The Evolution of Service Innovation in the University of Ghana - Dissertation Example

 The Evolution of Service Innovation in the University of Ghana Introduction Information systems or IS refers to the study of networks of software and hardware, which complement each other in terms of enabling the collection, filtering, processing, creation and distribution of data. The history of IS correspond to the history of computer science, which started way before the contemporary discipline of computer science sprouted in the 20th century. With regard to the circulation of ideas and information, a number of legacy information systems are still in existence today. These systems are continually updated to enhance ethnographic strategies to ascertain data integrity, as well as ensure viable improvements of the social efficiency and effectiveness of the entire process (Culnan, 1987). In essence, information systems focus on processing information within organizations, particularly within business enterprises, as well as sharing the advantages with the contemporary society. This paper will research the evolution of information systems and service innovation in the University of Ghana library system. The study of information systems connects computer sciences and business processes through theoretical foundations of computing and information to examine business models, as well as their related algorithmic processes. Such examination primarily occurs within the spectrum of the discipline of computer science. On the other hand, computer information systems or CIS refers to a field that deals primarily with the examination of algorithmic processes and computers. This involves the study of the principles of such algorithmic processes, their hardware and software designs, applications and effects on the entire society. However, IS focuses primarily on functionality rather than mere design. IS in libraries has evolved rather substantially, and theories regarding the adoption and maturity of IS are effectively established within the literature of the management of libraries (March & Park, 2004). When Dr. John Atanasoff and his assistant Clifford Berry created the initial electronic, digital computer in the year 1939, neither of them anticipated the wave of inventions that followed their innovation. The Atanasoff-Berry-Computer (ABC) provided a viable foundation for the latest advancements in electronic, digital computers, which process binary information bits while also performing mathematical computations. The invention of the initial mainframe computer resulted in the emergence of computer science, which significantly changed the face of information systems. The field of computer science, which ultimately led to the emergence of information systems, emerged because computer usage related primarily to the science field, as well as the processing of scientific information. The modern computers evolved from the ENIAC computer, which consisted of thirty distinct units (Culnan, 1987). This development resulted in a new concept of applying computers in various areas of business, education, as well as everyday life. The notion of developing business applications emerged from IBM’s creation of the 8-bit punch card system. With time, processing of punch cards developed in information science application. The University of Ghana library system evolved towards information management function through enhanced service innovations provided by the library systems. According to Wolfgang (2004) there are currently two perspectives on information systems and information system centered views, which encompass among others hardware, software, procedures, data and people. The second managerial view of information systems also encompasses business processes, information systems and people. At present, there are numerous forms of information systems, for instance, office systems, transaction processing systems, systems used in decision making, database management systems, as well as office information systems. Notably, critical to a large proportion of information systems is the enhancement of the performance of functions for which the human brain is not effectively suited. These functions include among others handling massive information quantities, performance of complex calculations and ensuring effective control over a number of simultaneous processes. In essence, information based technologies are vital and malleable resources available to exploitation by executives. Most institutions create positions such as Chief Information Officer (CIO) who sits with other members of the executive board such as the CEO, Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO). However, CIO concentrates primarily on the management of information and ensures security and accessibility of such information. When libraries create machine-readable databases with ample network capacities, such libraries have the potential to transform their roles in information management. This would allow the possibility for greater data storage, manipulation, retrieval and categorization to users within and without the organization (Hoganson, 2001). The university’s integrated library system has the capacity to store and make vast amounts of data available for internal and external usage by persons with access to the library. The development of the Bibliographic Access and Control System (BACS) at the University of Ghana facilitated enhanced data effectiveness and efficiency. The focal point of the BACS concept was the need for constant monitoring, development and research. Initially, the library made use of a basic, integrated library system, which encompassed acquisitions, circulation, cataloging, as well as online access to the library’s stakeholders. However, the