeping books in restricted use. Information materials in this section do not
circulate like the normal books. The clientele are required to sign for these
materials before they could make use of them. Materials signed for are only
consulted within the section and cannot be taken out of the library or
borrowed.

EDUCATION LIBRARY

The education library is situated in the premises of the faculty of education,

adjacent to the main gate of the university. Students from this faculty are
potential users of this library be it undergraduate or postgraduate. The
education library contains a special collection oriented both to the need of
educational research and teacher training. The education library has the
following section:

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 Journal section
 Project section
 Circulation section
 Reserve Book Room section

SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT AND AUTOMATION SECTION

This is mostly referred to as automation section. The section takes cares of

all information technology infrastructures in the library. The section sees to
the maintenance and management of the Online Public Access Catalogue and
ensure that the internet connectivity of the library are in other. The library
database is being managed by the automation section and take charge of the
library content on the university website.

RESEARCH AND BIBLIOGRAPHIC SECTION

This section is otherwise known as Gandhi Memorial Research Collection.

The section was named after the famous India nationalist Mahatma Gandhi.
The section formally opened on 2nd October, 1968. Materials available in this
section are collection about Africa, written by Africans, written on Africa, or
written in Africa. The major components of the collection include: books and
periodicals, government publications, maps, dictionary, textbooks, thesis and
dissertation, newspapers, magazines and all other information materials with
Africa content. The section is opened fro postgraduate students and
researchers.

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CHAPTER THREE
SERIALS SECTION
Serials are publication that are issued in successive parts at regular or
irregular intervals and are intended to continue indefinitely. Serials
publication ranges from journals, magazines, newsletter, memos, reports etc.
The serial section take charge of acquiring these documents through
purchase, endowment, gift, legal deposit or source directly from individual,
national and international donors. When these documents get to the library
they are first stamped with the library stamp to indicate identification and
ownership.
Thereafter, when this is done, they are checked against the previously
stocked serials so as to avoid duplication of their processing. Documents that
are coming into the section for the first time are processed by putting down
all bibliographic information therein on a cards which are latter filed in the
kardex alphabetically.
The next process when this is achieved is to prepare a catalogued card for
these serials. This is technically called cataloguing. Cataloguing entails the
bibliographical description of these documents so as to easy access to them
by the users.

In addition to cataloguing of serials documents, they are also classified.

Classification has to do with the process of sorting information materials
according to subjects. This help to bring serials document that similar
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together while those that are not are kept apart. When all these processes
have been achieved, they are sent to their various section in the library. Local
serials are taken to the Gandhi Memorial Research Collection while the
international journal are taken to the journal section of the library. At times,
some of these serials are also taken to others library within the University
Library system i.e. Faculty of Education Library, Faculty of Business
Administration Library and Law Library.

ACQUISITION SECTION
The primary mission of the Acquisitions Department is to efficiently acquire
materials in a variety of formats that support the academic and professional
programs of the University.
The acquisition section function is to purchase expeditiously and from the
most advantageous vendors information materials chosen or suggested by the
person in charge of suggestion books for the library to acquire. Suggestion of
information materials to be acquired could be suggested by the University
Librarian, Circulation Librarian, Faculty and Departmental Heads and a host
of others. Activities in the acquisition section is as follows:

Book Selection: This is the art of choosing items to be acquired from a list of
publications. Selection tools like publisher s’ catalogues, bibliographies,
union lists, abstracts, indexes and book review are used by the section during
book selection process.

Carding: After selection, items to be purchased are entered on cards or

suggestion cards in a process known as carding. The suggestion card has
column for author, edition, title, publisher, price, ISBN and all other
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bibliographic information provided in the book.

Stamping of Book: When book are firstly supplied by the vendors they are
stamped with the appropriate library identification stamp. Books are stamped
both on strategic and inner pages. Multiple stamping are also done to ensure
that users do not easily erase the marks or tear of a stamped page and
subsequently smuggle the book out of the library. The library chooses to
stamp every page 51 of its books for security purposes.

Assigning Accession number to books: this entails giving a newly acquired

book a number representing what addition in terms of number it has acquired
to the existing stock of the library. The accession number of the latest book
acquired automatically represents the number of volumes a library has in its
stock or collection. The accession number is being stamped of the title page
of the book and on page 51 before the book is being registered in the
Accession Register.

CATALOGUING AND CLASSIFICATION SECTION

Cataloguing describes a book, pointing out its subject content which
ultimately places the book in a subject class. The Cataloging section supports
the academic programs of the University by organizing, describing, and
providing physical processing for the books, journals, electronic resources,
sound and video recordings, microforms, maps, and other material purchased
or received by the library system. In the cataloguing of information
materials, Anglo-American Cataloguing Rule II (AACR II) is taken as a
guide line because it spelt out cataloguing rules which have been adopted
internationally.
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During the process of cataloguing, the principle of descriptive cataloguing is

put into consideration. The principle states that the following items should be
considered when cataloguing.
 Author statement

 Title statement

 Edition statement

 Imprint

 Collation

 Notes

 International Standard Book Number

 Added entries of tracings

Example of a catalogue entry.

