As we all know, there are many styles of clothing. Without clothing, we can not do anything. From this point, we learn that clothing is so important that we can not leave them. However, do you know what the functions of clothing are?
Now let me tell you more about that.
Firstly, clothing has functions of decoration, health care and industrial care. Human beings pursue beauty that we care about matching clothes. We can find the function of decoration in the aesthetics of clothing. That can satisfy our spirit which obtains beautiful enjoying. Many factors can affect the beauty, such as styles, patterns, colors and so on. What is more, we all know that clothes keep us warm. They balance our thermal equilibrium that we can adapt to the change of climate.
With the development of technology, anti-static clothing is invented. They adapt to the places which are sensitive to static or which have the danger of explosion.
Secondly, people will dress clothes for the functions or socialization. Clothing will protect us from hot sun, extreme heat or cold, mosquito, deleterious chemical and so on. In a word, they can resist all the things which will do harm to our bodies.
Thirdly, clothing will convey social messages. They can tell us the social status, professions, marital status and so on. We have to grasp these so that we can recognize the messages. For example, if different groups have different comprehensions of the same cloth, then he or she who dresses this cloth will have unexpected response. What is more, only Roman Emperor can dress those purple clothing while his nationals can not. And in many western countries, only the rich can afford superfine clothes.
In addition to these, solders, policemen and firemen dress uniforms. And in many enterprises, workers will also dress uniforms as well. School students will dress school uniforms while college students will dress college clothing.
Once Indian women married, they will paint a red spot. But when they become widows, they have to throw out the red spot and dress native whiteness clothing.
All these examples show us that clothing can convey social messages.
Last but not the least, clothing can show ours individual characters. Nowadays is a period of seeking personality, we pay more attention to our appearance. There are many style clothing which will provide many choices for us. Different styles of clothing adapt to different kinds of people. What is more, different styles of clothing show different temperaments of us.
After my introduction, do you have a deeper comprehension of clothing?
Many colleges do not require a dress code for their students but some of the Ivy League Universities do have certain insignia's that the students are very proud to wear. Many of the Ivy League universities provide the students with their own numbers and jersey's when they are athletes. Their students are often use to getting their own special jackets with the insignia that designates what University that they are attending. Most students wear their University's dress wear when it comes to important events.
Students who attend colleges and universities all have the same thing in common when it comes to wearing certain types of clothes. The colleges do not require the student to wear anything special but it is just a common over all dress code that just about everyone in America wears today. Many college students like to wear the jacket of the school showing their colors and sometimes they wear sweaters, sweet shirts, and hats that all bare the school colors and logos. More commonly worn by most students are the traditional blue jeans, t-shirts, and sweaters. Many students wear gym shoes or loafers on their feet. Those students who attend college in the southern states may wear sandals or sneakers while the students from the northern states wear boots because of the cold weather.
When a young person attends college clothing is not always on the top of their list of things to buy because they need to save their money for food, books, and other important things needed while a student. That is why when holidays and birthday come around it is usually a good idea to give the student clothing as a gift. You should consider where they are attending school and this will give you a good idea what the student may need.
When you are thinking of giving a college student clothing consider if they are going to school in very cold weather or very warm climate. The students who are in school in colder weather usually need things like socks, hats, gloves, thermal underwear and perhaps even a warm coat. They can never get enough sweaters and blue jeans no matter where they attend school. Students who are going to college in much warmer climate probably can use things like sandals, swim suits, shorts and t-shirts. No matter where your favorite student attends school clothes is always a welcome gift.
No matter what the size or layout of a dorm room - organization is a must! With small spaces, there is no room for disorganization. Here are some organizing tips for dorm rooms.
If you are planning to visit home after the start of the school year, bring summer clothes home and take winter clothes back to college. Taking just the clothing suited to the current season will help save space. Contact your roommate before arriving to avoid possible duplication of larger items such as a television, fridge, microwave, iron, ironing board, etc.- which take up a lot of space.
Bunk or loft your beds to create more living space. Bed risers also work great to maximize storage underneath your bed. Increase your space by utilizing back of doors, inside closet doors and wall space. Most colleges do not want their walls damaged by new holes so remember to bring lots of sticky tack and Rubbermaid's line of wall adhesive hooks.
Late night snacks are inevitable at college. Ziploc bags and sealable containers go a long way. Keep all crackers, snacks, etc. in these to prevent ants or other bugs from invading your dorm room. A plastic tote is a great way to store and carry items to and from the communal showers. This keeps all items in one place and prevents leaving items behind. Do not forget a pair of flips flops for the showers and your robe!
With new friends and new experiences, comes much memorabilia. Think ahead and plan on one memorabilia box per school year. This limits all the paper and knick knacks you save- start off with a large shoe box, and if you must grow to a larger container, ok, but remember to limit it to one container.
Keeping track of classes, assignments, and campus events/dates seems daunting. Some colleges offer pocket calendars with preprinted campus dates. Definitely purchase one either from the college or a generic one from an office supplies store. After getting syllabuses from your professors, take time to enter in all assignment due dates.
