CHAPTER 3:

INFORMATION
AGENCY

Topic Overview
Introduction
Types of Information Agency
Library
Archive
Records Center
Museum
Information Centers
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Introduction

Information Agency

Refers to an agency that specializes on

those information works (collecting,
storing, processing, managing,
preserving, creating and disseminating
information and knowledge)

Information & knowledge are managed

to enable future generations to gain
enormous benefits & values for various
means & purposes
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Information Agencies
Information agencies specialize on:
Creating
Collecting
Packaging
Information
&
Storing
Knowledge
Managing
Preserving
Disseminating
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Information Agencies
A few specialized IPs responsible in
managing these agencies are:
librarians,
archivists,
curators
records managers,
information system analysts,
information scientists,
information brokers,
knowledge managers,
information researchers,
CKO,
CIO &
many new terms that have emerged as a result of the ICT revolution. Eg

Cybrarian (cyber librarian)

Types of Information Agency

Library
Archive
Records Center
Museum

Basic Functions of Info.

Agencies
Library
~ acquires, manages, organizes, evaluates, promotes &
disseminates information in printed, electronic and
other forms of media for use by the users.
Records Centers
~ records management involves managing information
produced in, and received by organizations. The
records manager ensures that records are available
to meet the needs of an organization in carrying out
its business legally and effectively.

Basic Functions of Info.

Agencies
Archives
~ locates, selects, acquires, preserves, retrieves and
stores records which are historical, administrative
and fiscal interest and value (vital records).
Museums
~ houses collections of objects of artistic, historic, or
scientific interest conserved and displayed for the
education and enjoyment of the public.

Basic Functions of Info.

Agencies
Information Centers
~ Identifies, analyses and assesses the suitability and
value of information to an organization and
develops strategies for information procurement,
supply and management to meet both current and
anticipated needs. It also helps in producing a
significant decision, accomplishing the highest
quality of products, performing good annual reports
etc.

Basic Functions of Info.

Agencies
Knowledge Centers
~ Describes,
compiles,
consolidates,
validates,
illustrates, analyses, clarifies, modifies, evaluates,
interprets and communicates data, information and
knowledge in order to produce mature contents and
business options. The knowledge work is often
referred to as decision support.

Basic Roles of
Information
Centers

Knowledge Archival
Preservation of Cultural
Heritage
Knowledge Sharing
Information Retrieval
Education
Social Interaction

National
Information
Centers

National Library
National Archive
National Museum

Characters

Library

Archive

Museum

Objectives

- Educational
- Recreational
- Preservation

- Identify cultural,
historical and heritage
materials and
collections
- Preservation

- Identify cultural,
historical and heritage
materials (historical
sites)
- Recreational
- Preservation

Functions

Acquire
- Act
- Purchase
- Gift & exchange
Process
Disseminate
Preserve

Acquire
- Act
- Purchase
Process
Disseminate
Preserve

Acquire
- Oral history
- Archeological works
Process
Disseminate
Preserve

Characters

Library

Archive

Museum

Types of
materials

- Books
- Journals
- Rare books
- Manuscript
- AV

- Government reports
- Official reports
- Historical photos
- Galleries
- Memorials

- Monuments
- Artifact
- Historical sites
- Historical objects

Services

- Lending
- Reference
- Children center
- Advisory

- Organizational
- Lending
- Reference
- Exhibition
- Memorials
- Advisory

- Exhibition
- Advisory

Characters

Library

Archive

Museum

IP

Librarian
Information Manager

Archivist
Records Manager

Curator
Archeologists

Clients /
users

Public at large
Researcher

Researcher

Public at large
Researcher

Library

Library
Library is a depository built to contain
a collection of literary documents or
records kept for reference and study
The term library is from a Latin word
liber or libre, which means book or
writing
It is the oldest information agency
that begins its operation since
between 3000 and 2000BC

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Library
About 30,000 clay tablets found in
ancient Mesopotamia dated more than
5,000 years
Archaeologists uncovered papyrus scroll
from 1300 1200BC in the ancient
Egyptian
A thousands of clay tablets in the Palace
of King Sennacherib Assyrian ruler from
704 681BC

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Library: Function
Among others, the functions of a library are:

Acquires
Manages
Evaluates
Promotes
Disseminates
information in printed, electronic and other
forms of media for use by the users
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Library: Types of Library

The common types of libraries are:
1. National Library
2. Public Library / State Library
3. Academic Library
4. School Library (Resource
Center)
5. Special Library
6. Home / Personal Library
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NATIONAL LIBRARIES
In most countries there is a national library
maintained by national resources, usually bearing
responsibility for publishing a national bibliography
and for maintaining a national bibliographical
information center
National libraries strive principally to collect and
preserve the nations literature, though they try to
be a international in the range of their collection as
possible.
Eg. Library of Congress, Perpustakaan Negara
Malaysia, British Library, etc.