ABOYADE , B. Olabimpe
The Provision of Information for Rural
Developmenmt._
Ibadan: Fountain Publications, 1987.
xv, 127pg.
Include Bibliography.
ISBN : 978 – 2679 – 00 – 3

1. Rural Development

I. Title

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Classification simply involves assigning a class number or cal mark to a

book that corresponds with its subject contents, following a chosen
classification scheme. The library makes use of Library of Congress
Classification Scheme to classify all its collects except law collections that
are classified using Moys Classification Scheme. The class number is
determined by the subject treated by the book. This is an outline of Library
of Congress Classification Scheme:
Letter Subject area
A General Works
B Philosophy, Psychology, and Religion
C Auxiliary Sciences of History
D General and Old World History
E History of America
F History of the United States and British, Dutch, French, and Latin America
G Geography, Anthropology, and Recreation
H Social Sciences
J Political Science
K Law
L Education
M Music
N Fine Arts
P Language and Literature
Q Science
R Medicine
S Agriculture
T Technology
U Military Science
V Naval Science

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Z Bibliography, Library Science, and General Information Resources

When books are being catalogued and classified, they are taken away
labeling and insertion of book cards and pocket.
The labeling is done using stylus pen and a modern labeling machine know
as i-touch labeling machine.

Picture of an i-touch labeling machine.

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CHAPTER FOUR
CIRCULATION SECTION

The circulation section circulates materials tom users. It is in this section that
books change hands. The most important and daily tasks performed by this
section is shelving of books used by the library users the previous day. Users
are advised to leave consulted books on the table and in the carrels. Before
books are shelved, they are sorted according to their subjects groups placing
emphasis of the class mark. Work done in this section is as follows:

Shelving: it is an important duty in the section to shelve all books in the

reading area and all other section of the library. This is done to ensure that
user needs are met and to attain the aims and objectives of the library.

Shelf Reading: This entails going through the shelves and checking the
arrangements to ensure that every books is on its proper location on the shelf.
The aim of this is to ensure that books that are wrongly shelved by users are
returned to their position.

Registration of Users: The potential users are required to register before

being permitted to use the library. Undergraduate and postgraduate users are
required to pay the sum of N200 for registration while it is free for the
university staff to make use of the library collections. The library is also open
to external users outside the university environment. Thus, they are required
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to bring a referral letter from their institution.

Charging and Discharging of Books: Lending book to the client is one of
the major functions performed in this section. In the charging and
discharging of books the library make use of
GANDHI MEMORIAL RESEARCH COLLECTION
The collections of this section were furnished from a donation made
available by the Indian Government and community. The section formally
opened on 2nd October, 1968 and named after Mahatma Gandhi who fought
for Indian independent. Materials available in this section are collection
about Africa, written by Africans, written of Africa, or written in Africa. The
major components of the collection include: books and periodicals,
government publications, maps, dictionary, textbooks, thesis and dissertation,
newspapers, magazines and all other information materials with Africa
content.
 Activity done in this section include:

 Shelving of information materials used by users the previous day.

 Cataloguing and classifying of information materials that comes to the

section.

 Taking statistics of users activities.

 Managing archives of newspapers and magazines in the section.

 Helping users and researchers in finding information materials that

will help in meeting their research needs.

EDUCATION LIBRARY

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The education library is situated in the premises of the faculty of education,

adjacent to the main gate of the university. Students from this faculty are
potential users of this library be it undergraduate or postgraduate. The
education library contains a special collection oriented both to the need of
educational research and teacher training. Working in the education library
from:

 Shelving of information materials used by students the previous day.

 Assisting students in getting information material in the various
section of the library. This sections include RBR section, circulation
section, journal section and project section.
 Shelf reading to ensure that books are properly shelved at their
appropriate position on the shelf.
 Charging and discharging of information materials to students. This
involves lending out books to students whom may want to make use of
such materials at their convenient time.

 Taking statistics of users activities in the various section of the library.

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CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION
5.1: SUMMARY

The students industrial Training Experience Scheme has provided a training

ground where skills relating to how information can be processed, managed,
preserve, retrieve and documented. This has gone a long way in equipping
me in merging what has been learnt in the class room environment to what
was actually learnt on the field.

5.2: RECOMMENDATION

Students are most times faced with the problem of placement. I would like to
suggest that students should be given the opportunity to secure wherever
they wish to undergo their training before the end of the academic session as
SIWES training starts immediately after the session.
While collaboration with ITF and head of department should take place so as
to tackle this problem being encountered by students.
I would also like to add that students on Industrial Training or SIWES
should be given the necessary support to actually boost their efficiency, and
willingness to learn.
5.3: CONCLUSION

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Finally, I would like to conclude by encouraging all students to make good

use of their time during SIWES and appreciate his or her profession, via this
training. It’s actually a forum for ushering one into the labour market.

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