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Chapter 1INTRODUCTION
Situation Analysis
Society is in the midst of learning how to “be” in the information age.
The advent of computers and the inclusion of the Web in our work and
private lives have pushed innovations and embraced information and access
in ways we can hardly imagine. We are living in a complex and challenging
digital landscape that changes constantly. (2005)
The school library exists to provide a range of learning opportunities
for both large and small groups as well as individuals with a focus on
intellectual content, information literacy, and the learner. (2004).
In addition to classroom visits with collaborating teachers, the school
library also serves as a place for students to do independent work, use
computers, equipment and research materials; to host special events such
as author visits and book clubs; and for tutoring and testing.
The school library media center program is a collaborative venture in
which school library media specialists, teachers, and administrators work
together to provide opportunities for the social, cultural, and educational
growth of students. Activities that are part of the school library media
program can take place in the school library media center, the laboratory
classroom, through the school, and via the school library's online resources.
(2004)
1
In a school or university setup, the library plays a very vital role in the
institutions role of providing quality education to its clientele – the students.
The library should not only be updated with its collection but far most should
be able to deliver what is required of it – that is to serve as a haven of
information and knowledge to its clientele.
The current Library catalog is poorly designed for the tasks of finding,
discovering, and selecting the growing set of resources available in our
libraries. It is best at locating and obtaining a known item. For librarians and
for our users, the catalog is only one option of accessing library collections.
(2005)
In this time, access to information has radically changed. Information
today symbolizes power by most organizations in the corporate world. The
library is not spared from this revolution. The library should be at the
forefront of this technology explosion.
La Union School of Arts and Trade were established in 1907 by Mr. D.
Aran, an American, its founder and its first principal. It was one of the
earliest vocational schools in the Philippines that started as an intermediate
school with only 5 teachers and 88 students. In 1917, Mr. Huncy, succeeded
him until 1922. Secondary courses were then offered. The intermediate
curriculum was eventually dropped in 1927, and in 1928, the La Union Trade
School was transferred to its present site and converted into the secondary
level. It was the incumbency of the first Filipino principal, Catalino Calica,
2
that the school turned out its first set of only 8 graduates. The school closed
during the second world war.
By virtue of R.A. 543 on 16 June 1950, the La Union Trade School was
placed under the support of the National Government. R.A. 801 was enacted
on 21 June 1952 to convert the institution into a National Regional School of
Arts and Trades known as the La Union School of Arts and Trades. Tranuilino
delos Trinos was the first superintendent. In 1957, Apolinario Apilado took
over as the second superintendent, and in 1957, Fermin Taruc became the
third superintendent. Taruc's administration placed much emphasis in the
improvement of the standard of instruction in all levels of education.
In 1975, Avelino Ascuncion assumed office as the fourth
superintendent. The school served as a Regional Development Center for
Practical Arts in Region I. The degree of Bachelor of Science in Industrial
Technology was offered during the school year1976-1977. The school
accommodated the extension classes of UP Graduate School, Baguio City, for
the degree of Master of Management. Likewise, the school was also chosen
by the Engineering Equipment Inc. as its training center in Northern Luzon
wherein vocational graduates underwent further training in their field of
specialization.
On May 25, 1978, Hipolito Pacis took over as the fifth superintendent
and this marked the greatest milestone for LUSAT. The school was integrated
3
into the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU) on
January 15, 1981 through P.D. 1778. Dr. Bienvenido Agpaoa became its first
president. In 1989, Dr. Manuel Corpus was installed as the second president.
In 1996, DMMMSU has been adjudged by the CHED (Commission on Higher
Education) as number 7 among top universities and colleges (public and
private) in the Philippines. Most graduates rated high in their respective
board and licensure exminations. On 23 July 1999, Dr. Dionisio Gat Ducusin
became the third president of the University. The Mid-La Union Campus
(MLUC) has Dr. Rodolfo R. Apigo as its chancellor, assuming the position on
September 23, 1999. With transformational leaders at the helm of DMMMSU
and the MLUC in particular, the University is at the threshold of the new
millennium upholding excellence in instruction, research, extension, and
production for global competitiveness.
Through the years, Mid-La Union Campus, under the flagship of the
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University has developed and sustained
itself to become the leading school in the region and one of the top
educational institutions nationwide. Proof of its excellence can be seen in the
list of board topnotchers that MLUC has produced over the past 25 years.
