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Introduction Overview of the Study This case study for the Academic Library of the Agricultural University of Tirana provides a description and analysis of the existing situation in the aforementioned library and concludes with recommendations regarding the organizational structure, the financial and personnel management, acquisitions and finally bibliographic standards. The basic aim of the case study is to issue a model system designed to meet the needs of the specific academic library, and therefore to improve and advance the presented Library Management System. Methodology This study is based on the data collected from the visit to Albania in April 1999. For the collection of data and the situation assessment a structured interview was used. Moreover, the evaluation of the existing situation was also possible through visits to all libraries and observation techniques. Informal interviews with librarians and libraries` representatives were also conducted. Information on contemporary trends of the international library community was provided by selected bibliography (journals and monographs). Overview of the Current Situation In 1995, with the help of the SARA and GTZ programs, the library started to convert its services into automated through a local network. However, with the events of 1997 everything the library owned was destroyed, as the library was totally burnt. At present, the technological equipment is minimal. The library s collection is limited compared to what it was before 1997, time of which everything was entirely destroyed. Analysis 1. Library Management 1.1. Organizational Structure The Agricultural University of Tirana has implemented the pyramid-organized model, according to which the library is divided into departments, and there is also a hierarchy in the administrative structure. Diagrammatically, the organization structure of Agricultural University of Tirana is the following: Ionian University 2
Figure 1 Organization Chart of Agricultural University Tempus-Phare Joint European Project Rector Chief Librarian Economic Department Librarians Librarians Librarians Librarians As we can see from the above chart, in the highest position of the administrative hierarchy is the rector of the University. Afterwards, we can distinguish the chief librarian, and finally the librarians. The Faculty of Economics, which manages the library s finances, is not part of the administrative hierarchy, as it is not an in-service department of the academic library. Consequently, the Faculty of Economics is an exterior section of the organizational structure of the library. In the organization chart of the Agricultural University, there is no distinction in authority scale. The hierarchy of employees in the organizational pyramid is not fully described. The chief librarian, apart from the administrative tasks, is also involved in tasks such as bibliographic description. Therefore the authority scale in the administrative hierarchy has not been defined properly. Moreover, in the pyramid-organized model there is no division of the library into departments. All the services performed in the same section. Therefore, the department of acquisitions, reference services, bibliographic description are all joined in a single department. The aforementioned section is actually the whole library. There is no explicit definition of the activities that each employee should perform. Moreover, the goals and objectives of the library are all in the same level of significance. In order to become manager of an academic library, the chief librarian has to have 11 employees as subordinates. Ionian University 3
1.2. Personnel Management Tempus-Phare Joint European Project The library of the Agricultural University has a staff of 10 librarians, including the chief librarian. From the 10 librarians, one is responsible for the administration of the library, the chief librarian, who is also working for the bibliographic description of the material. Two librarians are working on cataloguing, classification and indexing, while one librarian is responsible for the acquisitions. Four librarians are on reference services working, while the rest are performing auxiliary jobs. The librarians, who are working in the library of Agricultural University, are all University graduates, with the two-year training in the Training Center of the National Library of Albania. 20% 20% 60% Administration Library s Services Auxiliary Tasks In the department of library s services, only the 33,4% of the employees is being occupied for the bibliographic description, while the 66,6% of the employees are working in reference services. 33% 67% Rendering of Services Bibliographic Description It should be noted that there is no computer expert. Thus, the library has an external associate, who on a volunteer basis provides technical support for both software and hardware. The particular Ionian University 4
associate is a professor of computing science in the faculty of informatics in the Polytechnic University of Albania. 1.3 Financial Management 1.3.1 Method of Finance The Library depends for its finances to the university. The library of the Agricultural University gets a small amount of money, which is coming from the state s budget allocated to the parent organization. This amount of money is in the local currency (Leke). 1.3.2. Control of the budget in Agricultural University The chief librarian does not participate in the university senate. The rector of the university decides on the internal allocation of the funds within the organization. Therefore, the library does not have control over the distribution of monies within the university. The parent organization decides how the total budget will be allocated in the several services. 1.3.3. Financial Management in Agricultural University For the financial management of the library responsible is the Faculty of Economics of the Agricultural University, that controls and handles the finances. Therefore, no employee of the library is being occupied with financial tasks. In the organizational structure, the financial management is not included in the library s departments, as the Faculty of Economics is not an in-service section of the academic library. 2. Acquisitions The Agricultural University cooperates with approximately 10 publishers within Albania. The library s book collection is about 7.000? the library has 60 titles of foreign journals and 20 Albanian ones (3.000 volumes), and 14 titles of Albanian newspapers. All foreign material of the library is coming from donations. Each year the library orders a total of about 30 books from the Albanian publishing community. 3. Bibliographic Standards As all the academic libraries of Albania, Agricultural University s Library uses the following standards for the bibliographic description: ISBD (which is translated to the Albanian language) for the cataloguing UDC ed.1991 (translated to the Albanian language) for the classification Subject headings of the National Library of Albania for indexing The library, apart from the fact that owns a relevantly high number of journals and newspapers, does not have a catalogue. Ionian University 5