Paper during college will soon pile up if it is not contained. Here are two ideas- create a labeled binder for each course which would contain pockets, sheet protectors, and blank paper. Three-hole punch incoming paper and add it to the corresponding course. OR get one 2 inch binder that will contain all courses. Separate courses by insertable labeled index dividers. Include blank paper and sheet protectors as well.
Christmas lights are a fun, yet cheap way to dress up and decorate a dorm room. Do not forget a strand of two while packing, along with adhesive hooks to hang them.
Do not Forget the essentials while organizing dorm rooms! Organizational Gear and Products:
Dorm Room Closets
Over the Door Pocket Organizers
Shoe Rack/Cubes
Hangers and Hooks
Over door Towel Racks
Laundry
Mini Drying Rack
Pop Up Hamper
Stain Sticks
Desks in Dorm Rooms
Extension Cords and Surge Protectors
Bulletin/Message Board
Desktop Organizers for Accessories
Three-Hole Punch/Stapler
Storage
Set of Bed Lifts
CD/DVD Storage
Stackable Crates or Cubes (for books)
Under bed Storages Boxes
Memorabilia/Photo Boxes
Bath
Shower Tote/Caddy
Cosmetic Trays/Organizers
Okay, when you hear "study skills," you probably immediately want to take a nap, but, seriously, these things are important. Here's a little secret: college isn't really all about learning about certain subjects. It's actually more about figuring out how to deal with information that you're given. Sure, you're building up a base of knowledge that you'll eventually use in your job, but learning how to manage your time and the information you need to know effectively will prepare you for the workplace way more than acing all your tests will. Of course, having the right study skills won't hurt your test scores, either. Here are the top five study skills that you should master this year.
1. Take notes. It's a proven fact that when you process information through your fingers, you remember it better. Learn how to take good notes on your reading and on lectures, and you'll actually end up needing to study less because more information will stick the first time around. Whether you prefer to take notes with a pencil and paper or your laptop doesn't matter, just as long as you take detailed notes.
2. Ask the right questions. Learning a subject inside and out has a lot to do with the questions you ask. If you're in a lecture and you don't understand something, it's important that you ask questions so that you can gain some clarity. At first, you might ask vague questions that don't get you the answers you need right away, but with some practice, you'll figure out how to ask questions that get straight to the point more often than not.
3. Study in groups. Okay, so not everyone likes to study in groups, but knowing how to work with a group can be really important for college and your future career. Find at least one class where a study group would be useful, and then take the initiative to form it. You can memorize things faster when someone's quizzing you, and you can also learn a lot from other people, who probably understand things differently than you do during class.
4. Learn to practice. Whether you're practicing problems before your math exam or practicing essays before a major philosophy test, practice definitely makes perfect. There needs to be a balance here, though. Don't go overboard so that you get bogged down by too many practice questions. Teach yourself to recognize when you need more practice with a particular lesson and when you've got it down pat and will just need to skim a quick review before the next quiz or test.
5. Manage your time. Time management is probably the single most important study skill that you'll need to get through college and, really, the rest of life in general. Whether you need to set a timer to help you focus on important tasks in half an hour chunks, create a detailed to-do list, or make some sort of daily flowchart, you need to figure out how you best manage your time. If you're having trouble getting all your work done, talk to some professors or friends about how they manage to fit everything in. Everyone gets twenty-four hours a day, but some people use those hours a little better than others. Learn from those people!
College football helmet decals can create a great ambiance of the game even while you are watching it at home. Not only do the pictures of football helmets on the wall give a great appearance to your room, you can even flaunt your loyalty towards any team you love. A true football enthusiast would love to have it all over his room.
College football is one of the most courageous games or sports to play. It is precisely why football players wear so much gear and you can hardly notice the players beneath them. A large NCAA helmet decal will remind you about how tough the game is and it also gives you a feeling of being the football star yourself.
The helmet is one of the most important accessories in the great game of football. Lot of research and testing are been conducted while designing the helmets. You might want to check their features thoroughly before buying them. Don't forget to try them on and see if it feels comfortable on you. The wide range of football helmet stickers available can give you a good idea on the available models.
College football helmet decals are extremely large and precision cut from vinyl. Most children love sports and creating a football theme bedroom with removable stickers will make them really happy. They can also be a great design for a baby room as well. Your kids can show the loyalty towards their favorite football team by selecting the exclusive team stickers.
You could also design the windows using the football helmet and jersey. Or why not also display your favorite football hero on the wall with a life size cut out. You can decorate everything inside the room with football team colors and theme logos. The sporty look of the bedroom can make your kid feel enthusiastic all the time.
The college football helmet stickers are available for every team in the competition including many other big teams like Florida Gators, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State Cowboys, USC Trojans and all the rest. These decors in your room will always remind you of your favorite team players. You can pump more support to your favorite football players even from your home. Your kid will be always beaming with great sportsmanship spirit.