ACADEMIC LIBRARIES
Serve students and faculty in community colleges,
undergraduate college or university
The collections and services of these libraries are
designed to match the needs of their users. Needs
that range from basic support of the curriculum to
the advanced research requirements of doctoral
students and faculty at major research universities.
Eg: Perpustakaan Tun Abdul Razak, Perpustakaan
Sultanah Zanariah, Perpustakaan Tun Seri Lanang

PUBLIC LIBRARIES
Designed to serve the entire community and to
provide lending and reference services to a broad
range of professional and non professional users.
Eg: Perpustakaan Raja Tun Uda, Perpustakan
Sultan Ismail, Perbadanan Perpustakaan Awam
Melaka, etc.

SPECIAL LIBRARIES
They may range from business organizations to
societies and research institutes.
The scope and use of special library collections
vary widely as well.
Eg: SIRIM Library, RISDA Library, PETRONAS
Library, ASTRO Library, etc.

SCHOOL LIBRARIES
Designed to serve the needs of secondary and
elementary school students, to some degree,
their teachers.
Their collection were designed to supplement the
basic curriculum
Eg: Perpustakaan Sekolah Kebangsaan Raja
Muda, Perpustakaan Sekolah Menengah Derma,
Perpustakaan Sekolah Kebangsaan Putra, etc.

Library: Services
TECHNICAL
ACQUISITION
CATALOGING
CLASSIFICATION
INDEXING
ABSTRACTING

READER / USER
CIRCULATION
REFERENCE
Informational (SDI, ILL
etc)
Instructional (Library
Orientation)
- Guidance (Readers
Advisory Services,
Bibliotherapy)

PRESERVATION
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REFERENCE SERVICE
The best reference service combines mediated searching,
formal and informal instruction in information-seeking skills
(using hard copy sources, non-print media and automated
systems), and assistance in the use of reference sources. It
includes lessons in analysis and evaluation of the value of
the information retrieved and the accuracy or correctness
of the method of retrieval
Basic(Rosemarie
Functions of Riechel)
Reference service
(Rothstein)

Provision
of
information

Instruction in
the use of
libraries and
information
sources

Guidance in
the choice of
library
materials

INFORMATION SERVICE
- Provides answer to a users question or information need
regardless of
its complexity or the length of time it takes the librarian
to find the
answer

INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICE
- Teaches individuals how to locate information
themselves, or assists
them in understanding and using reference tools. It may
also teach
them how libraries and information are organized and
how librarians
can assist them

GUIDANCE SERVICE
- Similar to instruction but it has historically had a

INFORMATION
SERVICE

- Answering Ready
Reference Question
- Bibliographic
Verification
- Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
& Document Delivery
- Information & Referral
Services
- Answering Research
Question
- Selective
Dissemination of
Information (SDI)
- Database searches
- Information Brokering

INSTRUCTION
SERVICE

- Library Orientation
- Library Instruction
- Bibliographic
Instruction
- Information
Management
Education

GUIDANCE
SERVICE

- Readers Advisory
Services
- Bibliotherapy
- Term Paper
Counseling
- Research Assistance &

READY REFERENCE QUESTIONS

Definition: A question that can be answered quickly by
consulting to
only one or two reference tool
- request for factual information
- constitute majority of questions received at most reference
desks in
public and academic libraries

BIBLIOGRAPHIC VERIFICATION
- provides facts about publications
- requires librarian to search the printed or electronic versions
of
standard bibliographic tools to verify that the users
information about
a document is correct and complete

INTERLIBRARY LOAN & DOCUMENT DELIVERY

Definition: process by which a borrower in one library obtains
the use of
books, periodical articles or other library materials from
another library

INFORMATION & REFERRAL SERVICES

- usually in public libraries
- goal: to provide a link between people and services,
activities,
information, or advise outside the library that can meet
the
customer needs.
- 2 basic types:
a) those that only provide information about agencies
b) those that provide information and make direct
referrals to
agencies