BACS system entered a new phase entailing refined functionality, an improved user interface and enhanced capabilities. After the installation, of the library’s initial manual catalog terminal, which existed alongside the automated catalog, most wooden cabinets used in the containment of catalog cards were phased out by several computer terminals. This meant that library users had no alternative than to make use of the online catalog. However, after withdrawing the card catalog, the university enhanced its user education programs via a sequence of seminars thus keeping the library staff at hand to for assistance and demonstration. Notably, user feedback was quite positive, which meant that the library passed the transition phase confidently. While designing the online public catalog system, the library carefully considered the vital data elements. This included the incorporation of access through title, author, subject, publisher and call number series. Through a log inserted into the system, library staff automatically monitored and recorded all access to the library system (Hoganson, 2001). This meant that the library staff could continually monitor online catalog. The system recorded the quantity of successes, search time and trials for all users. The University of Ghana started innovations experimentation following these observations to ensure increased flexibility when accessing online catalog. For instance, the earlier version required users to select whether to search for monographs or journals by entering the exact keywords to cross reference against subject, series, author, title, call number or heading. In these cases, the computer systems solely searched the designated areas; however, after testing, the system searched all available fields, as well as formats if the initial search did not yield results. In order to enhance user friendliness, researchers considered a number of physical elements of the terminals, as well as their displays. This entailed enhanced service innovations to ensure the provision of effective services to library users. Researchers presented various formats, as well as screens, with diverse color themes and required library users to select their preferential formats, colors and screens. Users at the University of Ghana preferred a grey background with white painting to the conventional, green or black themes. The researchers also tested terminal placement, which refers to the left or right side of papers used together with searches, as well as table heights. Notably, a significant percentile of respondents preferred the use of terminals with standing height rather than those at sitting height. The university acknowledged that this was not the end of its research process (Wolfgang, 2004). This is because the university planned to make further examinations to ascertain alternative approaches to online catalog searching bound to result in enhanced quantities of successful searches. Acquisition Subsystems Although the implications of BACS are most notable in regions of public service, technical services continue to experience substantive changes, as well. Researchers have made numerous enhancements to intricate searches designed primarily for staff utilization of bibliographic information. Information is accessible in local option fields within the Marc records to offer a list of selected new books thereby providing specialized selection data dissemination. The use of BACS for the purpose of acquisitions resulted in a lot of changes thereby enabling progression from multifile paper record maintenance to complete reliance on online information. It is pertinent to realize that acquisitions were the last module finalized for BACS and is the only segment that undergoes significant changes. In the evolved version, the whole acquisitions process starting from procurement to payment operations consists of a single system. Developers later introduced new functions to contain numerous media and formats capable of handling variable payment requirements. Ultimately, the new acquisitions process makes use of brief Marc format records that contain pertinent financial and procurement information (Culnan, 1987). The cataloging process gives leeway for the edition and expansion of these records. The newly developed system will allow for the forwarding of acquisitions data permanently to the bibliographic records. This means that users of the university’s online catalog and those with access to order information are able to reserve items prior to their release for circulation. The acquisition data allows the production and circulation of massive quantities of reports (Leonard, & Valacich, 2008). These encompass entire records of library users categorized by affiliations, analyses through publication date or subject area and logistical information for overdues and requests. The evolved library system allows the university to store sufficient information from the aforementioned reports and to evaluate the information’s usefulness. In addition, the system can also identify other forms of statistics required by information users. Technical Changes Recent changes to the university’s online catalog, which initially appeared insignificant, were relatively complex undertakings. A notable advantage of utilizing Standard MUMPS as the chief programming language for BACS is the program’s capacity to display matches achieved through the search instantly. This relatively instant response duration contributed immensely to the rapid acceptance of the online catalog (John & Joe, 2002). However, the university required two notable changes to enhance the effectiveness of its library system. Firstly, the university saw the need to reverse the chronological production of successful matches. In essence, BACS