This football season, you can decorate your dormitory walls with large removable, vinyl graphics and stickers of your favorite football team. Decorate and brighten your room instantly with removable wall helmet stickers. Since the graphics are removable, if you change your favorite team through out the year no worries, or if you move dorm rooms or move house, no worries, they can come along with you, without leaving any stains.
College football helmet decals will make any room a talking point. You can stick huge posters in your bedroom and give it a college playground like appearance with two opposite goal posts. These removable helmet stickers will give you the experience of the great game from your home setup itself.
Teen fashion is the new buzz in the glamor world. It is quite surprising to see that nowadays young boys and girls are making a conscious effort to "fit in" the fashion world with their own unique and fresh sense of style. The teenage style is original and quite individualistic.
The most amazing thing about today's teens is that they are not scared to experiment with different colors and varied types of clothing style. The primary criterion for them is to highlight their personality in order to position themselves as a "trendsetter" among their friends and college mates. There is an array of dressing styles that are providing teens multiple choices to make the most suitable selection.
Teenage Jeans
Some things can never go out of fashion irrespective of what are the latest fads and trends. A nice pair of jeans is just that one perfect piece of clothing. It's comfy, stylish and wearable on several occasions. Among the girls, skinny and fitted jeans are on the rage especially hourglass shaped girls look their best in such jeans as these tend to accentuate their slender and slim figure. For young boys, jeans are an everyday wear which is why baggy and loose fitted jeans are perfect option. Stone-washed jeans are ideal for those guys who desire a rugged and rough look. Both young boys and girls can wear jeans teamed with some bright and trendy T-shirts in order to get that perfect stylish look.
Elegant Clothing for Young Girls to Suit Special Occasions
Girls love to dress up in beautiful dresses that would capture the very essence of their femininity and grace. There are several occasions like the school prom where the girls would want to stand out and make other girls envy of their personal sense of style. In order to suit such occasions, long flowing gowns and dresses would be ideal to make a perfect style statement. The most ideal gowns that are mostly preferred by young girls are the Cinderella dresses that make them look really elegant and chic. This type of clothing includes several other dresses that would really compliment the young style. Empire dresses are another favorite of many that are usually high waist dresses that tend to bring out the youthful effect. Such dresses are usually preferred in bright and vibrant colors like hot pink, purple, blue, lavender and turquoise.
Boy's Clothing
Jeans are a "must have" for all boys as these are their everyday wear. Comfort is the most important criterion for guys when it comes to fashion and trends. They do not follow trends blindly unlike some girls who tend to compromise their comfort level in order to look "different". Besides jeans, boys go for trousers to suit several formal occasions. Shorts can be worn for day out with friends on a beach or a pool side party. Leather jackets look extremely trendy and fashionable on boys that are can be worn for several formal and informal occasions. Pastel colored shirts look extremely elegant and graceful on young boys.
Teen clothing is all about being fun and youthful. Their sense of dressing is bright and flamboyant. They know how to mix and match to get a unique sense of style and bring out their creativity and freshness in style and glamour. Yes, they are avid followers of their role models in the fashion industry, yet they make sure that their personal sense of style comes to surface.
Bulk polo Shirts are not hard to locate online, if you know where to look. Cheap Ralph Lauren shirts are hard to find, sometime it can be a futile search. I have long coveted Ralph Lauren shirts, they have been a favorite of mine since my freshman year in college. I used to spend tons of money at the famous department stores like Macy's, then I tried hitting the outlet malls. Either way I was spending way to much money in my search for cheap Ralph Lauren shirts.
I never thought of checking out online for bulk polo shirts, I figured the only place to purchase Ralph Lauren clothing was at the mall and outlet stores. I could not have been wrong. I hope your a big fan of RL gear, I mean let's be honest. You want to look great and keep your bank account healthy. No one likes to spend boat loads of money, especially when you can get what you covet at much lower prices.
It's an incredible resource we have today in the Internet, we should all take a moment to thank Al Gore, who helped bring it to the masses. Now everything is available to us 24/7. It does not matter where you live, if you have a Internet connection, you can shop for anything and can be very selective with your hard earned dollar.
You like to find bulk polo shirts but do not want to pay to much money. Heck economically, it's would be savvy for us to endlessly search for the cheap Ralph Lauren shirts we want. I am glad to tell you, your searching has finally come to an end. You no longer need to wonder where you can find RL gear or have to worry about hunting down bargains at local department store.
INTRODUCTION
The library has become "a place entrusted with the acquisition, organization, preservation, storage, retrieval and dissemination of information in whatever format it might appear" (Olanlokun and Salisu 1993, ix). West Africa Theological Seminary Library is at the crossroad. The traditional library practices and modern technological advances must be developed and embraced if it is to be relevant in this information age. It is a very high price which must be paid otherwise the library will eventually become like the legendary character who slept for twenty years at Gasgill Mountain in Gulliver's Travels and eventually woke up to find the world completely changed.
