Chapter One

Introduction to the Library

The library and information center of the University has a large hall with two group study rooms that are open from 7 am to 8 pm every day except the official holidays. Students from Medical Science and Stomatology faculties can use the library study space from 7 am to 1 pm and students from faculties of economics, law and political science can use the space from 1 pm to 8 pm every day.

The library collection includes books, journals, periodicals and theses in Persian, Arabic, and English. Students and lecturers can use all of these materials on daily basis. The library collection is around 4522 pieces in different languages. The library uses an open-shelve system for its collections that clients and users can easily access to the resources they want. They can also seek support and help from the librarian.

Chapter Two

Objective:

The aim of this procedure and guideline is to form a system based on which catalogue of the library collections is described; the procedure also describes how to mitigate risks and vulnerabilities of the library collections.

Responsibilities:

• Organizing the library collections;
• Alphabetic catalogue of the library collections;
• Shelving the library collections;
• Maintaining the library collections;
• Preparing the library collection list and catalogue;

Library Services:

The most important library services are:

1. Collecting all resources (including books, newspapers, magazines, journals, etc.) through direct purchase, donations and exchange of the resources with with reputable bookstores;
2. Organizing the collections and cataloging them into the Simorgh software for quick and easy access;
3. Providing library services for library members, as well as providing a conducive environment for reading and studying so that visitors and researchers can conduct their studies and research effectively;

Organizing library collections:

• Stack the heavy books in the bottom shelves and stack the light books on the top. This will prevent bookshelves to get down;
•  Books should be organized and shelved in a way that they are not damaged or tilted by pressure.
• Books should be sorted before getting shelved;
• Books should be shelved based on their code numbers in alphabetical order;

Chapter Three

Organizing Collections

Preparing and cataloging books and articles and entering this information into the library’s software and database are performed in this section.

Reference Section:

The purpose of this section is to assist students to access and obtain the data and resources they need. Informing students and users about the library resources and other specialized resource centers, assisting the users to locate the books and resources they need through he computer are the duties and responsibilities of the reference section of the library.

Computer Section:

This section is equipped with 8 computers connected with internet. Users can use the electronic library that is supported by the German government.

Organizing the Library Collection and Resources:

The library collections and resources are classified based on the Congress Classification system. Books are classified and shelved based on subjects and are coded in alphabetical order. Shelves are also organized and categorized using the same classification system. At the moment, there are 23 library shelves in which books are labeled based on alphabetical order, except letters I, O, W, X, and Y, there are resources and books labeled based on the rest of alphabets. The library is planning to expand its resources and books for the remaining letters too.

In this system books are grouped into broad subject categories which are identified by a capital letter of alphabet. And subject categories are further subdivided into sub-groups. To classify sub-groups, a digit is used in the call number of a book. For Afghanistan, however, we have expanded the system to include subjects like, Afghanistan History, Afghanistan Literature, Islamic Philosophy, Islamic Arts, and Afghanistan’s small industries.

Chapter Four:

Total number of books at Ghalib University
Code Number	Total	English	Dari	Subject	No.
EC-A-1 Ec-B-212	212	67	145	Economics	1
Law-c-1 Law-j-1687	1687	0	1687	Law and Political Science	2
Mr-J-1 Mr-K-155	155	24	131	Reference Books	3
Islamic Studies1- Islamic Studies 218	218	0	218	Islamic Studies	4
Med-(N-O-R-S-T-Q)-1(1611)	1611	378	1233	Medical Science	5
His-L-1 His-L-105	105	0	105	History	6
Eng-U-1 Eng-v-230	230	230	0	English	7
Com-p-1 Com-p-109	109	109	0	Computer	8
Gen-M-1 Gen-M-195	195	45	150	General Information	9
4522				total

 

Total number of books at Ghalib University Library
No.	Subject	Dari	English	Total
1	Economics	145	67	212
2	Law and Political Science	1687	0	1687
3	Reference Books	131	24	155
4	Islamic Studies	218	0	218
5	Medical Science	1233	378	1611
6	History	105	0	105
7	English	0	230	230
8	Computer	0	109	109
9	General Information	150	45	195
Total		3669	853	4522

The above is a complete and accurate list of all books available at Ghalib’s library.

Note: Ghalib University also possesses an electronic library that is supported by the German government. Students can use computers and internet (available at the library to connect to the electronic library). Ghalib’s main library is has one main hall with two group study rooms. In total there are 125 chairs and 10 large study desks at the library.

Vision

To strengthen the culture of book reading amongst students and lecturers.