displayed records chronologically such that the system displayed old records before new ones. However, in order to deter this occurrence, the university encountered the problem of degrading response duration during the search. As a consequence, the system’s developers recreated the whole database, which proved to be quite a demanding programming feat. The reprocessing process entailed the installation of a secondary enhancement where the developers added line numbers to the original display screen. The improved public access catalog developed through service innovation allows library users to break off brief record displays in order to assess complete bibliographic data for records. After some time, the users can then continue examining the list of successful matches. The university enhanced the library system’s ability to request redisplays of former screens (Swanson, 1972). Information Management Features Information management is perhaps one of the most impressive abilities of BACS. Essentially, this encompasses the ability to lad information into BACS and design software to manage such data for whatever purpose (Wolfgang, 2004). Libraries can access BACS through telecommunications. Access Within and Without the University A notable and highly impressive feature of the BACS system established by the University of Ghana is the library system’s availability in remote locations. Enhanced telecommunications abilities in the university have enabled the availability of online public access to catalog throughout the university’s vicinity (Pnina & Erik, 2010). Through terminals hardwired into the University of Ghana or terminals with the dial-up ability, library users are currently able to search the catalog from the convenience of their homes and offices. Electronic Mail A university-wide electronic mail service introduced to the library system proved quite beneficial. The electronic mail service offered through BACS allows for the university students, and faculty to correspond with one another and the library. The innovative service also users to broadcast system wide messages and expand these services to other users (Benbasat & Zmud, 2003). Through the BACS electronic mail and public catalog system, users can effectively identify material wanted before sending a message to the library requesting that the material is held, charged out, provided or photocopied and sent. Library users can also request their placement of a waiting list, the renewal or books or to receive notifications when the library receives certain items. Notably, the university initially tested the electronic mail service on a few departments to determine its effectiveness before introducing it across the entire university. Directory Information In addition to the electronic mail option, the University of Ghana library developed a university directory for staff, students and faculty directly available online via BACS. The directory, which was previously compiled and supplied in hard copy, is currently available in both soft and hard copies (John & Joe, 2002). The popularity of this directly pushed the library staff to consider the creation of other faculty directories, calendars and conference schedules available through BACS. The university is currently investigating the capabilities inherent in the master file from which the university’s administration, as well as subsets such as lists of students, classified according to specialty for loading pertinent information for administrative objectives. File Management The university completed programming of specialized function files on BACS. Either an individual or group created these files to be used in storing bibliographic information in any format that the users desire. These files are searchable through keywords using the file name and only the responsible staff members can edit the files. At present, the library staff utilizes the individual files to automate indexes to slides, portrait collections, archive pictures, reference vertical files, as well as college catalogs (Lipetz, 1972). The library will extend this capacity to personal reprint collection, as well as making this option available to all university staff. Automated Personal Record Keeping The university library also included the time-clock system, which is essentially a time and leave record keeping system added to BACS. Since the library encompassed a flexible scheduling for the university staff, the university utilized a mechanical clock to keep track of hours worked by library staff, assistants and clerical employees. However, the library system will, however, maintain manual records of staff’s sick leave and vacation. All nonexempt staff that clock in and clock out from various BACS terminals currently make use of the time-clock system. In accordance with the regulations of university personnel, the time clock system automatically logs overtime, sick leave and accrued vacation for library and the entire university employees (Mingers & Stowell, 1997). The system also accommodates a number of personnel information, such as employee number, social security number, date of hire and address. To date, the time clock option exemplifies positive effects on university employees, particularly those working in the library. Most employees prefer the automated system since it is highly personalized as compared to the mechanical clock. End-user Access to Databases The University of Ghana, as well as other universities across the globe, is currently emphasizing the idea of an end user searching option for journal literature databases. The University of Ghana successfully tested this option thereby enabling online catalog users to conduct research and search journal articles on the basis of title, text words, author from