MLUC takes pride in its continuing plight to be a distinct center of
excellence…
Today, MLUC carries the flagship of being the key provider of
Information Technology Education as the Bachelor of Science of Information 4
Technology of the Institute of Information Technology was awarded by the
Commission on Higher Education as Center of Development in Information
Technology. With this, the campus is now revolutionizing its various
processes and infusing it with the use information technology to hasten
various activities of the campus – one of which is the library.
Conceptual Framework
An integrated library system (ILS), also known as a library
management system (LMS), is an enterprise resource planning system for
a library, used to track items owned, orders made, bills paid, and patrons
who have borrowed. (Adamson, 2008)
An ILS usually comprises a relational database, software to interact
with that database, and two graphical user interfaces (one for patrons, one
for staff). Most ILSes separate software functions into discrete programs
called modules, each of them integrated with a unified interface. Examples
of modules might include:
acquisitions (ordering, receiving, and invoicing materials)
cataloging (classifying and indexing materials)
circulation (lending materials to patrons and receiving them back)
serials (tracking magazine and newspaper holdings)
the OPAC (public interface for users)
Each patron and item has a unique ID in the database that allows the
ILS to track its activity. (Tennant, 2006)5
The term 'digital library' is now widely accepted to mean the use of
digital technology by libraries to acquire, store, conserve and provide access
to information. Practically, a digital library is an assemblage of digital
computing, storage and communications machinery together with the
content and software needed to reproduce, emulate, and extend the services
provided by conventional libraries based on paper and other material means
of collecting, cataloguing, finding, and disseminating information.
(Rathinasabapathy 2006)
The Internet and the World Wide Web are two of the principal building
blocks that are used in the development of digital libraries. The Internet
tradition emphasizes collaboration and, even now, the continuing
development of the Internet remains firmly in the hands of engineers. An
important characteristic of the Internet is that the engineers and computer
scientists who develop and operate it are heavy users of their own
technology. They communicate by e-mail, dismissing conventional mail as
"snail mail." (2000)
The World Wide Web or "the web" as it is colloquially called, has been
one of the great successes in the history of computing. It ranks with the
development of word processors and spread sheets as a definitive
application of computing. The web and its associated technology have been
crucial to the rapid growth of digital libraries. Technically, the web is based
on four simple techniques. They are: the Hyper-Text Mark-up Language 6
(HTML), the Hyper-Text Transport Protocol (HTTP), MIME data types, and
Uniform Resource Locators (URLs). Each of these concepts is introduced
below and discussed further in later chapters. Each has importance that goes
beyond the web into the general field of interoperability of digital libraries.
(2000)
In a paper written by Yan Han and Atifa Rawan, they proposed for the
building an Integrated Library System (ILS) for Afghanistan universities and
colleges based on open source software. As one of the goals of the Afghan
eQuality Digital Libraries Alliance, the authors applied systems analysis
approach, evaluated different open source ILS, and customized the selected
software to accommodate users' needs. The author adopted systems
analysis by taking account of Afghan collections, users’ needs, and systems
functionality required to perform essential library operations. Koha was
chosen as the base software due to its functionality, maturity and support.
Some of the reasons are:
• The software architecture is open source LAMP, which is popular, stable,
and predominant.
• Our staff has skills in these open software systems.
• It is a full-featured open source ILS. Certain components such as
multiple branch support and users management are critical.
7
Koha is probably the most renowned open source ILS. It is a full-
featured ILS, developed in New Zealand and first deployed in Horowhenua
Library Trust in 2000. So far Koha has been running in a few public and
special libraries. The underlying architecture is Linux, Apache, MySQL, and
Perl (LAMP) stack. (2007)
8
Existing status of the DMMMSU-MLUC Library Management System in terms of:PerformanceInformationEconomicsControlsEfficiencyService
Survey QuestionnaireAssessment of the existing status of the DMMMSU-MLUC library management system
Systems Development
Usability QuestionnireAssessment of the usability of the ILMS software
DMMMSU-MLUC Integrated Library
Management System (ILMS)
Feedback
Figure 1. The Research Paradigm
Statement of the Problem
The main purpose of this study is to implement a computer-based
Integrated Library Management System for the library of Don Mariano
Marcos Memorial State University Mid-La Union Campus (DMMMSU MLUC).