The classification of the material is by subject alphabetically. Tempus-Phare Joint European Project Recommendations The library is essential to be divided into departments correspondingly to its services. Therefore, the organizational design must be based on a pyramid scale, but also to be divided into departments, which explicitly represent the library s structure. The library is important to have in its disposal an organization chart, which will be proportional to the organizational structure. The organization chart must specifically show the authority scale within the library. Each department is essential to hold a predetermined position in the authority hierarchy. Each department must have in its disposal an organization chart, in spite of the organization chart that refers to the whole organization. Therefore, there must be a framework within each department, which will affirm the responsibilities and authority limits of each working position. The library of Agricultural University may be divided at least to the following departments: Department of bibliographic description Department of circulation control Department of acquisitions Department of administration Department of library s public relations and development Each department is essential to be divided into sections correspondingly to its responsibilities. Therefore, the department of bibliographic description will be divided into the sections of cataloguing, classification, data input, etc. The department of circulation control will be divided into the sections of reference services, material charge etc. The department of acquisitions will be divided into the sections of material order, inter-library material charge, etc. The department of administration will be divided into the sections of financial control, secretary s office etc. Finally, the department of library s public relations and development will be divided into the sections of finding alternative income resources, communicating with other institutions and organizations, being responsible for the inter-library cooperation etc. The tasks and the authority limits for each department must be explicitly predefined. Employee tasks and duties, as well as authorities should be well defined within each department. Hierarchy must be established both within organization and within department. Responsibilities and decision making should also be defined. Ionian University 6
A redistribution of personnel should be enforced for the better accomplishment of the library s aim. As it was observed a great percentage of the librarians are being occupied in the field of reference services, while in the field of administration there is a lack of staff. The concept of job rotation can be implemented, as this will give the opportunity to the members of the staff to be trained. Moreover, the employees will enrich their experiences and knowledge by moving from one department to another. Finally, the monotony of the repeated tasks will be eliminated. The library must ensure the establishment and implementation of a written policy. This policy should lead to the determination of library s goals and objectives. Moreover, it will contribute to the standardization of a framework, which sets the given services. (The recommendations of the main study on the written policy are valid for the Library of Agricultural University as well). A predetermined sum of money is essential to be given to the university s library. This amount of money must be fixed and steady, in order for the library to determine the allocation of the funds. Moreover, the library will be capable of handling the budget more efficiently. The library s budget must be divided into categories of distribution. Therefore, the budget is essential to be divided into groups, such as salaries, acquisitions, operation expenses etc. (The recommendations of the main study on the financial management are valid for the Library of Polytechnic University as well). As we have already mentioned, a department for the financial management is essential for the library s economic control. The faculty of Economics, which manages the library s finances, is not part of the administrative hierarchy, as it is not an in-service department of the academic library. The library is essential to employee staff for the accomplishment of administrative tasks (including economists). The library is essential to affiliate with foreign Universities that have similar departments (see Appendix A). This affiliation should aim in gaining support for the library s services. Foreign universities can assist the library in many ways, such as in acquisitions. Duplicates can be offered by foreign universities to enrich the collections of the library of University of Elbassan. The sense of the affiliation between developed and developing countries is part of the ideological stage and foreign policy. The library may cooperate or even affiliate with foreign non-profit organizations, institutions and foundations that support financially developing countries. The library is essential to communicate with organizations and institutions that are capable of providing financial support. Ionian University 7
The library is essential to implement and enforce a donation and acquisition policy, in order to manage its collections more efficiently. Ionian University 8
Appendix A Agricultural Universities United States Abraham Baldwin Agricultural Colege, Tifton, Georgia Angelo State University Arizona, University of - Agriculture Arkansas, University of - College of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences (AFLS) Auburn University California - Kearney Agricultural Center, University of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, College of Agriculture California State University -- Chico, College of Agriculture Cook College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and New Jersey Agriculture Experiment Station (NJAES) Cornell - College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Colorado State University Delaware College of Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, University of - Institute of Food and Agricultural Georgia Institute of Technology Georgia, University of - College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Hawaii, University of - College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Idaho, University of - College of Agriculture Iowa State University - College of Agriculture Illinois, University of - College of Agriculture Kansas State University Kentucky, University of Louisiana State University Massachusetts at Amherst, University of, College of Food and Natural Resources, Stockbridge School Michigan State University Mississippi State University - College of Agriculture and Home Economics Missouri - Columbia, University of Ionian University 9
Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture Nebraska-Lincoln, University of - Institute of Agriculture Tempus-Phare Joint European Project New Hampshire, University of - College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COLSA) New Mexico State University - College of Agriculture and Home Economics NC A&T State University - School of Agriculture North Carolina State University - Agriculture and Life Sciences North Dakota State University College of Agriculture Ohio State University Extension Oklahoma State Oregon State University Penn State University Puerto Rico, University of Purdue University - Agricultural Administration Rice University South Plains College Levelland, Texas Southern Illinois University, College of Agriculture Southwest Missouri State University Sul Ross State University Tennessee, University of - Institute of Agriculture Texas A&M University Texas Tech University Utah State University - College of Agriculture Washington State University, Agriculture and Home Economics at Wisconsin-Madison, University of, College of agricultural and life sciences Wisconsin-River Falls, University of - College of Agriculture Virginia Tech (My alma mater!) Washington State University at Tri-Cities Canada Alberta, University of - Agriculture, Forestry, and Home Economics Alberta, University of - Olds College Ionian University 10
Guelph, University of - Ontario Agricultural College Guelph, University of - Farming Systems Research Group Lethbridge, University of, Agricultural Biotechnology and Agricultural Studies Laval University - Department of Agriculture Macdonald College of McGill University Manitoba, University of - Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences Nova Scotia Agricultural College Saskatchewan, University of College of Agriculture Europe Aberdeen University, Department Of Agriculture Agricultural University of Athens Norway, Agricultural University of Helsinki, University of - Agriculture and Forestry Munich University of Technology Portugal, Agronomy College of, University of Reading Dept. of Agriculture; Agricultural Economics; Agricultural Extension and Rural Development Swedish University of Agric. Sci. University College Dublin (Ireland), Dept. of Animal Science and Production Wageningen Agricultural University Other Massey University (New Zealand) Western Sydney, University of, Hawkesbury (Australia) Universidad Nacional Agraria LA MOLINA, Lima Peru (English Version) Ionian University 11