EVALUATION OF LIBRARY SERVICES TO USERS IN THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE NORTHWEST AND SOUTHWEST REGIONS OF CAMEROON

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

From an etymological stand point the term “theological institution” can be best defined when separated into two (theological and institution). Theological is a derivative of theology. Theology when further split into “Theo” (Greek word for God) and “Logos” (Greek for word), will stand for the study of the word of God. According to the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary 7th edition theology is the study of religion and beliefs. And it also defines “institution” as a large important organization that has a particular purpose, e.g. university. Therefore a theological institution is an organization that is set up for the study of the word of God (religion and beliefs), as well as related disciplines. Theological institutions are places of education, usually for religion and beliefs. Examples of such places include school, seminary, academy, college or university for the education of priesthood. The seminaries under study are those whose main function is to provide an adequate means for clerical education that is in turn necessary for church planting, church administration and effective ministry of church members. This of course is the goal of the church organizations that own the seminaries.

To fulfill this goal, theological institutions need libraries like any other educational organization. Libraries of these institutions (theological libraries) help in fulfilling the curriculum of the institutions necessary to attain the goal of the parent organizations (the churches). The curriculums are fulfilled through the provision of service (information materials) necessary for enhancing the teaching, learning and research in theology and their related disciplines. Hence they were mainly set up to enhance the fulfillment of the curricula of the institutions, through teaching, studying and research. This does not exclude the use of these libraries for leisure purpose such as reading of newspapers, magazines etc within their holdings. These theological libraries are information brokers for their patrons where by whether on-site in the library buildings or through email and instant messaging their patrons (faculty, staff, students, administrators of host institutions and alumni) are saved of time and frustration. Through collaborations with each other, and offering expert guidance on how to access newly available resources, theological libraries in the west today widen the circle of information resources they offer to their patrons.

Libraries in theological institutions (as another class of higher institutions of learning) are referred to as theological libraries. Theological libraries are a type of special libraries with an inclination towards academics, so are academic because they enable teaching and learning in these institutions of higher learning. Yet theological libraries still maintain their identity ­as a class of special libraries due to their common features they share with other special libraries. They lay emphasis on a single subject (theology in the case of theological libraries); have a particular group of readership (theology students and staff theologians) and lay emphasis on service (information provision) among others. Therefore theological libraries can be defined as the group of special libraries whose emphasis lies in the role of provision of service (information oriented) to theology students and staff theologians for effective learning and teaching of theology, for effective evangelization and church administration.

The resources in theological libraries are mainly information resources or library collections. They include reference materials like Bible dictionaries, Lexicons in Biblical languages (Hebrew and Greek), and their dictionaries (Hebrew to English and Greek to English), Encyclopedias of religions, theology, Encyclopedia Britannica and Americana, Bible Concordances, Commentaries, Bible atlases and maps of the Holy land, journals (both print and electronic), music work books and hymnals, church documents, conference proceedings, international church conferences proceedings, magazines, newspapers, audiovisual materials like film strips, missions and ad hock committee resolutions; as well as monographs (textbooks) in related disciplines in the five major branches of theology as indicated in catalogues, indexes and abstracts and as displayed on stacks or shelves, bookshops and finally the Dissertations, theses and projects of teaching staff and ex-students of the host institutions. Theological libraries especially in the western world, do have Internet resources and computers to enable their patrons access remote or on-line information and scholarly literature of their collaborators. For theological libraries to continue to sustain their existence, they need a form of continuous quality assurance in them. Such a quality assurance program usually takes one of the most important ways of assessment namely evaluation of library services to users. It has been noted by Haris and Marshal in Donald (2006) that, whether a library chooses to evaluate money-saving or time saving, productivity increase or quality of library services, it is obvious that the library needs to make some kind of effort to evaluate library services. This is because evaluation or assessment of library services to users will prove the worth of the services, the relationship between cost and benefits of applying technology in service, and is the way of determining areas of staff skills needing attention in the library.