Specifically, it aims to answer the following:
1. What is the status of managing the library of DMMMSU-MLUC in terms
of:
a. Performance,
b. Information,
c. Economics,
d. Control,
e. Efficiency,
f. Services?
2. What integrated computer-based library management system can be
developed for DMMMSU MLUC?
9
3. What is the level of usability of the DMMMSU MLUC Integrated Library
Management System in terms of:
a. Efficiency
b. Affect
c. Helpfulness
d. Control, and
e. Learnability?
Importance of the Study
We have come to an age where everything is already accessible with a
single click. The library which is known as the repository of information is no
doubt should be at forefront of this digital revolution.
The DMMMSU MLUC Library is struggling its way to be at pace with the
University libraries in the country who have already made a mark in the
digital world. This study will put the DMMMSU MLUC Library in the ranks of
these Universities in the Philippines as well as in the world.
This study will be very beneficial to DMMMSU MLUC Library’s clientele
as information will be readily accessible to users conveniently because of the
10
integration of the Internet and the World Wide Web to the Online Public
Access Catalog.
The DMMMSU MLUC Library workforce will also be benefited from this
study as their work will be greatly reduced by the aid of computerization
specifically in the task of maintenance and inventory of library holdings.
Reports will be easily generated at a single click of a mouse. This will only
mean that less time will be attributed to library collection monitoring and
maintenance thus time may be diverted into furthering the improvements of
the library collection.
The community can also be benefited from this study because the
DMMMSU MLUC Library is not only for students and staff of DMMMSU but is
also open to the public.
Definition of Terms
Existing Status of the DMMMSU-MLUC Library. This refers to the
current status of managing the library resources of the DMMMSU-MLUC
Library. The status of which will be measured using performance,
information, economics, control, efficiency and services as variables.
a. Performance: It indicates whether the current throughput and
response time are adequate.
11
b. Information: It indicates whether the end users get timely,
accurate, and useful information.
c. Economy: It indicates whether services provided by the current
system are cost-effective.
d. Control: It indicates whether there are effective controls to provide
accurate and secure information.
e. Efficiency: It indicates whether the current system makes good use
of resources.
f. Services: It indicates whether the current services are reliable,
flexible, and expandable.
Integrated Library Management System. A computer-based
information system used to manage the library collections of the DMMMSU
MLUC Library in terms of cataloguing, circulation and report generation.
Usability of the ILMS. The capability of the software to be
understood, learned, used and liked by the user when used under a specified
condition. Indicators include efficiency, affect, helpfulness, control and
learnability.
a. Efficiency. The degree to which the user can achieve their goals of
his interaction with the ILMS in a direct and timely manner.
b. Affect. The degree of how much the ILMS captures the user’s
emotional responses.
12
c. Helpfulness. The extent to which the ILMS assist the user.
d. Control. The degree to which the user feels, he and not the ILMS, is
setting the pace.
e. Learnability. The ease with which the user can get started and
learn new features of the product.
Chapter 2REVIEW OF LITERATURE
This chapter provides for discussion on various literatures relating to
this study. It will present various theories and concepts that may be
applicable to the study under consideration.
This is a fascinating period in the history of libraries and publishing. For
the first time, it is possible to build large-scale services where collections of
information are stored in digital formats and retrieved over networks. The
materials are stored on computers. A network connects the computers to
13
personal computers on the users' desks. In a completely digital library,
nothing need ever reach paper.
Digital Libraries
An informal definition of a digital library is a managed collection of
information, with associated services, where the information is stored in
digital formats and accessible over a network. A key part of this definition is
that the information is managed. A stream of data sent to earth from a
satellite is not a library. The same data, when organized systematically,
becomes a digital library collection. Most people would not consider a
database containing financial records of one company to be a digital library,
but would accept a collection of such information from many companies as
part of a library. Digital libraries contain diverse collections of information for
use by many different users. Digital libraries range in size from tiny to huge.
They can use any type of computing equipment and any suitable software.
The unifying theme is that information is organized on computers and
available over a network, with procedures to select the material in the
collections, to organize it, to make it available to users, and to archive it.
