Library Guide

MESSAGE FROM THE LIBRARIAN

I welcome you to the Dunkwa Nursing and Midwifery Training College Library.

The Library website serves as a gateway to the rich array of information resources, facilities and services provided by the Library. The College Library provides scholarly information resources, learning space and facilities as well as information services to support the mission of the College.

The vision of the Dunkwa Nursing and Midwifery Training College Library is aligned with the corporate strategic direction of the College. The Library is therefore developing resources, facilities and services that are geared towards the achievement of academic excellence and research goals of the Dunkwa Nursing and Midwifery Training College.

The library website is one of the ways to provide the faculty, students and staff remote access to information resources namely e-books, e-journals, online databases, institutional repositories, research tools/guides etc.

The website could also be used to connect with our team of professional staff to receive research and information assistance via chats, emails, Facebook, WhatsApp etc.

I invite you to explore the website to learn more about our information resources, learning facilities and innovative services.
Please always feel free to contact us with your concerns, suggestions and ideas which will help in improving our performance.

Thank you.

THE LIBRARY GUIDE

INTRODUCTION

This guide has been designed to help you find your way around the Library and to give you the basic information for the effective use of its resources and services. As an introductory aid, it does not cover the whole ground. You must therefore avail yourself of the various programmes of Library Orientation/ Bibliographic instruction designed especially for all new students. In case of difficulty, you should not hesitate to consult the Library Staff within the Library.

OPERATING HOURS OF THE LIBRARY

The Library opening hours shall be as follows:

SEMESTER TIME

9:00 am – 10:00 pm (Weekdays)

9:00 am – 5:00 pm (Saturdays)

VACATION TIME

9:00 am – 5:00 pm (Weekdays)

The Library is closed on Sundays and all Public Holidays. The operating hours are subject to review by the Librarian in consultation with the Library Committee members.

GENERAL RULES OF THE LIBRARY

Silence is to be observed at all times within the precincts of
the library.
Smoking is forbidden in all parts of the library.
No food or drink is allowed in any part of the library. This includes toffees, fruits, candies etc.
Bags, gowns, raincoats, umbrellas, cameras, scanners, tape recorders, etc. must be deposited with the library staff at the entrance.
It must be noted that such items are deposited at the owners’ own risk and the Library disclaims responsibility for any loss of or damage to any items so deposited.
Firearms and other offensive weapons are not allowed into the Library.
Pets are not allowed in any part of the Library.
No seat shall be reserved by or for any reader. Any seat so reserved shall be cleared by the library staff for use by others.
Any book recalled shall be returned within 72 hours or fines will be imposed after three days.
Library staff will inspect any item being taken out of the library.
All users must enter and leave the library through the main entrance.
Users may not enter staff offices except invited by a staff member.
All borrowed materials are to be returned three days before the end of each semester.
Orderly conduct must be maintained at all times in all parts of the library

CARE OF THE BOOKS

No book is to be written in, soiled, torn, cut, or damaged in any way.
Any defect in or damage to a book prior to borrowing should be reported to the library staff.
Users must not trace any picture or figure from any book/material.
Readers and borrowers will be held responsible for any damage to a book in their care and will be required to pay the appropriate cost for such damaged books.
Borrowers should report at once the loss of any book, and if it is not found, the borrower shall pay for the lost book.

OFFENCES AND SANCTIONS

FAILURE TO RETURN BOOKS ON THE DUE DATE

A user who commits this offence shall be liable to pay a fine of Ghs1 per day for up to 7 days. Thereafter, a fine of Ghs 2 a day plus loss of borrowing rights will be imposed until the books are returned. (Charges are subject to review).
All students who fail to return all library books to the College Library three days before the Second Semester Final examinations will be debarred from taking the examinations.

MISPLACEMENT OF BOOKS

A user who reports the misplacement of a borrowed book will be given up to 14 days to look for it. During that period, he/she shall be liable to pay a fine of 0.50Gp per day for the first seven days and a fine of Ghs1 per day thereafter. (Charges are subject to review).

LOSS OF BOOKS

A user who commits this offence shall replace the book and its associated cost.

MUTILATION OF BOOKS/PERIODICALS

A user who tears pages, sections and illustrations from library materials shall be dismissed from the College.

WRITING IN LIBRARY BOOKS/UNDERLINING SENTENCES

A user who commits this offence will pay the current price of the book in Cedis and will lose borrowing rights for one semester.

REGISTRATION OF READERS

All readers wishing to borrow books must present their Identity Cards/Letters of Admission before they are registered. Registration is valid for the duration of a registered program. A reader will be issued a Borrower’s Card which must be shown at the Issue Desk whenever a book is being borrowed from the Library.

BORROWING OF BOOKS

The number of books readers are entitled to borrow from the Library is as follows:

Lecturers – 5 Books

Part- time Lecturers – 4 Books

Demonstrators – 4 Books

Other Senior Members – 4 Books

Other Staff – 3 Books

Students – 3 Books

BORROWING A BOOK FROM THE LIBRARY

STEPS FOR BORROWING A BOOK

Select the items from the Library.
Submit item/book with your user card to the staff at the circulation desk.

SEARCHING THE ONLINE PUBLIC ACCESS CATALOUGE (OPAC)

Searching for a material is done by using any of the following.

Name of the author(s)
Title of item or book
Subject of book or
Series

LOANS

The normal period for keeping a borrowed book is 14 days. Teaching and Research staff and others with special reasons for doing so, may request longer periods. All books must be returned before the end of the current academic year. Teaching staff are allowed to keep borrowed books for one semester but the books can be recalled after a month, subject to the needs of other borrowers.
Borrowers must note that a loan may be renewed on application for only one period of a fortnight so long as no one else wants it.

