Introduction

From the time West Nigeria Christian College and School of Biblical Studies was established in December 1, 1999. WNCC library was also established with the inception of the College. The continuous development of WNCC Library is important in meeting the various research and information need of users (students and faculty members) of WNCC community.

This handbook is designed to give direction about organizing, managing and general usage of WNCC Library. It serves as guide to the library users. Furthermore, the College confers on the library the responsibility of providing information resources (books, journals, commentaries, bible dictionaries, concordances etc.) in support of its teaching, learning and research mandates on Christian education and theology.

Over the years the collections of WNCC library has grown and still growing to the extent that the aggregate holdings of materials in the system is estimate at over six thousand volumes. These consist of books, journals, concordances, bible atlases and maps, etc. In recent time and as part of global shift WNCC has automated its activities by adopting offline software to manage the resources and routines.

With regard to automation, WNCC library has software called Media Library Manager in which is being used for various operations. The software is also a database that consists of collections of information materials available in the library.

General Information

WNCC library aims to support the College’s curriculum in producing socially oriented sound Christian professionals in their fields equipped with theories and research skills, in order to contribute to a more humanity and just social order.

Also, the library strives to be a partner in theological education and research. We believe that a theology library is not a storehouse of books, but a place to enter into dialogue with the vast treasury of the Christian theological traditions and beliefs.

However, the mission of WNCC library is to facilitate and enhance learning by providing resources and services that are essential for learning, research and knowledge in theological fields. The library provide students with basic instructions on library usage and access to adequate facilities and personnel to meet their class requirements and to store up general knowledge.

The library seeks to promote research activities basically on Christian education and every other information need (social, religion and cultural interest) of the president of the college, faculty, students and staff of WNCC and the entire community as a whole.

Admission into the Library

Admission to the library The library is open to all members of the College (students, faculty members etc.) and also opens to Alumni of the College. It is also open to staff and students of other theology school (NCBC and SBS) who are specially introduced by their college’s authority.

Objectives of WNCC Library

WNCC Library is set up to:

1. Provide information materials in Christian Ministry and education necessary for faculty members, students and workers as well as campus community.
2. Organise information materials and arrange them so so that they can be stored and retrieved to take advantage with least effort.
3. Answering questions and enquiries received by the library from students, faculty members and ministers of gospel etc.
4. Introduce the library and instructing users on how to use the library especially through library orientation.
5. Provide comfortable reading atmosphere and spaces for users.

Opening Hours

Library hours vary throughout the year depending upon what educational program offer in a session and breaks.

During Session
Monday ―Thursday           7: 30am – 5:00pm
Friday                      7: 30am – 2:00pm

Semester Break and Long Vacation
Monday – Friday            9:00am – 4:00pm

Warning signals are sounded five minutes before closing time/or before the library periods. All students are expected to sign out from Register Book for students. During the academic year, from Monday to Friday the library closes from 11:00am-11:30am for a regular campus chapel service. Library hours are posted on the notice board in the library.

Library Sections

The library is located above the classrooms block and an entire block area within the main school building is allotted for library to occupy. The block is divided into two segments, and this form the major division of WNCC library.

The first segment of the by the left side is called Technical Section and second part to right is Readers’ Section.

Technical Section

This section is where information materials are processed before sending to the Readers’ Section of the library. The major activities and routines done in this room are basically processing of new acquisitions, cataloguing and classification, preservation and conservation etc.

All the activities done here are behind the scene i.e. not seen by users or known to students. This room is out-of-bound to students except when required.

Readers’ Section:

This is where information materials are circulated for use. Here , is also where the materials processed in technical room are display or shelved. Shelves, display rack, reference shelves, computer system and good study carrel are the major facilities provided to allow ease of use of WNCC Library.

This section also has a reference shelves that has holdings of reference materials such as encyclopedia, dictionaries etc. Notice board is also available to display information in the library and latest information in the school.

Library Resources

The resources available in WNCC library constitute all the information materials which are in diverse formats. The information needs of library users (faculty members, students etc.) vary and numerous that is why WNCC library with the support of the management deem it fit to acquire all forms of information materials that will suit their information needs.

To begin with, the library resources available in WNCC library are estimated to be 6,271 volumes of materials with different titles.

Textbooks on Christian Literature

This collection constitutes the largest portion of resources in WNCC Library. They are available on the stack area in the library which is the open shelves. The materials are useful to assist students and lecturers in learning and teaching of different programmes offered by the College.