BRIEF HISTORY OF WEST AFRICA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
The history of the above seminary could be realistically traced to the historic visitation by two American missionaries (Rev. Dr. and Rev. Mrs. Gary Maxey) who led a group of Nigerian and expatriate Christians to Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria in April 1989. (The Maxeys had initially worked creditably in religious education in Port Harcourt for seven years). The establishment of the seminary in 1989 was a practical demonstration of the need to actively participate in the training of pastors, evangelists, missionaries and teachers not only in Nigeria but also in other parts of the continent and the west. Presently, the seminary is the largest non-denominational evangelical holiness seminary in Nigeria that has attracted students from a broad spectrum of Nigerian Christian denominations, (and) ethnic groups. During a recently completed semester, WATS has students from thirty of Nigeria's states, from over forty language groups, from (several) other African countries, and from well over eighty different church groups (West Africa Theological Seminary Prospectus 2004, 5).
The name of the seminary was changed from Wesley International Theological Seminary to West Africa Theological Seminary on 1 June 2001, the same year it relocated to 35/37 MM International Airport Road, Lagos, Nigeria. The institution is affiliated to the University of Nsukka, Nigeria and presently offers several programs of study including : Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies, Bachelor of Arts in Theology, Diploma in Theology, Certificate in Computer Studies, Diploma in Computer Studies, M.A. in Biblical Studies, Master of Divinity, M.A. in Christian Leadership and M.A. in Intercultural Studies. The seminary started publishing the West Africa Theological Seminary Journal in 2002.
One of the immediate plans of the seminary is to automate its library collection. A crucial aspect is to identify software that will be able to meet the needs of the seminary. In selecting software, the seminary must think in terms of networking and bear in mind that automation programmes normally require annual support fees.
WEST AFRICA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY LIBRARY
It is a truism that "the library is the nerve center of educational institutions" (Olanlokun and Salisu 1993, vii) and West Africa Theological Seminary Library is no exception. This library uses the second edition of the Anglo American Cataloguing Rules (AACR2) and the twentieth edition of Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC 20). The card catalog is divided, "a file of authors and titles kept in a single alphabetical order and a file of subject cards in alphabetical order" (Newhall 1970, 38) and the filing system is letter by letter, a system in which "entries are filed without considering the spaces between words" (Nwosu 2000, 61). There is a book catalog, which contains the projects (undergraduate and graduate) submitted by students of the seminary and some members of staff who studied in other institutions.
In 2003 the library benefited from a subscription paid by Asbury Theological Seminary to use the ATLA (American Theological Library Association) Database on CD Rom. This is a comprehensive tool designed to support religious education and faculty research. The library serves students, academic and administrative staff of the seminary and external users (academic staff and students from other theological institutions).
Other relevant information include:
OPENING HOURS:
A. During term: Mondays to Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. ? 10:30 p.m.
B. Holiday: Mondays to Fridays: 9:00 a.m. ? 9:00 p.m.
NO OF BOOKS: 36,500
NO OF journal titles: 98
NO. OF VIDEO AND AUDIO CASSETTES: 114
PHOTOCOPYING MACHINE: 1
THE BOOK CATALOG: Projects (both card and book catalog)
NO. OF REFERENCE MATERIALS: 1,722
LIBRARY STAFF
With the exclusion of the presenter, WATS library is presently manned by seventeen members of staff, nine of whom are student workers. These student workers mostly work in the evenings, manning the security and circulation desks (although no external borrowing is done during this period). In addition, they clean they library.
CHALLENGES
1. Training and recruiting professional librarians
Nine out of the seventeen members of staff are student workers who use this opportunity to raise a significant portion of their fees and, in some cases, some extra funds to maintain themselves as they pursue their theological studies. The presenter is unaware of any who has expressed interest in the library profession. Services rendered cannot be classed as professional. Unfortunately, only two of the regular members of staff have completed some form of library training at the senior supporting level. The implication is that the library is seriously in need of professional librarians otherwise it would continue to run sub-standard services. An irksome dimension is that in most cases, junior members of staff who are in the majority "are allowed to do professional duties in the absence of the right cadre who should do them" (Nwosu 2000, 103).
The card catalog for instance will be used to demonstrate the effect the paucity or lack of professional librarians is having on the library collection.
The most common form of library catalog in West Africa is the card catalog and "there is need for (one) to know the design of the system to be able to use it effectively" (Nwosu 2000, 57). A challenge for the library is to maintain a consistent filing rule. Although WATS library operates the system known as the "letter-by-letter" or "all-through" method, there are evidences of the other method, that is the "word-by-word" or "nothing before something". The former is the common approach to alphabetization, where B must always come before C. In the latter, the space between words is taken into account since the focus is on each word. When it gets to the turn of the word in the alphabetic sequence, all its associates are considered along.
Marrying the two methods of filing or alphabetization may cost one the information that is needed.
