Volume 15, No 1, 2018
Cataloguers’ Awareness and Perception of Resource Description and Access (RDA) Rules for Cataloguing Practice in Some Selected Libraries in Bauchi State of Nigeria
Osaheni Oni, John Odion Oshiotse and Tawaletu G. Abubakar
Abstract
This study assessed cataloguers’ awareness and perception of Resource Description and Access (RDA) rules for cataloguing practice in some selected libraries in Bauchi State. The study employed a descriptive survey method. The population of this study comprised all the 10 professional cataloguers in the selected academic libraries in Bauchi State. The sample size of the study was ten (10) professional cataloguers in some selected academic libraries in Bauchi State; while the sampling technique is often used when the population is so large, in this study, the entire population is manageable because it was discovered that the population was relatively small as a result the sampling technique adopted was purposive. Structured Interview was used as the instrument for data collection. It was revealed from the study most library cataloguers have little understanding and perception about the conceptual meaning of Resource Description and Access rules which is used for cataloguing practices and fund issues surrounding the adoption of RDA for cataloguing. Library cataloguer’s in the selected libraries agreed that there are problems militating against their perception and involvement in resource description and access, which includes: lack of resource description and access in their library, lack of library automation, and lack of understanding the concept and importance of RDA by the cataloguers. The recommended that there is a need for cataloguers or librarians and libraries organization in Bauchi State by extension Nigeria to create awareness about RDA and to project the significance of RDA use in academic libraries.
Pages: 108-120
Keywords: Cataloguing rules; Resource Description and Access; RDA; Cataloguers awareness; Perception; Academic libraries; Nigeria