journal abstracts. Library staff at the university gave careful consideration to the acquisition of pertinent tapes from the national library (Marche, 1993). These tapes allowed for the provision of search choices via a multitude of BACS terminals. However, provided the difficulties inherent in controlled vocabulary subject searching, end user alternatives will encompass natural language search terms, as well as advanced text words and vocabularies. Additionally, the university library staff anticipates working cooperatively with the national computing facility to offer online access to the current access. Expanding the Role of the Library At present, the university’s library staff is discussing with other departments of the university such as computer science and IT departments on ways of effectively expanding the library’s information systems. These discussions aim at finding effective ways of enhancing the service offerings, as well as support, offered by the library (Galliers, Markus & Newell, 2006). The library staff and the entire university faculty embraced a number of objectives of the integrated academic information system. These stakeholders plan to involve the University of Ghana’s library in information management advancements within the different university departments. In addition, academic departments within the university are able to turn into active contributors and members of the BACS database and network system. These members will have the opportunity to add their holdings to the library database and make their collections, as well as contributions, known to other users in the library and the university. Conclusion This paper has effectively demonstrated the application of technology in libraries noting that such application has the capacity to produce profound effects in the libraries’ capabilities. In this instance, the development of a machine-readable system and database, as well as its additional extensions through telecommunications and information technology has implications that exceed the traditional functions of a library. Developments made in an incremental manner, particularly in barely noticeable steps, ultimately changes the nature of the entire system resulting in a more effective system than the previous one. The University of Ghana’s library added extra functions to the library system starting with the integrated library system, resulting in an evolved and highly effective library system (Hoganson, 2001). This evolution is central to the enhancement of the services offered by the library, as well as the realization of increased system and database efficacy. The addition of extra functions to the traditional library system resulted in the emergence of a new gestalt. Beyond the applications, technology and added functions, the new and improved library system enhances the effectiveness of the library’s management allowing for easy management. As libraries extend their functions beyond the management of documents to managing information for decision making or administration, it cuts across the departmental divide. The role of the library, as well as its visibility, ultimately changes, and the library’s capacity and influence to survive environmental changes are also likely to increase rather substantially. There is currently a lot of literature on the death of the library as the world advances from a paper based society to one that relies primarily on electronic communication. It is highly plausible that, in such a global environment, libraries will wither into oblivion as other highly technological institutions take their place. In addition, other intermediaries who offer free lance services through computer terminals are also likely to adopt functions, as well as responsibilities of libraries (Culnan, 1987). Therefore, it is quite critical that libraries redefine their functionality through the adoption of flexibility and constant improvements. Following the effect of technology on operations such as business and education operations, libraries that adopt flexibility and constant redefinition are likely to survive in the new era of technological growth and development. References Benbasat, I., & Zmud, R. (2003). The identity crisis within the IS discipline: Defining and communicating the discipline’s core properties. MIS Quarterly, 27(2), 183-194. Culnan, M. J. (1987). Mapping the intellectual structure of MIS, 1980-1985: A co-citation analysis. MIS Quarterly, 341-353. Galliers, R.D., Markus, M.L., & Newell, S. (2006). Exploring information systems research approaches. New York: Routledge. Hoganson, K. (2001). Alternative curriculum models for integrating computer science and information systems analysis, recommendations, pitfalls, opportunities, accreditations, and trends. Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges, 17(2), 313-325. John, W., & Joe, P. (2002). Strategic planning for information system (3rd ed.). West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons Limited. Leonard, J. M., & Valacich, J. S. (2008). Information systems today (3rd ed.). New York: Pearson Publishing. Lipetz, B. A. (1972). Catalog use in a large research library. Library Quarterly 42, 129-139. March, M., & Park, R. (2004). Design Science in Information Systems Research. MIS Quarterly, 28(1), 75-105. Marche, S. (1993). Measuring the stability of data models. European Journal of Information Systems, 2(1), 37-47. Mingers, J., & Stowell, F. (1997). Information Systems: An Emerging Discipline? London: McGraw Hill. Pnina, A., & Erik, P. (2010). Information systems evolution. New York: Springer. Swanson, D. R. (1972). Requirements of future catalogs. Library Quarterly 42, 302-15. Wolfgang, C. (2004). Between the disciplines. ACM SIGCSE Bulletin 36 (2), 7–10. Read More