Another problem is misapplication of the filing rules. The American Library Association Code (Rule 6) stipulates that "abbreviated words should be filed as if they were spelled out in full, with one exception, that is, the abbreviation Mrs. St. is therefore filed as if it were spelled Saint, and Mc... as Mac" (Harrison and Beenham 1985, 82). The above rule is unfortunately misapplied in WATS library. If the rule is not taken into consideration, the word scan will be filed before St. when it should be the other way round. In the same manner, the Dr. (doctor) will also be filed before down and not the other way round.
A third issue in filing (Rule 5) states that initials should be filed before words. (However, acronyms are treated as words, for example UNICEF, UNESCO, ECOWAS etc.) There are instances in the WATS catalog that this rule is not taken into consideration. A word like Aaron erroneously comes before A.G.M and A.L.A.
It is frightening that there is no clear room for upward mobility of library staff. In the absence of a professional scheme of service or promotion guidelines, members of staff have worked in one position since they received their appointment letters.
2. Computerizing the library
Some libraries in Nigeria have automated their services. Examples include the Institute of Tropical Agriculture Library at Ibadan and the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Library, Oshodi, Lagos. Others, including WATS Library, are on the verge of putting their automation plan into action.
Automation can benefit the Acquisition, Cataloging and Serial Departments in the following ways :
Acquisition : Automation can help in fund control as well as in generation and dissemination of reports. List of items, including the accession list can also be printed.
3. Acquisition
Acquisition is generally defined as "the process of obtaining books and other documents for a library, documentation center or archive" (Prytherch 1986, 61). Incontrovertibly, it is "one of the most important functions of any library system" (Ali 1989, 66). Some means of acquisition of library materials include purchase, donation, exchange, Legal Deposit Legislation and membership of professional organizations. In most libraries in West Africa, it is observed that
acquisition rates are grossly inadequate to support both teaching and research even if judged by minimal standards accepted in developed countries. Attempts to alleviate the situation with various forms of aid though intrinsically meritorious offer little hope for long term improvement (Allen 1993, 232).
Donated materials extensively stock West Africa Theological Seminary Library. Since beggars are not choosers, there is a significant proportion of dated publications. There are many reading materials which are not even relevant to the general curriculum of the seminary. Weeding 'unwanted' stock is a big problem to the library since there are no suitable replacements.
An often-overlooked means of acquisition is membership of professional associations. If the library continues to distance itself from the professional register of library institutions, it will not be aware of current trends in the professional which will negatively reflect on the type and quality of services rendered.
4. Internet connectivity
The WATS administration released a letter on 2nd January 2005 announcing a significant reduction (about 75%) of the internet service provided on campus. This was attributed to the reduction in the bandwidth which made it impossible to support all the former work stations. A technological blow was dealt on the library cyber café since it fell prey to this decision. Students were advised to use the cyber café on the ground floor. The seminary administration must support the library in its embryonic stage to judiciously embrace the new technology. On the other hand, the theological librarians have a very crucial role "to ensure that the resulting use of computers and telecommunication and any other appropriate technology contributes in cost effective ways to the needs of scholarship and research since (they) have the expertise in acquiring materials in a variety of formats and make them accessible for a variety of purposes" (Simpson 1984, 38).
5. Online resources
An online resource that was used at West Africa Theological Seminary (and which is highly recommended for other theological libraries in Africa) is the American Theological Library Association (ATLA) Religion Index, useful for accessing articles, reviews, essays, dissertations and monographs. The use of databases, which overlap subject fields, that is, interdisciplinary database searching, is an often over-looked aspect of online searching.Users of West Africa Theological Seminary Library do not have access to an incredible amount of online resources because it is not subscribing to use these materials. An example of a very important online resource is the Online Computer Library Centre (OCLC). This center, a bibliographic utility based in Dublin, Ohio is a global electronic information co-operative serving about 39,517 libraries in seventy-six countries. It runs an Online Union Catalog. There are approximately twenty eight million cataloguing records and the database (using MARC tapes and other online input data for users) provides reference services and interlibrary loan, qualifying it probably as the world's most comprehensive database of bibliographic information that produces the First Search System through which a library can subscribe to thousands of academic and professional titles from about seventy publishers available electronically.
6. Functional photocopier
Although the library has a photocopier, the machine is frequently out of order. This second hand machine needs to be replaced to enable the library to realistically benefit from its services. The seminary administration even took a decision recently to hand over photocopying services to a student who is presently running a better business.
7. Audio visual collection
Audio visuals are non-paper based information carriers. They have been introduced into the library through advances in technology. They are called audio-visuals because they require auditory and visual appreciation. One of their chief advantages is storing a large amount of information in a small space. Audio visuals include audio tapes, microforms, filmstrips, charts, slides, video tapes, television etc. Some of these appeal only to the sense of hearing (audios), some only to the sight (visuals) and others to both the auditory and visual senses (audio visuals). Although WATS library has received quite a few audio visual materials, there is need to purchase the necessary supporting equipments to make the audio visual collection a reality.
The seminary has been receiving several research tools in the form of CD ROMS for a considerable period. The library is yet to make these available to users by installing them in a functional computer.