In some ways, digital libraries are very different from traditional
libraries, yet in others they are remarkably similar. People do not change
because new technology is invented. They still create information that has to
be organized, stored, and distributed. They still need to find information that
14
others have created, and use it for study, reference, or entertainment.
However, the form in which the information is expressed and the methods
that are used to manage it are greatly influenced by technology and this
creates change. Every year, the quantity and variety of collections available
in digital form grows, while the supporting technology continues to improve
steadily. Cumulatively, these changes are stimulating fundamental
alterations in how people create information and how they use it.
Economics
Technology influences the economic and social aspects of information,
and vice versa. The technology of digital libraries is developing fast and so
are the financial, organizational, and social frameworks. The various groups
that are developing digital libraries bring different social conventions and
different attitudes to money. Publishers and libraries have a long tradition of
managing physical objects, notably books, but also maps, photographs,
sound recordings and other artifacts. They evolved economic and legal
frameworks that are based on buying and selling these objects. Their natural
instinct is to transfer to digital libraries the concepts that have served them
well for physical artifacts. Computer scientists and scientific users, such as
physicists, have a different tradition. Their interest in digital information
began in the days when computers were very expensive. Only a few well-
funded researchers had computers on the first networks. They exchanged
15
information informally and openly with colleagues, without payment. The
networks have grown, but the tradition of open information remains.
The economic framework that is developing for digital libraries shows a
mixture of these two approaches. Some digital libraries mimic traditional
publishing by requiring a form of payment before users may access the
collections and use the services. Other digital libraries use a different
economic model. Their material is provided with open access to everybody.
The costs of creating and distributing the information are borne by the
producer, not the user of the information. This book describes many
examples of both models and attempts to analyze the balance between
them. Almost certainly, both have a long-term future, but the final balance is
impossible to forecast.
Why digital libraries?
The fundamental reason for building digital libraries is a belief that
they will provide better delivery of information than was possible in the past.
Traditional libraries are a fundamental part of society, but they are not
perfect.
Here are some of the potential benefits of digital libraries.
The digital library brings the library to the user. To use a library
requires access. Traditional methods require that the user goes to the
16
library. In a university, the walk to a library takes a few minutes, but not
many people are member of universities or have a nearby library. Many
engineers or physicians carry out their work with depressingly poor
access to the latest information.
A digital library brings the information to the user's desk, either at work or
at home, making it easier to use and hence increasing its usage. With a
digital library on the desk top, a user need never visit a library building.
The library is wherever there is a personal computer and a network
connection.
Computer power is used for searching and browsing. Computing
power can be used to find information. Paper documents are convenient
to read, but finding information that is stored on paper can be difficult.
Despite the myriad of secondary tools and the skill of reference librarians,
using a large library can be a tough challenge. A claim that used to be
made for traditional libraries is that they stimulate serendipity, because
readers stumble across unexpected items of value. The truth is that
libraries are full of useful materials that readers discover only by accident.
In most aspects, computer systems are already better than manual
methods for finding information. They are not as good as everybody
would like, but they are good and improving steadily. Computers are
17
particularly useful for reference work that involves repeated leaps from
one source of information to another.
Information can be shared. Libraries and archives contain much
information that is unique. Placing digital information on a network makes
it available to everybody. Many digital libraries or electronic publications
are maintained at a single central site, perhaps with a few duplicate
copies strategically placed around the world. This is a vast improvement
over expensive physical duplication of little used material, or the
inconvenience of unique material that is inaccessible without traveling to
the location where it is stored.
Information is easier to keep current. Much important information
needs to be brought up to date continually. Printed materials are awkward
to update, since the entire document must be reprinted; all copies of the
old version must be tracked down and replaced. Keeping information
current is much less of a problem when the definitive version is in digital
format and stored on a central computer.
Many libraries provide online the text of reference works, such as
directories or encyclopedias. Whenever revisions are received from the
publisher, they are installed on the library's computer. The new versions
are available immediately. The Library of Congress has an online
collection, called Thomas that contains the latest drafts of all legislation
currently before the U.S. Congress; it changes continually.18
The information is always available. The doors of the digital library
never close; a recent study at a British university found that about half
the usage of a library's digital collections was at hours when the library
buildings were closed. Materials are never checked out to other readers,
miss-shelved or stolen; they are never in an off-campus warehouse. The
scope of the collections expands beyond the walls of the library. Private
papers in an office or the collections of a library on the other side of the
world are as easy to use as materials in the local library.
