IRRI Library Tour: Learnings outside the Fours Corners of the Classroom

ABSTRACT

The IRRI Library has the world's largest collection of rice literature. Filipino scientists and students are the largest group of user of the library. With the Rice Bibliography, which contains more than 170,000 references on rice, in at least 80 languages, now available in the Internet, scientists in far-off countries can now avail of the library's information and references easily. (http://www.irri.org/about/faq3.asp)

The IRRI Library tour that we had introduced us to the different resources and services emphasizing on document delivery of the said library. It also introduced us to the different modules of the Millennium Integrated Library System.

THOUGHTS / REFLECTION:

The Millennium Integrated Library System is not actually new to me. I was privileged enough to have experienced using and entering data to the Cataloging, Acquisitions, Serials and Circulation modules of the said system. I have also been using the OPAC module since college. And with my experiences using the system, I would say that it is one of the best and very user-friendly.

Three things I’ve learned with the library tour that the class had:

> Budget is the most important thing to consider in subscribing and maintaining a system. Though the Library is persistent in having the best system, it will still be the budget which will determine if that will be approved or not.
> I learned about the “Document Delivery” services more.
> Web 2.0 plays a very important role in improving the services of the library. The use of “Skype” in providing reference services to IRRI Library’s clients is a proof of how the new technology develops library services into a better and efficient one.

The Library is a dynamic entity which needs to regularly update and improve its services. The clients will always be given the primary consideration in these developments. As Ranganathan had proposed, “Save the time of the user”, we, as librarians need to stay abreast with the current trend and technology. We need to introduce services that will be very beneficial and of convenience to our clients.