8. Bindery
It is true that "once any item is selected for the collection, the library promises to preserve it" (Goodrum and Dalrymple 1985, 65). The absence of a bindery collection within the library is adversely affecting the physical condition of books. It must be borne in mind that since a significant portion of library materials are donated, many are received in a very poor physical condition.
The bindery could also be very instrumental in binding back issues of newspapers and journals to facilitate a relatively easier storage, retrieval and dissemination of information.
9. User instruction
A major weakness of library practice is the failure to instruct users in the use of the library to the best advantage. From experience, "surveys have shown that public use of such tools as catalogues are minimal, largely because they have never been shown how they operate" (Jackaman 1989, 3). Many students in WATS go through the seminary without a reasonable grasp of basic library principles. This means that the one hour orientation conducted at the start of every semester is insufficient.
10. Serial collection
Various journals subscribed to by the library are selected, ordered and received, processed and shelved by this collection. It is constantly checked to determine if there are any missing issues already due but have not been received in order to make such claims. This section also stocks newspaper. The relevance of such an invaluable collection in the library cannot be overemphasized. It is unfortunate that WATS library is not subscribing to journals and this explains why there are many distinct gaps in periodical literature. The library is at the mercy of donors who normally send journals at random.
Newspapers are directly purchased by the WATS administration and these are subsequently sent to the library in most cases not on the day of purchase. This defeats the purpose of newspapers since they come late to the library. Providing recent information must be the primary concern for the library or information worker. Consequently, "currency should therefore be a requirement and not an option" (Wilson 1993, 636).
11. Heat in the library
The present heat in the library is detrimental to the books since humidity is a threat to their survival. If not sprayed periodically, fungi easily develop within the pages and damage the writing. Many researchers are unable to stay for a considerable period simply because of the discomfort caused by a very hot environment.
12. Internet searching
When the library cyber café was functioning, user statistics of users indicated that ninety percent of those who used the Internet did so to send mails and chat with friends. The remaining ten percent use it to conduct research and perform other functions. The insignificant percentage that uses it for research purposes heavily rely on Google. A student and a library staff opined that they adopt the 'google only' approach because they are not aware of any other cite.
It is observed that "most users locate (information) through subscription-free search engines such as Google" (Harding 2004). This over-reliance is a serious limitation. The effectiveness of Google is assessed thus:
A recent search on Google of 'Ancient Near East' resulted in over 150,000 results. While many of these are probably excellent sites, many more are probably not. The ETANA site, interestingly, does not appear in the first one hundred listings. Thus, the researcher who would benefit from access to ETANA but who does not know of its existence will likely not stumble across it using Google (Limpitlaw 2003, p.5).
It is rather unfortunate that even lecturers are incredibly proliferating reliance upon one web site (Google). The issue is that "if faculty researchers themselves are relying almost exclusively upon Google, however, how many of them are likely to encourage students to expand their searches beyond Google, to at least explore the resources and materials their libraries maintain?" (Norlin 2004, 56). The library staff must be very instrumental in directing users to many other relevant sites and free online libraries, for instance Africa Digital Library in South Africa. Continuing education for the library staff must be encouraged to enable them to be abreast of technological changes. It is opined that "a successful training program is also dependent on the commitment that top management shows for the training process" (Martey 2002, 14). An incontrovertible reality is that "librarians need to know how to access and filter what is on the web" (Rosenberg 1997, 15). Among several suggestions to shake the evident frost off the African church in its theological mission, Tienou (1990) proffers the improvement of theological libraries, and (by implication), the theological librarians who intersperse between the information and the user. The training of library staff and information professionals is very crucial in coping with the astronomically fast development that is evident in the information age. It is rather unfortunate that the theological librarians have not generally accompanied the introduction of Internet service at West Africa Theological Seminary Library with a thorough training on its use.
Indubitably, unless ... librarians receive this staff training, there is a danger that the potential of this technology for sourcing and repackaging for information transfer will remain insufficiently exploited and that it will not become integrated with more traditional print-based library services" (Asamoah 2003, 17).
13. Funding
It is incontrovertible that "every good collection is an expression of adequate and sound financial backing, and no collection development can achieve this objective if it is financially handicapped" (Alemna 1994, 47). In their commentary on the challenge in the field of librarianship, it is observed that "library funding will probably be the issue which consumes the energy of library managers to the end of this century (and the next)" (Moore and Shander 1993, 19). WATS library must be realistically budgeted for if it is to continue to be the academic nerve center of the seminary.
THE WAY FORWARD
Like Ato Yawson in Ama Ata Aidoo's The Dilemma of a Ghost, the question is, shall WATS library go to Cape Coast (representing the traditional) or Elmina (representing the modern')? In the field of librarianship, a realistic response lies "in preserving traditional services and embracing the technological advances" (Harding 2002, 9).