The origins of theological libraries can be traced from ancient times through the medieval and modern periods. In the ancient times, the dispersion of the Qumran community by the Romans in 125BC-7OAD forced this Hebrew brotherhood to secure their scrolls and papyrus scripts in earthen pitchers subject to high heat, in caves. These manuals of Discipline of the community, Rule of Consecration, Rule of Order and Rule of War time, unearthed by archaeological discoveries in 1947, revealed the teachings of the congregation, strict inner discipline, high moral lessons and Messianic expectations of the community as valuable Biblical and theological aids.

In the medieval period Christian monasteries came up in the western part of the Roman Empire when its rule declined, and upheld lapsing literacy. And in the Eastern part of the Roman Empire, Emperor Constantine the Great promoted literacy that culminated into Renaissance in Europe. Hence leading monasteries developed libraries whose collections were mainly religious and some non-religious writings. Monastery and cathedral schools developed having Bibles, religious texts, St. Augustine’s writings, works of classics, Hummer vigil, cantons grammar and mathematics as collections to enhance teaching and learning. These schools later developed into theological libraries.

Enlightened rulers and prominent individuals like Emperor Charlemagne (742-814) of France had a library and recruited Alcuin an English Monk (735-804) to take control of it, (Edoka 2000). Alcuin later established a Model library for religious institutions when he became the Abbot of St. Martin of Tours. Meanwhile Prophet Mohammad had founded Islam in the Arabic Peninsula and it spread to impact positively on library development.

In the modern period, benchmarks, like emergent middle class, invention of printing press and expanding literacy promoted the multiplicity of books. Multiple printed materials, plus improved means of making them accessible emerged in response to information needs of different interest groups. The scope of the educational opportunities, the number and sizes of tertiary-institutions and their library types also emerged to cater for the needs of their users.

Theological libraries like their counterparts in the same class of special libraries do perform unique functions. They are mission oriented in nature of their host organizations (i.e. enhancing the full attainment of the churches evangelistic mission through provision of information materials for training pastors and priests of reputable caliber). From their specialized collections, they serve specialized group of users, by offering specialized and usually personalized services. The users of theological libraries are homogeneous in nature. The users (theology students and staff theologians) have a common subject or group of subjects (theologies, biblical languages and philosophies) as the main common denominator. They also have a group of persons out of their own group existing out there. Hence the services rendered by theological libraries are biased towards providing information for acquiring the craft of preaching to bring people to salvation, and under pastoral care. This makes theological libraries a potential or veritable instrument for the transformation of the human society. For a society without such a potential source of skills can not attain full restoration of the dignity of mankind. For theological libraries to assert their position in the society as a source of human empowerment they need to be up-to date in terms of information materials, retrieval or access devices (i.e. facilities) and in the services they offer to their users who are pastors and priests (clergy men and women) in training. The choice of the theological libraries under study is based on the fact that they are within two regions of the ten geopolitical regions, with predominantly English language as medium of expression.

 The Herman Herzog Library of the Presbyterian Theological Seminary (PTS) Kumba could be traced back from the humble beginning of its host institution, the Catechist Training Centre (CTC) established in 1931 in Nyasoso in the South West region of Cameroon, by the Basel Mission (a missionary society) based in Basel-Switzerland. After a temporary stop by 1952, the institution was re-opened under the Catechist Training institute, and developed rapidly into a Theological Training Center (T. T. C) in the same year.

Development and innovations were being introduced, as a result, a prominent one, namely a small library was established in the house of the center’s principal in 1957. This small library that was open to staff and students greatly enhanced, promoted and deepened theological studies at the institution, Zimmermann (2002). Through these humble beginnings the library grew over the years and by 2002, it had 7000 copies in its holdings. This figure later increased to 8,500 copies by the year 2009, and the library was named after its founder Herman Herzog.

Meanwhile earlier in 1972 the Theological Training Center was renamed the Presbyterian Theological College since it was awarding the diploma in theology. In March 10th 1988, it transferred from Nyasoso (a remoter town), to Kumba (a cosmopolitan city).  And by April 10th 1988 it re-opened its doors in the new location. By April 1994 the institution was renamed the Presbyterian Theological Seminary (PTS) Kumba to reflect its new status as degree awarding institution.

The Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary (CBTS) Ndu library also has a humble beginning of a Bible School that was established in 1946 in Belo Kom in the North West Region of Cameroon, by Rev. Dr. Don S. Constron, beginning with 14 part time students. In 1950 the Bible School was relocated to another station known as Mbem still in the Northwest Region of Cameroon. It was in the same year that Rev. Ahrens and his wife set to establish a library with 60 books in its initial holdings.  By 1977, the name of the institution was changed to Baptist Theological College (BTC) to reflect its Diploma in Theology awarding status; and again changed in 1983, to Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary (CBTS) Ndu, to reflect its new status as an institution that awards degrees in Theology, Nfor (1977). 

The St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary (STAMS) Library Bambui  also can be traced from a humble beginning when in 1972, preparations geared towards setting the stage for the establishment of the host institution, led to the transfer of the former Catholic Teachers Training College operating on the site where the seminary is found today, to another site along with its books. In 1973 the seminary was started and the books of the Catholic Teachers Training College brought back to the former site, this time hosting the St. Thomas Aquainas Major Seminary (STAMS) Bambui, in the North West Region of Cameroon. In the same year more books were ordered from Millhill to start the library. Rev. Fathers Moris Megil and Henri Peeters are reported to have started the indexing of the books, Peeters and Assah (2010). Although all books acquired for the library are said to be through a center discovered in Netherlands in early 1980s, they have over the years until recently, been acquired through donations. Religious institutions such as the Dominicans, Divine Word Missionaries and the Milhill Congregation, as well as individuals from U.S.A, Netherlands, England and France donated books and magazines. When further expansion was done in 2007/2008 by the addition of metal shelves, it created space for the 60.000 books and pamphlets it now has. The library is opened to staff and students of the seminary, as well as students of the higher educational institution for teachers training near by.

The Cameroon Baptist Seminary (CBS) Library Kumba which is relatively the latest among the four libraries under study also has a humble beginning. Serim, (2010) attests that this library was opened in the same year 2001, when the seminary was started. Books for the initial library holdings were acquired through donations and purchases, although the initial number is not known to this researcher. From its inception, the library has two sectors (i.e. the inner and the outer stacks) in terms of its arrangement. As at now the library has 3000 volumes with no professionals to organize them for proper and easy access by its users.

Users of theological library services

The importance of the information materials or resource of theological libraries to their users cannot be overemphasized. For the resources enhance teaching, learning and research by the users of the libraries. A person or thing that acts upon something by making use of it to achieve a purpose is a user. In the context of the library, those who make use of its resources, facilities and services for studying, research, or leisure are library users. Whilttaker as sited in Agu (2006) defines a library user as a person who uses one or more of library’s services at least once a year. Thus visitors of either a private, public, school, academic or special library for reasons requiring the attention of library staff, are library users. Consequently the theology students and staff theologians attended to in libraries of theological institutions or theological libraries as the ones currently under study, are users of such libraries. All the theology students are part of the libraries’ clientèle along with the teaching staff, although are not registered. Their characteristics are that they have a homogeneous goal of studying theology and its related disciplines; they pastors and priest or to be after studies. Their needs include information materials in theology and its related disciplines necessary to fulfill requirement for their teaching, learning and research. People who are not regular students or teaching staff are allowed to research in the theological libraries, so they are also users of these libraries. However care is taken to identify and monitor them for the purpose of securing the books and other information resources.    

            Theological libraries have since emerged as veritable instruments for transformation of the ailing human society. And for them to really assert themselves in this position as a source of human empowerment they need to be up-to-date in terms of information materials, retrieval or access devices and in the quality of the services they offer to their patrons. The need to constantly fulfill the information needs of their clients, through effective services delivery. Effective service delivery can be properly attained by these libraries after quality assessment. Therefore constant evaluation of library services to users is an imperative action for the theological libraries under study.

Statement of the Problem

EVALUATION OF LIBRARY SERVICES TO USERS IN THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE NORTHWEST AND SOUTHWEST REGIONS OF CAMEROON