REFERENCE QUESTION (RESEARCH)

- users information need is broader, or the question asked is
more
complex or less concretely defined

SELECTIVE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION

(SDI)
- offered most frequently to researchers who use academic
or special

DATABASE SEARCHES
- can be performed either in a ready reference transaction or
in the
provision of research assistance

INFORMATION BROKERING
- offering to gather, evaluate & package information for their
clients
for fee

INSTRUCTION
- a major component of reference service in academic &
school
libraries and an important aspect of reference work in
most
public libraries, and it can be found in varying degrees in
different kinds of special libraries
- one to one / group instruction
- three (3) frequent forms
- teaching how to use library effectively
- suggesting specific strategies to be used in locating
and
evaluating information
- instructing in the use of specific information
sources,both
printed and electronic

LIBRARY ORIENTATION
- service activities designed to welcome and introduce users
and
potential users to services, collections, building layouts,
and the
organization of materials
- methods:
- librarian guiding users through the reference room and
on
past the circulation desk
- video productions
- handouts
- guides
- multimedia programs
- self-guided audio tours
- electronic bulletin boards
- LISTSERVs (electronic discussion groups or conferences
available through computer networks)
- advances in microcomputer software (eg. hypertext)
- interactive media technology

LIBRARY INSTRUCTION
- refers to instruction in the use of libraries with an
emphasis on
institution specific procedures, collections and policies
- focusing on in-depth explanation of library materials,
concentrates on tools and mechanics, including
techniques in
using periodical indexes, reference sources, card and
online
catalogs and bibliographies
- methods:
- lectures
- discussions
- workbooks
- media presentations
- computer-assisted instruction
- handouts

BIBLIOGRAPHIC INSTRUCTION
- activities that are designed to locate and use information
- goes beyond the physical boundaries of the library and
beyond
institution specific confines
- methods :
- media productions
- computer assisted instruction (CAI)
- lectures
- small group work
- discussions
- simulations
- demonstrations
- self guided workbooks

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT EDUCATION

- instructing users in the identification, retrieval, evaluation
and use
of information

GUIDANCE
READERS ADVISORY SERVICES
- helping readers choose the books best suited to their
interest, needs
and reading levels
- interviewed library users to understand their needs and
goals, and
then choose library materials to fulfill those needs and goals
reading list
- sometimes - current awareness services and library use
instruction
to assist readers in using the library and keeping aware of
new
books in their fields of interest

BIBLIOTHERAPY
- bibliotherapist use literature, film, or other media chosen for
their
appropriateness to the needs of the group
- to assist the personal growth or rehabilitation of group

TERM PAPER COUNSELING

- sometimes called term-paper assistance or research
consultation
- widespread in academic libraries
- term paper clinics, which consist of group instruction in
library
use and research skills, may be offered in addition to or
instead of
the individual assistance provided in term paper
counseling
sessions

RESEARCH ASSISTANCE & CONSULTING

- consultants writes a report recommending specific
courses of
action to help the client reach the stated goal
- guidance on the most effective strategy for locating
further
information, recommending specific tools, special
collections, or

National Library of Malaysia

Objectives :
1. To make available for the use of
present and future generation a
national collection of library resources;
2. To facilitate nation wide access to
library resources available within the
country and abroad; and
3. To provide leadership on matters
pertaining to libraries
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National Library of Malaysia

Functions:
1.Act as national bibliographic center and
the national depository center
2.The national center for Malay manuscripts
3.To provide reference, information, referral,
reprographic and lending services
4.To promote and coordinate the
development and use of the library
resource of the nation
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National Library of Malaysia

Functions:
5 To promote & facilitate the inculcation
of reading habit
6 To cooperate with the relevant
agencies in order to promote &
upgrade the use and development of
Bahasa Malaysia

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National Library of Malaysia

Services
1. Services for Publisher
i. International Standard Book Number (ISBN) Application
ISBN 983-99557-1-3 - ISBN 10 digits; or
ISBN 978-983-99557-1-2 - ISBN 13 digits (started January 2007)
Part I. Code for Book Industry - This part internationally identifies
as book industry.
Part II. Group Identifier - This part identifies the national,
geographic or other similar grouping of publisher.
Part III. Publisher Identifier - This part identifies a particular
publisher within a country or group.
Part IV. Title Identifier - This part identifies a particular title or
edition of a title published by a publisher.
Part V. Check Digit - This is a single digit or alphabet X at the end
of the ten digits of the ISBN. It is an automatic check by the system
on the correctness of the ISBN.
http://www.isbn-international.org
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National Library of Malaysia

Services
1. Services for Publisher
ii.