Digital libraries are not perfect. Computer systems can fail and networks
may be slow or unreliable, but, compared with a traditional library,
information is much more likely to be available when and where the user
wants it.
New forms of information become possible. Most of what is stored in
a conventional library is printed on paper, yet print is not always the best
way to record and disseminate information. A database may be the best
way to store census data, so that it can be analyzed by computer;
satellite data can be rendered in many different ways; a mathematics
library can store mathematical expressions, not as ink marks on paper but
as computer symbols to be manipulated by programs such as
Mathematica or Maple.
19
Even when the formats are similar, materials that are created explicitly
for the digital world are not the same as materials originally designed for
paper or other media. Words that are spoken have a different impact from
words that are written, and online textual materials are subtly different
from either the spoken or printed word. Good authors use words
differently when they write for different media and users find new ways to
use the information. Materials created for the digital world can have a
vitality that is lacking in material that has been mechanically converted to
digital formats, just as a feature film never looks quite right when shown
on television.
Each of the benefits described above can be seen in existing digital
libraries. There is another group of potential benefits, which have not yet
been demonstrated, but hold tantalizing prospects. The hope is that digital
libraries will develop from static repositories of immutable objects to provide
a wide range of services that allow collaboration and exchange of ideas. The
technology of digital libraries is closely related to the technology used in
fields such as electronic mail and teleconferencing, which have historically
had little relationship to libraries. The potential for convergence between
these fields is exciting. (2000)
An Integrated Library System
20
An Integrated Library System (ILS) usually includes several critical
components such as acquisition, cataloging, catalog (search and find),
circulation, and member management. Traditionally it has been the center of
any library. Recent development in digital libraries results in distributed
systems in libraries and an ILS is treated as one of digital library systems. It
is still critical to have a centralized ILS to provide a primary way to access
library-owned materials for Afghanistan universities and colleges. Other
services such as inter library loan and other digital library systems can be
further developed to extend libraries' services to users and communities.
(2005)
Currently the ILS market is primarily dominated by commercial
systems such as Innovative Interface, Endeavor, and Sirsi. Compared with
other computing areas, open source systems in ILS are immature and
limited, as there are only a few products available and most of the products
do not have the full features of an ILS. However, they are providing a
valuable alternative to those costly commercial systems.
Based on the availability of existing funding, experiences with
commercial vendors, and consideration of vendor supports and future
directions, the authors decided to build the Digital Library infrastructure with
the "open" concept (open access, open source, and open standards). The
decision is widely influenced by globalization, open access, open source,
open standards, and increasing user’s expectations. At the same time, the
21
decision gives us an opportunity to develop and integrate new tools and
services for libraries as suggested by the University of California. (2005)
This paper described an Afghanistan digital library initiative of building
an Integrated Library System (ILS) for Afghanistan universities and colleges
based on open source software. As one of the goals of the Afghan eQuality
Digital Libraries Alliance, the authors applied systems analysis approach,
evaluated different open source ILS, and customized the selected software to
accommodate users' needs.
This has been a successful endeavor which means for a similar
approach to be used in this study, a similar amount of success will be
achieved as we can develop an integrated library system out of technology
at a low cost.
Web OPACs have become almost universal and de rigueur in present
day library systems. Web OPACs generally offer a wide range of search
options. They may incorporate information retrieval techniques such as word
stemming, truncation, weighted searching, use of fuzzy match search logic,
natural language processing; they may provide enriched subject access, or
enhanced content. They may (e.g. Fretwell-Downing’s OLIB) provide
automatic spelling correction of common terms. They frequently provide the
ability for a reader to save searches via email. Self-service features, such as
reader-initiated reservations, renewals, equipment bookings, and document
ordering, are common; the trend is towards “borrower empowerment”
22
(Saffady 2000). The interfaces may incorporate extensive search limiting or
browsing features.
