Index of /depts/fitzpatrick/docs - Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African ...

New Books: A policy of purchasing one ornithological bookeach month over and above other book purchases wasinstituted during the year under review. A wish list ofornithological books has been compiled by the librarian andFitzstitute staff. This is continually updated as books arepurchased and new items are added to the list. To date thefollowing ornithological titles have been purchased:• Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds,vol. 4: Parrots to Dollarbirds• Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds,vol. 5: Tyrant-flycatchers to Chats• Birds of Nelspruit• Shrikes and BushshrikesPromotion of the Niven Library CollectionDuring the year under review the implementation of theAfrotropical Bird Database as a subset of the NISC WildlifeWorld Wide Database was launched. Although at presentholdings details have not been linked to the Niven Librarycollection, once this project has been completed the collectionwill receive international exposure.Dr Linda Birch, Librarian of the Alexander Library, EdwardGrey Institute of Field Ornithology at Oxford University visitedthe Niven Library in 2002 whilst in Cape Town. This visit wasmost fortuitous as the personal communication has opened thedoors to closer communication between the two libraries. DrBirch has been very generous in supplying photocopies ofmaterial unobtainable in South Africa to Roberts VII authors.Upgrading the Niven Library SystemFor some while the DOS based InMagic database, which haseffectively managed the Niven Library collection, has becomemore and more difficult to manage in relation to the upgradedsoftware of the UCT server. During the year under reviewaccess to the database has had to be restricted to 2workstations in the library at the inconvenience of the remoteusers of the library. The InMagic upgrade project was put onhold whilst an investigation was made of the feasibility ofmigrating the database to the same platform as that used byUCT Library. The proposal put to the University Librarian wasfor the Niven Library to become a Calico library member ratherthan the collection become incorporated into the UCT Librarydatabase. This would maintain the independent status of thelibrary whilst allowing users to search for materialsimultaneously across databases. Data conversion wasconsidered the most problematic and expensive aspect of theproject. This option appears to be a better long-term prospectfor the Niven Library database as any future software upgradeswould be seamlessly handled by UCT Library. In addition userswould be able to search the database using the familiarinterface of the UCT library catalogue instead of having to learna new search technique.SecurityThe loss/theft of material from the Niven Library is statisticallylow (approximately 1.68% using the statistics from the 2002shelf check) in comparison to a 1992 survey conducted onspecial libraries in the U.K. where the average loss rangedfrom 1.8% to 2.2%.There is a perception however that material is being takenfrom the library without the completion of a loan applicationslip. A number of high demand articles have been removed inthis way and not all have been returned.Since April 2003 access to the UCT library was restricted toholders of a staff, student or 3 rd party card. This effectivelymade the Niven Library vulnerable to users not associated witheither the Institute or the Zoology department. In May 2003 thedecision was taken to permanently lock the library so that userswould either have to be let in/out by the librarian or use theircards to gain access/egress. It was hoped that this would bothremind authorised users to borrow material responsibly andreduce the opportunity for theft from the library by monitoringall other users of the library.This security initiative puts the Niven Library on par with theUCT library during opening hours.Use of the LibraryOn average, 47 items per month are recorded as having beenborrowed during this period.Table 1. Niven Library stock circulation over the past four years2002/03 2001/02 2000/01 1999/00Monographs 409 537 658 565Reprints 155 153 133 220Total 564 690 791 785Document DeliveryA document delivery service is provided to users from otherinstitutions such as national and international universities andtechnikons, governmental institutions, NGO’s, ornithologicalsocieties and for private research.Table 2. Niven Library inter-library loans over the past four yearsPhotocopiesrequested (bystaff/students)PhotocopiessuppliedRequests notsatisfied2002/03 2001/02 2000/01 1999/00154365 130 208 18913 33 69 7638 Percy FitzPatrick Institute Annual Report: July 2002 - June 2003