These materials can be borrowed depending on the charging system ( i.e. lending pattern). These materials are bibles, bible commentaries, Christian textbooks, bible lessons, bible atlases, that cover the curriculum of the academic programmes of the College. There are over 5,740 of different titles available in these collections.

Reference collections

These are resources that contain useful information for specific need or research. The information content in reference materials are arranged alphabetically or chronological order. Examples include encyclopedias, dictionaries, yearbooks, thesaurus etc.

WNCC Library have general encyclopedias like set of Encyclopedia Britannica and Encyclopedia Americana. Subject reference materials are also available in the library on Religious Studies such as Biblical Encyclopedias, Biblical Dictionaries, Bible concordances etc. there are 125 volumes of different titles are available holdings in reference collections.

Serials

These are materials published at regular or irregular interval I a definite format which is intended to continue. They are journals, newsletters, newspapers, magazines; all of these are among the library collections. WNCC Library receives Gospel Advocate magazines, Biblical Archaeology Magazines from United State of America published monthly through African Christian School Foundation. There are 40 titles present in Serial Collections.

General Knowledge Collections

These are information materials available on English Language, Health, Education, Psychology, Biographies of great preachers and Christians Fictions. There are 366 titles available in the collections.

Services and Facilties

The basic library services offered by WNCC Library are as follows:

1. Provision of Seating and Study Carrel facilities: These include appropriate and adequate facilities that will make study and research activities of users convenient. The carrel and sitting arrangement is below
2. Information and Reference services: These services involve information inquiry/request from users base on their information needs. The students and lecturers of the College can come to the library approach the library personnel to ask or make enquiry for assistance on how to do assignment, get appropriate materials for course work, etc.
3. Library Orientation and User Education: It is expedient for WNCC library to organize or have a library orientation and user education instructions for new intakes (newly admitted students). The library acquaints with the students on how to use the library and the resources therein through this activity. The library also gives periodic instructions to library workers.
4. Reprographic services: WNCC Library appreciates the importance of preservation and conservation activities by ensuring that the collections are well protected from damages, deterioration and mutilation. These reprographic services essentially is to ensure that damaged, mutilated and deteriorated information materials are repair. These activities by WNCC Library to provide enabling environment (good temperature, appropriate humidity, etc.) and all kinds of bindery gums, cello-tape, scissors etc. to repair and restore the information materials in order to protect intellectual content so that students and lecturers can use them for long.
5. Literature Search Services: WNCC library also engages in these services in order to get appropriate and desire information materials to users. The library personnel will make use of the library software through the catalogue feature in it to facilitate ease of retrieval from the shelves.
6. Lending Services (Charging and Discharging): Students and lecturers are not allowed to take any information materials out the library without the consent of library personnel. However, there is a process of lending out library materials which is charging and discharging system. When materials are charged out; record of users is taken and when returned the record is removed (discharged).

Cataloguing

WNCC Library uses Library of Congress Classification Scheme for organizing Library collections outlined as follows:

Subclass B - Philosophy (General Class)
Subclass BC - Logic
Subclass BD - Speculative Philosophy
Subclass BF - Psychology
Subclass BH - Aesthetic
Subclass BJ - Ethics
Subclass BL - Religion, Mythology, Rationalism
Subclass BM - Judaism
Subclass BP - Islam. Bahaism. Theosophy
Subclass BQ - Buddhism
Subclass BR - Christianity
Subclass BS - The Bible
Subclass BT- Doctrinal Theology
Subclass BV - Practical Theology
Subclass BX - Christian Denominations

Library Rules and Regulations

The following constitute the rules and regulations guiding the use of WNCC Library:

1. The should be absolute silence in and around the library
2. Eating and drinking of any kind (including chewing gum) is not allowed in library
3. Bags, sacks, umbrellas, cameras, radios, tape recorders and singing calculators are prohibited library
4. Scissors, razors blades and knives are not allowed in the library
5. Naked lights/flames should not be brought into the library
6. Sleeping/lying in the light and or quarreling/fighting is prohibited
7. Do not mark, write, fold, underline and/ or trace with pencil/biro in library books
8. Leave all consulted books on the table after used
9. No foreign textbooks should be brought into the library unless such are first declared to the librarian and/or an assistant on duty
10. No library user shall have access to restricted areas of the library without permission from the librarian and/or an assistant on duty
11. No library material should be taken out with knowledge of the librarian and or assistant on duty
12. Readers must always submit themselves for checking at security desk while entering or leaving the library
13. Please always consult the librarian and/an assistant on duty when in need of assistance.