Osu Library

The Osu Library is one of the six regional branch libraries in the Greater Accra Region. It is located behind the Ghana Commercial bank at Osu that is two houses behind the bank.

A View Of Dodowa Library

A View Of The Children's Library

Dodowa Library

The Dodowa Library is one of the six branch libraries in the Greater Accra Region. it is located in Dodowa at a place called zongo or World Vision junction.

CHILDREN’S LIBRARY

The Children’s Library is the foundation of an effective public library service delivery in Ghana. It is the most popular service delivered nationwide by the Ghana Library Authority. It provides various services for children especially from primary one to junior High School. The library offers free friendly environment for children to read, learn research and for recreational activities. AIM To promote reading habit and life-long learning among young people. COLLECTION Materials of the library range from children’s books such as fairy tales, junior encyclopedias, comics, and newspapers, games (e.g. scrabbles, jigsaw, puzzles and building blocks) to film shows. SERVICES The library offers lending, reference and other reading promotion service. REGISTRATION PROCEDURE To borrow books for home reading, the children register and pay a token fee of GHȼ 2 for a year. An application form is completed by the child and endorsed by their head teacher or parent/guardian. Each child can be allowed to borrow one book at a time but fast readers may borrow two books. However four books may be borrowed in special cases. Books are issued for two weeks after which they are returned or renewed on the date due. READING PROMOTION ACTIVITIES Reading Clinics: a child is giving the opportunity to read to the hearing of others. Those who have difficulty in reading are helped by the library staff. Good readers are rewarded for their effort. Story Hour: the staff folk tales and stories they have read from books to the children after which the children are also allowed to tell the stories they have read. Book Club: beginning of every academic year children are invited to join the book club. This involves discussion on the books they have read and topical issues as well as other programmes such as debate, spelling bee, drumming and dancing, poetry recital, drama and excursion. Quiz: This organized for basic schools. Schools are selected from the catchment area compete among themselves. Prizes are awarded to participants/winners. Film shows: The library provides film shows on the stories that the children enjoyed reading. These include Aladdin, Snow White, and Cinderella etc. documentary films for children, cartoons and others are also known. Games: games scrabble, jigsaw puzzle, and building blocks, ludu and aware are provided and children are allowed or organized to play them. The library staff visits schools to give talk on the use of the library to children from time to time. Schools also visit the library to familiarize themselves with its use. They are educate on the importance of the library, the arrangement of library materials, how to find a book and the library guidelines. Guidelines to Users The following rules serve as a guide to all users: • Handle library books with care • Eating and drinking are not permitted in the library • Wash hands before using library books. • Do not write in, draw in or tear library books • Users must not shelve books after use • Do not destroy any library property

Pictorial View of Extension Library

Extension Library

The Extension Library is the department responsible for Mobile Library Services (MLS). The MLS is the most acclaimed pro-poor, rural, outreach, public library service programme in Ghana. But it became defunct in 1980s due to lack of funds. It was however, reintroduced in August, 2007 on a pilot basis to cover 60 communities in 20 selected districts across the country. The government of Ghana, with the kind assistance of the National Commission on UNESCO, purchased a total of 10 mobile vans. Each regional library was allocated a van for the purpose of running the MLS. The focus is currently on the 60 deprived, rural and sub-urban communities in the 20 pilot districts which have no access to static public libraries. Also, peri-urban schools benefit from the MLS. The strategic objective of the MLS is to bridge the in-country information divide. It seeks to provide effective and efficient public library services to communities that do not have access to static libraries in order to meet their information, educational, research and recreational needs. Its major aim is to support government’s initiatives on access to quality education. Specifically the Mobile Library Service seeks: 1. To support teaching in basic and senior high schools especially in rural and peri-urban communities without static libraries. 2. To sustain the newly acquire literacy skills by providing relevant literacy materials to Neo-literates 3. To support distance learning programmes in communities. 4. To disseminate information on government policy initiatives by providing access to government publications. 5. To monitor and evaluate the impact MLS on the lives of clients and the development of affected communities. Products and Services Bringing information materials to the door steps of our clientele: these include: - Books i.e. fiction and nonfiction for both adults and children. The book’s cover almost all facets of knowledge. - Periodicals/serials: journals, magazines etc. Orientation is given to the users on: • Guidelines on the use of the library. • Membership and borrowing procedures • Care and custody of books • Information retrieval: library and reading skills and how to make effect use of the library. • Advisory services to individual users on their information needs. • Quick reference and referral services. • Selective dissemination of information i.e. topical, national development issues and opportunities.