Chapter 3METHODOLOGY
23
Research Design
The researcher will be used the descriptive and applied type of
research. Descriptive research design is a scientific method which involves
observing and describing the behavior of a subject without influencing it in
any way. Descriptive research design is a valid method for researching
specific subjects and as a precursor to more quantitative studies. Whilst
there are some valid concerns about the statistical validity, as long as the
limitations are understood by the researcher, this type of study is an
invaluable scientific tool. Whilst the results are always open to question and
to different interpretations, there is no doubt that they are preferable to
performing no research at all. (Shuttleworth, 2008)
Descriptive research is used to obtain information concerning the
current status of the phenomena to describe "what exists" with respect to
variables or conditions in a situation. The methods involved range from the
survey which describes the status quo, the correlation study which
investigates the relationship between variables, to developmental studies
which seek to determine changes over time. Primarily, the researcher in its
goal to determine the existing status of the DMMMSU-MLUC Library
Management System will be using a survey questionnaire to gather data. A
survey questionnaire will also be employed to determine the level of usability
of the developed DMMMSU-MLUC Integrated Library Management System.
24
The applied type of research will also be used for systems
development. Applied research is designed to solve practical problems of the
modern world, rather than to acquire knowledge for knowledge's sake. One
might say that the goal of the applied scientist is to improve the human
condition. In the aim to improve the current library management system of
DMMMSU-MLUC, this methodology is invoked with the goal of improving the
management of the resources of the DMMMSU-MLUC Library by the
development and implementation of a computer-based integrated library
management system.
Population and Locale
The study will be conducted at DMMMSU-MLUC San Fernando City. La
Union particularly, the Library. The respondents will include library
administrators and staffs, as well as the users of the library who are faculty
members and students.
Total enumeration will be used for library administrators and staffs of
DMMMSU-MLUC library while purposive sampling will be used for library
users who are faculty members and students.
The DMMMS-MLUC Library is divided into five reading centers and the
main library. Each reading center employs a librarian and a staff except for
the main library which has two (2) staffs.
DMMMSU-MLUC has a total of 246 teaching staff and 50 non-teaching
staff. The study will consider students enrolled for the Second Semester, 25
School Year 2009-2010. Records of the Office of the Campus Registrar show
that for the given period, the school has recorded 5,123 officially enrolled
students.
The Lynch Formula was used to determine the sample size of the
student, faculty and staff respondents. The distribution of respondents is
shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Distribution of Respondents
Respondents Population
Librarians and Staff 13
Faculty members and Non-teaching Staff
100
Students 500
This will be used to determine the existing status of the DMMMSU-
MLUC library management system and the usability of the DMMMSU-MLUC
Integrated Library Management System.
Data Instrumentation and Collection
To determine the existing status of managing the library of DMMMSU-
MLUC, Wetherbe’s PIECES framework will be used (see Appendix A). The
PIECES framework is used for identifying operational problems to be solved.
It is a checklist used for identifying problems with an existing information
system. It consists of the following:
Performance: It indicates whether the current throughput and response
time are adequate.
26
Information: It indicates whether the end users get timely, accurate,
and useful information.
Economy: It indicates whether services provided by the current system
are cost-effective.
Control: It indicates whether there are effective controls to provide
accurate and secure information.
Efficiency: It indicates whether the current system makes good use of
resources.
Services: It indicates whether the current services are reliable, flexible,
and expandable.
For the development of the system, the researcher will be using the
Rapid Application Development. James Martin, in his book first coining
the term, wrote, “Rapid Application Development (RAD) is a development
lifecycle designed to give much faster development and higher-quality
results than those achieved with the traditional lifecycle. It is designed to
take the maximum advantage of powerful development software that has
evolved recently.”
Rapid Application Development is a software development
methodology that involves techniques like iterative development and
software prototyping. According to Whitten (2004), it is a merger of various
structured techniques, especially data-driven Information Engineering, with
prototyping techniques to accelerate software systems development.