The following are proffered for consideration to assist WATS library to face the inescapable challenges:
1. Professionally trained staff
The library profession is in crises. It is observed that "the need to find and retain quality leadership for libraries is a core issue for the future" (Hisle 2002, 211). Library staff at WATS must be professionally trained. Acquisition of relevant library qualifications cannot be overemphasized. Relevant training must include use of software applications. The modern theological librarian is standing on a crossroad and must maintain a very useful balance between traditional and modern research techniques to be relevant in this information age. Substandard services will continue to be provided if staff are employed just because they are Christians with little emphasis on professional training. Theological librarians need the kind of training conducted by ACTEA (Accrediting Council for Theological Education in Africa) East Africa Library Staff Training Institute in Daystar University in Kenya in July 2004. Untrained librarians need courses in cataloguing and classification, management of the library and answering reference questions. Furthermore, they must receive training in searching the internet, using Boolean operators to consult full-text journals, accessing reference materials on CD Roms, using MARC, and compiling lists of important websites and reference CDs.
Seminary, library, training, recruiting, librarians,
2. Scheme of service
In order not to make a continued mockery of the library profession, it is recommended that the professional guidelines for the appointment and promotion of library staff at all levels be drafted and implemented. The seminary administration could compare the scheme of service of several institutions in Nigeria and the sub-region as a guide to reasonably maintain the standard.
Positions which should be taken into consideration within the various categories include:
a. Junior staff
i. Messenger/cleaner
ii. Library attendant III
iii. Library attendant II
iv. Library attendant I
v. Library assistant I
vi. Library assistant II
vii. Library assistant III
b. Senior supporting staff
i. Trainee Librarian/Senior Library Assistant II / Admin. Assistant II
ii. Senior Library Assistant I / Admin.
c. Senior staff
i. Library Officer
ii. Librarian II
iii. Librarian I
iv. Senior Librarian
v. Deputy Librarian
vi. Head Librarian
The criteria for scoring senior library staff should be taken into consideration. Some of these areas include :
Academic and professional qualifications
Professional/working experience
Professional activities
Research and publications
Administrative experience
3. Revamping of internet services in the library
The library cyber café must be resurrected if the library is to be relevant in this technological age. The library staff should receive training that will enable them to creditably handle databases in their library.
4. User instruction
The library should be more proactive in user education strategies. More current awareness or selective dissemination of information should be done to attract students and staff. A course on the use of the library could be introduced as a compulsory subject for all categories of students. It is evident even in West Africa Theological Seminary that "librarians can no longer assume the same level of interest in and support for the library from a faculty that increasingly rely upon their own search strategies and abilities in an electronic world they can access from their offices" (Norlin 2004, 56). Theological librarians need to be carefully attuned to the concerns of the students and faculty. If librarians at WATS discharge professionalism in identifying the problem of the researcher, searching for specific pieces of information efficiently and expeditiously and transmits the result of the search by any convenient means to both faculty and student users (telephone, email, personal call, short letter to mention a few), the interest in the library as information intermediary would gradually be revamped.
The library of West Africa Theological Seminary should spend several weeks offering "faculty only" and "students only" training sessions on the use of American Theological Library Association database (after paying the current subscription). An incontrovertible fact is that "unless theological librarians consciously view the faculty (and students) as the primary target for (their) activities, (they) would become irrelevant to...students, faculty, administrators and institutions" (Norlin 2004, 55).
5. The role of the seminary administration
Management at WATS must recognize that the library is not an optional extra and that the impending doctoral programme in the seminary will only become a reality when the library attains a particular professional standard. Seminary authorities must support its progress by developing existing collections (for instance, subscribing to scholarly journals for the serials collection) and by assisting in the setting up of a vibrant Digital Library Collection which should be manned by a professional librarian. Providing server upgrades and disk storage space must be seriously considered. There should be regular in-service training to assist library staff gain relevant skills in information technology.
The issue of funding cannot be overemphasized. The WATS Library can only be relevant in this information age if the seminary administration would recognize "the centrality of its academic nerve centre (the library) and ensure the sustainability of the library programmes and services" (Harding 2002, 9). Introduction of user charges, more fund raising activities in the library (such as book sales), increase in the support from donor agencies could yield an increase in income needed to purchase and maintain necessary equipment.
When the library is adequately funded, it will be in a position to subscribe to relevant journal titles, purchase standard theological texts, build a vibrant audio visual collection, provide air conditioning facilities to control the heat, replace the photocopier and provide other necessary services as and when necessary.
Professionally trained staff, scheme of service, revamping of internet services in the Computerize, cataloging, acquisition, internet, user instruction, audio visual, serial, bindery, funding, scheme of service,
6. Membership of professional organizations
WATS library should enroll as an institutional member of professional library associations such as Nigeria Theological Library Association, Christian Librarians' Association for Africa, American Theological Library Association and Christian Librarians' Fellowship. (The presenter is a member of all but the former). It was through the American Theological Library Association that the author was informed that the twenty second edition of the Dewey Decimal Library (DDC) classification has been published. (WATS is using the twentieth edition). The DDC numbers include all headings newly mapped to the 200 Religion Schedule, as well as others considered to be of interest to theological libraries.