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

Application - an eight digit number which provides
for a universally accented, brief, unique and
unambiguous identification code for serial
publication.
www.issn.org

iii. Cataloging-in-Publication (CIP) - is a service

provided by Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia (PNM)

to publishers, which enables new Malaysian books
to receive cataloguing data before they are
published.
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National Library of Malaysia

Services
2. Services for Readers
3. Inter-libraries Services
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.

Publication Supply System

Conservation Services
Consultation Services
Collaborations with Other Libraries
Application of Publication Delivery System (PDS)

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National Library of Malaysia

Collections
Book
Collections
Serial
Publications
Conference
Papers
Newspapers
Maps
Electronic
Media
Collections
Manuscripts
Commercial
Databases

Special Collections
Malaysiana: Private Collection
Malaysiana : Ephermeral
Collections
Malaysiana: PNM Archives
Malaysiana: Limited
Edition/Classified/Banned
Malaysiana: Rare Collection
Non-Malaysiana: ASEAN
Collection
Non-Malaysiana: United Nations
Collection
Non-Malaysiana: Harvard
Collection

46

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
LIBRARIES
Types of users / clientele
2. Types of collection /
Collection development
3. IPs
4. Services rendered/offered
1.

Library

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Archive

Archive
A place of preserving , storing,
managing, and retrieving a collection of
historically valuable records ranging
from papers and documents (including
manuscripts) to films, videotapes and
sound recording (printed and nonprinted materials)
Such records or documents that have
been recognized containing
administrative, legal, and fiscal values
are also kept
50

Archive: Function
Among others, the functions of an
archive are:
Locates
Selects
Acquires
Preserves
Retrieves
stores
records which are historical,
administrative and fiscal interest
51

Archive: Types of Archive

There are two types

of archive:
National Archive
In-house archive

52

National Archive of Malaysia

Established on the 1st December 1957
Was named Malayan Public Record
Office
The dept was renamed National Archive
of Malaysia in 1963
The National Archive Act was approved
by Parliament in 1966, thus marked the
formulation of an effective policy in
keeping records of national & historical
values
53

National Archive of Malaysia

Collection in National Archive
Collection of Public Records
Collection of Economy and Business
Collection of Organizational Records
Collection of Religious Records
Collection of Personal Letters
Collection of Press Cuttings
Collection of Manuscripts

54

Archive

55

Records
Center

Records Center
Most organizations have their own records
center, it is specifically located in the
organization to place and manage records.
Records are actually any recorded
information, knowledge, or facts (letters,
memos, circulars, books, pamphlets,
reports, videotapes, audiocassettes etc).

57

Records Center
Records are considered as important
asset/resources to an organization
actively used to assist the staffs in
handling and completing their routine
jobs. A systematic filing & classification
system is used in order to organize the
records to make its retrieval easier

58

Records Center
Categories of records:
Current records ~ active records,
frequently used
Semi-current records ~ occasionally
referred, seldom used
Non-current records ~ inactive, no
longer used have to undergo
records appraisal process i.e decide
whether to maintain or dispose
59

Records Center

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Museum

Museum
An institution housing collections of

objects of artistic, historic, or scientific

interest conserved and displayed for
the education and enjoyment of the
public

originally, name given to sacred places

which later became repositories for the
gifts and offerings by devotees

62

Museum
Acquires, preserves, displays, and
interpret, an encyclopedic range of
objects
Through collection and activities,
museums help us to understand and
appreciate the natural world, history of
civilization, and the record of humanity
artistic, scientific and technological
accomplishment
63

Museum: Function
to identify, acquire, preserve, and
exhibit unique, collectible, or
representative objects
promote cultural, community and
familiar identity and understanding
Serve as memory institutions for culture

64

Museum: Function
Provide experiences, through display,
where visitors can make connections
between content and ideas
Support formal and informal learning
and research

65

Museum: Types of Museum

History: Most common is history
museum
Art: not only collection of fine arts and
sculpture, but also decorative and folk
art, art of non-literate people
Science: both pure and applied
sciences
66

Museum

67