OVERDUE/LOST BOOKS

All borrowers (including members of staff) are subject to fines for books that are overdue.
Books lost or damaged must be reported immediately and paid for at the estimated cost or replaced by the borrower if not found after the grace period of 14 days.

RETURN OF BOOKS

Books must be returned to the Library on dates that are due.
Books may be renewed once if not requested by another reader. Renewals cannot be made by telephone.
Fines may be charged if books are not returned on dates due.

BOOK RESERVATION

Books on loan may be reserved by another reader on application to the Librarian or an Assistant at the Issue Desk. The book is reserved at the Issue Desk when it is returned and the reader is subsequently notified to collect the book within two days.

If the book is not claimed before the end of this period, it is returned to the shelves. Readers who are leaving the College for a few days are advised (if they have reserved books) to inform any Assistant at the Issue Desk so that the reservation notice may not be sent to them while they are away. A book in constant demand cannot be reserved for long. Readers receive the book in the strict order of the date reserved.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

Academic Staff as well as students are encouraged to make recommendations for the purchase of books. Such recommendations should be made to the Librarian.

LIBRARY ORIENTATION/BIBLIOGRAPHIC INSTRUCTION

The Library organises Orientation/Bibliographic Instructions for new students. All new students are expected to participate fully in the exercise in order to get acquainted with the resources and services provided by the Library.

FINDING A BOOK

The books which are on open access (at the Library) are for direct borrowing. It is expected that each borrower will be able to find a book after determining the Author, Title, and the Class Number from the Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC).

To do this:

Look for the Author in the Author/Title Catalogue
Find the class number indicating where the book is shelved.

SUGGESTIONS FROM READERS

Library users are welcome to make suggestions regarding the Library’s operations and services. A suggestion box is kept near the Issue Desk for this purpose.

LOCATION OF BOOKS BY LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CLASSIFICATION

Classification……………………………………………………………….Subject

A…………………………………………………………………………………………………….General Work

B- BD, BH, BJ…………………………………………………………………………………Philosophy

BF………………………………………………………………………………………………….Religion

BL-BX………………………………………………………………………………………….History-General

CD………………………………………………………………………………………History Great Britain

DA………………………………………………………………………………………………..History-Europe

DB-DR…………………………………………………………………………………..History-Asia, Africa

DU………………………………………………………………………………History-Australia Oceanic

E-F………………………………………………………………History-America, United States,

British, French, Dutch, Latin,

Spanish America

G………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Geography

GF-GT……………………………………………………………………………………………..Anthropology

GU……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Sports

H-HA………………………………………………………………………………Social Science- General

HB-HJ………………………………………………………………………………………………….Economics

HM-HX…………………………………………………………………………………………………..Sociology

J………………………………………………………………………………………………….Political Science

K……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Law

M…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Music

N…………………………………………………………………………………………Art and Architecture

P………………………………………………………………………………………….Philology, Linguistics

PA……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Classics

PB-PD…………………………………………………………………..Modern European Languages

PE…………………………………………………………………………………………….English Language

PF-PL, PM…………………………………………………German, Slavic, Oriental Languages

PN………………………………………………………………………………………….Literature-General

PQ………………………………………………………………………………………..Romance Literature

PR-PS……………………………………………………………..English and American Literature

PT………………………………………………………………………………………..Germanic Literature

Q………………………………………………………………………………………………Science-General

QA……………………………………………………………..Mathematics and Computer Science

QB……………………………………………………………………………………………………….Astronomy

QC……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Physics

QD………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Chemistry

QE…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Geology

QH-OR……………………………………………………………………………………………..Life Sciences

R…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Medicine

S………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Agriculture

T…………………………………………………………………………….Engineering and Technology

U-V……………………………………………………………………………Military and Naval Science

Z………………………………………………………………………………Bibliography, Librarianship

ACADEMIC DATABASES

Academic online databases in the DNMTC Library include electronic journals, electronic books, institutional repositories, electronic theses and dissertations etc.

The databases have been clearly described in terms of contents, coverage, subject area etc. to help users identify databases that will match their needs will ease.

A click on any of the links of the databases will lead a user to the homepage of the database and a step-by-step information on how to search from the database.

Some of the databases have instructional videos on how to optimise the databases attached to their homepages.

ELECTRONIC JOURNALS

An alphabetical list of Electronic Journals offering full-text articles, books, images and videos is available on the website of the Library.

ELECTRONIC BOOKS

The library provides access to thousands of e-books on Nursing, Midwifery, Health Science in general and a variety of subject areas.

DNMTC INSTITUTIONAL REPOSITORY (IR)

The DNMTC Library IR is a digital service that collects, preserves, and distributes digital materials. Repositories are important tools for preserving an organisation’s legacy; they facilitate digital preservation and scholarly communication.

ELECTRONIC THESES AND DISSERTATIONS

The DNMTC Library provides access to theses and dissertations from Ghana, Africa and the rest of the world.

THE LIBRARY, YOUR HOME

Make the DNMTC Library your home. Our aim is to advance your learning goals and bring the best out of you. Our ever-enthusiastic library staff are always available to help you.

PLEASE DO NOT SUFFER IN SILENCE

ENJOY YOUR STAY AT DNUKWA NURSING AND MIDWIFERY TRAINING COLLEGE.