27
Figure 2. Rapid Application Development Paradigm
In Rapid Application Development, structured techniques and
prototyping are especially used to define users' requirements and to design
the final system. The development process starts with the development of
preliminary data models and business process models using structured
techniques – requirements analysis and design. In the next stage,
requirements are verified using prototyping, eventually to refine the data
and process models. These stages are repeated iteratively; further
development results in "a combined business requirements and technical
design statement to be used for constructing new systems". (Bently, 2004)
To determine the usability of the DMMMSU-MLUC Integrated Library
Management System, the researcher will be using the Software Usability
Measurement Inventory (SUMI) (see Appendix B). SUMI is a rigorously tested
and proven method of measuring software quality from the end user's point
of view. SUMI is a consistent method for assessing the quality of use of a
software product or prototype, and can assist with the detection of usability 28
flaws before a product is shipped. SUMI is recommended to any organization
which wishes to measure the perceived quality of use of software, either as a
developer, a consumer of software, or as a purchaser/consultant. SUMI is
increasingly being used to set quality of use requirements by software
procurers. SUMI also assists the manager in identifying the most appropriate
software for their organization. It has been well documented that if staff have
quality tools to work with, this contributes to overall efficiency of staff and
the quality of their work output.
Data Analysis
To analyze the gathered data the researcher will be using mean, and
weighted mean and grand mean. A standard Likert Scale will be used to
analyze the data.
For the status of the existing status of managing the resources of the
DMMMSU-MLUC library, the following scale will be used with the
corresponding descriptive ratings as follows:
Table 2. Status of the Existing DMMMSU-MLUC Library Management System
Numerical Equivalent
Rating ScaleDescriptive
Rating
5 4.21 – 5.00 Strongly Agree Constraint
4 3.41 – 4.20 Agree Constraint
3 2.61 – 3.40 Neutral Constraint
29
2 1.81 – 2.60 Disagree Capability
1 1.00 – 1.80 Strongly Disagree Capability
For mean ratings between 2.61 and 5.00, it will be considered a
constraint as it is a weak point for the existing system. On the other hand,
mean ratings between 1.00 and 2.60 are considered capability, as there are
strengths of the existing system.
To describe the usability of the DMMMSU-MLUC Integrated Library
Management System software using the Software Usability Measurement
Inventory (SUMI) in terms of efficiency, helpfulness, control and learnability,
the following Likert scale with the corresponding descriptive ratings will be
used:
Table 3. Usability of the DMMMSU-MLUC Integrated Library Management System
Numerical Equivalent
Rating ScaleDescriptive
Rating
5 4.21 – 5.00 Strongly Agree Very Usable
4 3.41 – 4.20 Agree Usable
3 2.61 – 3.40 Neutral Fairly Usable
2 1.81 – 2.60 Disagree Unusable
1 1.00 – 1.80 Strongly Disagree Very Unusable
For mean ratings between 3.41 and 5.00, it will be interpreted as the
software being “usable”. On the other hand, mean ratings between 1.00 and
3.40 are considered “not usable”, as respondents are not satisfied with the
software.
30
REFERENCES
Morris, B. (2004). Administering the school library media center. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
Rathinasabapathy, G (2006) Building Digital Libraries by using Open Source Software: Opportunities and Challenges. In Rathinasabapathy, G, Eds. Proceedings National Conference on "Digital Libraries: From Technology to Culture", Coimbatore, INDIA.
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Anctil, Eric, and Jamshid Beheshti (2004). Open Source Integrated Library Systems: An Overview.
The University of California Libraries (2005). Rethinking how we provide bibliographic services for the University of California. California.
Han, Yan and Rawan, Atifa (2007) Afghanistan Digital Library Initiative: Revitalizing an Integrated Library System. Information Technology and Libraries.
Arms, William Y. (2000) Digital Libraries. M.I.T. Press.
Adamson, Veronica, et al. (2008). JISC & SCONUL Library Management Systems StudySheffield, UK: Sero Consulting. p. 51. Retrieved on 21 January 2009. "... a Library Management System (LMS or ILS 'Integrated Library System' in US parlance)."
Tennant, Roy (16 April 2008). "Picking When to Jump, Part 2". Library Journal. Reed Business Information. http://www.libraryjournal.com/blog/1090000309/post/1770023177.html. Retrieved 20 January 2009. "Across the pond they use the term library management systems (LMS) for what we call the integrated library system (ILS)."
Shuttleworth, Martyn (2008). Descriptive Research Design. Retrieved April 12, 2010 from Experiment Resources: http://www.experiment-resources.com/descriptive-research-design.html
Jeffrey L.; Lonnie D. Bentley, Kevin C. Dittman. (2004). Systems Analysis and Design Methods. 6th edition. ISBN 025619906X.
Martin, J (1991), Rapid Application Development, MacMillan, New York.
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