Below is an illustration:
Subject heading Call number
All Souls' Day in art 704.9493943
Islamic modernism 297.09
Nymphs (Greek deities) in art 704.9489221
Open-air preaching 206.1, 251
Social capital (Sociology) ? Religious aspects 201.7
Venus (Roman deity ) in art 704.9489221
(Osmanski 2003, 2-1)
7. Computerization
CONCLUSION
It is indubitable that the role of the library as information intermediary would never change. However, the means to fulfill this invaluable role keeps changing and the library must adapt to maintain its relevance. WATS library is a unit of a self-supporting institution with several challenges. Traditional library practices must be fully developed and the best of modern technology must be embraced. This high price must be paid as the library journeys to 'Cape Coast'. The seminary librarians have a major challenge to move from being mere keepers of the book to guides through a universe of knowledge, thereby playing an invaluable role as information intermediary (Kargbo 2002). Since the mission of the library to facilitate the free flow of information endures even in the midst of technological changes, the librarians in all types of libraries, including WATS, "must find a very useful balance between the conventional/traditional library functions and the methods of the new challenges in order to maintain their leadership role in (the) information age" (Harding 2002, 10). Librarians in West Africa Theological Seminary could only be relevant in this age if they gear up to possess the necessary skills to enable users to creditably use materials for reading, study and consultation in whatever format they might appear. This cannot be realized without the invaluable support of the seminary administration. With this realization, "the students will be taught the art of electronic information retrieval, which they can use to write their project work and thesis" (Asamoah 2003, 17).
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I'm sure you are well aware that the Christmas gift shopping has to get done pretty soon but maybe you are stuck for original ideas. If you have to find a present for a 9 year old boy then this article might be able to point you in the right direction. It will present three cool Christmas gift ideas for 9 year old boys or boys around that age.
The first gift idea is an old favorite. It's LEGO. But not just the simple block sets that certainly encourage creativity but may also be a bit dull for kids of around 9 years of age. The item presented here is the City Public Transport set.
This is far more advanced from the plain old blocks, as it is a set with a theme. And that theme, of course, is a public transport system. In the set you get a train or tram system with station. You also get a filling station for road vehicles and a bus. There are a few other cars, like a street sweeping vehicle, a flash yellow sports car and, believe it or not, a bicycle. There are also a few LEGO characters to drive and ride on these transport systems.
Kids will love to play with the set on its own or they can incorporate it into their existing LEGO sets. It is a fairly new release as it only came out in August this year so it's bound to be a toy to get any kids that are mad on Lego and want to add to their collection.
Another toy that is sure to appeal to boys is the AT AT Walker model. The AT AT walker (All Terrain Armored Transport) is part of the Star Wars movies. Most kids today may be up on the Clone Wars and the latest characters from this time in the Star Wars legend but this is a way to get them into the older movies.
The AT AT is from the second Star Wars movie (chronologically speaking) and is such a fantastic looking machine that most fans of the movies would love to have such a toy. The toy is a well detailed model of the real machines.
You can open the cockpit to see all the dashboard decal and there is space for character, like the driver and commander to steer the walker. You can also open the body to store stormtroopers and gear for the impending battle. As part of the toy, you also get an imperial bike speeder which can be stored in the body.
The final toy that is sure to suit a 9 year old boy (or girl for that matter) is the Razor E200 scooter. This is an motor driven deck style scooter. It looks a bit like a skateboard with a steering column. You can even get a similarly designed scooter without the motor which requires leg power to move it, but most kids already have something like this. They'd really love one with a motor on it.
When students are getting ready to graduate from high school, they have a big decision to make about what the next step in their lives is going to be. For many people, this step involves going to a college or a university. The process of choosing the right school to fit the student's needs and desires can often be overwhelming. This is something the schools need to keep in mind when trying to recruit these students. A great way to catch students' attention is to give them some complimentary promotional products with the school's logo on them. These promotional items can vary from pencils to t-shirts.
While it is important to show potential students that the school is able to accommodate their interests, it is also important for students to see what else is available to them outside of the campus. A good way to do this would be to set them up with a current student who can act as a guide to show them where the good places to eat, shop, and just hang out are near the school. This will help prospective students to see that the college has more to offer than just its academics or athletics.
A third way to encourage students to attend a school is to show them how people have succeeded after attending their university. It can be very beneficial to have guest speakers at orientation sessions who are alumni of the school. They can speak about how their experiences at the university helped them to get where they are now. If possible, it would be even better to have prospective students meet with these alumni individually to have a chance to ask questions and gain more insight into their college experiences. This one-on-one interaction can make the student feel as if the school truly cares about them and their success and can have a huge influence on their decision to attend that school.
In conclusion, there are many different things that a university can do to recruit students to their school. Giving them low-cost university branded school supplies and apparel is a good initial move to get students interested. However, most prospective students are interested in the bigger picture and how enrolling in this college will make a difference in their future. For this reason, getting the students to see how they fit in both academically and socially into campus life is the key to persuading them to choose a school.