Mission

The mission of the University’s library in particular the office of vice chancellor for academic and cultural research has the following mandate:

• To offer library and information services;
• To identify and meet the information needs of its staff, lecturers and students;
• To provide an enabling environment for users of the library through developing and offering standard library services;
• To strive to enhance quality education at the faculty and university level using any available resources;
• To provide and run programs aligned with educational, cultural and research objectives of the University and faculties; through this support academic, research and cultural advancement of the users;
• To fully support all programs and initiatives that are designed to promote quality education services;
• To raise public awareness on health knowledge in particular knowledge on health management;

Values

• Taking into account human values and respecting all library visitors;
• Adhering to professional ethics during providing library services to the users;
• Respecting the users’ time and providing best services based on resources and facilities available at the library;
• Building and enhancing skills and expertise of the library staff to provide highest standard services;
• Ensuring to provide useful and effective services with minimal cost and time to the users;
• Using modern and state-of-the-art information technologies in order to provide better and more services to the uses and clients;
• Developing operational plans according to the mission of the library that can support research and educational objectives of the institutions;
• Developing operational plans according to the mission of the library that can support achieving cultural objectives of the faculty;

Analysis of the external and internal factors:

Strengths:

• The library has full time staff members and experts;
• The library has an enhanced and functioning database;
• The library has an open-shelf system and repository;
• The library has specialized information resources related to majors and fields of study of the University;  
• There is a library use guideline available at the library;
• Access to e-books collection inside the library;
• Availability of modern library management systems including digital library;

Weaknesses

• The library’s space is limited and insufficient;
• The library’s human resources are limited;
• The library’s printed and specialized collections relevant to the University’s fields of study are not sufficient;
• Absence of an assessment of the library’s activities;
• Lack of a virtual help desk and reference interviews;
• Lack of an appropriate library website that can be used for advertising of the services offered by the library;
• Lack of online access to the e-books;
• Lack of modern education program for the library users;

Opportunities:

• There is an enabling environment to enhance and improve library activities;
• There is a positive opinion amongst the senior leadership of the University to enhance the library services;
• There are software and physical resources to strengthen and promote library services;
• There is better and balanced knowledge on library and information coordination to meet the needs of the clients and users;
• There is opportunity for users to access high speed internet;
• There is the opportunity for widespread use of information; the opportunity to move towards an information society;

Threats:

• The low level of per capita book reading;
• Conflicts and unfavorable economic conditions restricts access to information;
• Absence of collaboration between the library and libraries outside;
• Absence of a continuous evaluation system of the library and information center;
• Expansion of social media where users’ waster more time;

Key pillars of the library strategic plan:

• Print and digital library collection in disciplines and majors of the University;
• Library technical services;
• Efficient use of the library services;
• Library building and equipment;
• Interlibrary loan and services between the faculty library and the central library;
• Information Technology;
• Electronic services (database and online);
• Training and empowering the library clients and users;

Short-term objectives:

1. Providing academic resources related to the disciplines and majors offered at the University based on the needs of the lecturers, students and other academic staff members;
2. Providing library guidelines and brochures in print and electronic formats in order to inform users on the library collections and repository;
3. Launching a library website and providing some of the services through the website;
4. Improving library services;
5. Creating an enabling environment with adequate resources for study and research;
6. Weeding and removing regularly outdated and irrelevant library resources; and updating the library resources;
7. Updating the information resources software of the library;
8. Separation of different sections of the library and allocating adequate space for each;
9. Utilizing different methods to introduce the library resources and information to the clients and users;
10. Organizing and cataloging the library collections orderly that can make access to the collections easier;

Long-term objectives:

1. Improving continuously the library services so that users can easily access to information resources;
2. Utilizing modern information technologies in providing library services;
3. Strengthening and expanding inter library cooperation to provide users wider access to information resources;
4.  Providing all soft and hard facilities for users to better access to the library’s information resources;
5. Increasing continuously access to the database and digital collections of the library;
6. Creating all required infrastructures to increase access to a wide range of library resources;
7. Increasing professional and expert human resources in the library;
8. Conducting training courses to enhance the skills and abilities of the library employees;
9. Publishing library bulletin;
10. Conducting training workshops in order to empower and train the library users;
11. Forming memberships and cooperation with national and international interlibrary platforms;
12. Moving away from owning information resources to a strategy of sharing the resources;
13. Striving to attract external support and resources to improve the library services;
14. Providing quality services in selective dissemination of services;
15. Providing other services including translation and dissemination;
16. Fostering the culture of book reading through holding summits, conferences, book reading clubs and book reading competition sessions;
17. Encouraging users to come back to use the library;
18. Attracting new users;
19. Striving to enhance the physical environment of the library based on the standard libraries;
20. Advertising about the library services through text and voice messages, the library website and the digital library;
21. In 22 September 2018 the library expansion plan was endorsed by the University’s academic council under protocol number 42.