Lending Library

Lending Library

THE LENDING LIBRARY The Lending Library lends its books to registered users and also facilitates interlibrary loan. Through its activities, it promotes reading habits and also provides relevant materials for borrowing that will meet the information, educational, recreational and research needs of users and national development. MEMBERSHIP A person of any age of the Senior High School may be registered as a borrower after paying the stipulated fee. Registration Procedure: A person must register a borrower to enjoy lending facilities and must undertake to observe the library rules and regulations. To register as a member, a person must provide the following: • Passport size picture • Provide a qualified guarantor who must endorse his/her application form. This person must be a worker in the public institution or a renowned institution. Borrowers’ Right and Responsibilities • Registered members shall be given three (3) tickets each to enable them borrow books. • The total number of books on loan to a borrower is three (3). Additional books may be issued at the discretion of the librarian. • The normal loan period for books is 21days. At the discretion of the librarian, this period may be reduced for books in high demand. The loan request may be extended on request by two separate further periods of 21 days, but not exceeding 63 days, provided the books has not been reserved by another borrower. Reserved books are subjected to recall. • Books must be returned or the period renewed on or before the date due for return. No renewal of the loan period will be granted for books in demand. After 63 days, borrowed books must be handed over to the librarian. Books due for return may be renewed by letter or telephone, provided the following information is given: reader’s name, author and title of the book and date due for return. • Change of address and loss of ticket must be reported immediately to the librarian. • Borrower’s ticket are not transferable. • Borrowers are responsible for all books that they borrow. • After the due date, exemplary fines are charged per book per week or part of the week. Collections The library provides the following general and special collections: Book (on all subjects) Periodicals, Journals, Magazines and Newspapers Youth Collection Africana Collection Reference Sources (Dictionaries, Directories, Encyclopedias) Fiction Biographies UN Collection

Image Of The Reference Library

The Reference Library

THE REFERENCE LIBRARY THE REFERENCE LIBRARY The Reference Department is the centre for dissemination of information to the general public, provides wide information resources including books, periodicals, newspapers, pamphlets, and reports for use in the library. The main goal of the department is to provide adequate information to clients with minimum effort. The department is a focal point as far as information dissemination is concerned because individual persons and public institutions such as banks, courts, businesses, schools among others depend on it for information of one kind or another. The department provides a serene environment for study and research. It also has enthusiastic staff who are prepared to go the extra mile to satisfy the needs of clientele. Its opening from Mondays – Saturdays 9AM – 6PM. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES STOCK The Reference Department currently has a stock of more than ten thousand (10,000) volumes mainly made up of books, periodicals, newspapers and government publications. Generally the books are arranged on the shelves according to their Dewey Decimal Classification Scheme and the periodicals are arranged alphabetically by their titles on the periodical rack. The books in the department has been placed in various sections to facilitate easy access. There is the quick reference section, the main stock and reserve collection. Quick Reference Section The quick reference section has been created to facilitate easy access to information that does not require in-depth research. Materials in this section are consulted for basic information or facts. The materials in this section include: Bibliography Encyclopedias Dictionaries (language/subject) Year books Directories Handbooks Atlases Gazetteers Biographical dictionaries Indexes Books of quotation. This section is close to the reference enquiry desk for staff and clientele to have easy access to them. Main Stock The main stock covers all subject disciplines from Philosophy through to History. However there are more materials on Social Sciences, Pure Sciences and Applied Sciences than any other subject discipline. Reserved Collection The reserved collection includes important textbooks, Africana collection, Ghana collection, government publications and reports. Materials on reserve are giving out on request. The reader is required to fill a form starting with his or her name, address, date, class number, title and author of the material. The material is returned to the reference enquiry desk after use. Textbooks On Reserve The textbooks that are placed on reserve are mainly those that are rare, expensive and heavily used by readers but which the department has a few copies. These materials are placed on reserve to monitor their use and prevent the lifting of pages from them. These are placed on a shelf behind the reference enquiry desk. Ghana Collection The Ghana collection consist of books written by Ghanaians or with Ghana as the subject matter. These materials treat the economic, social, political, cultural and historical backgrounds of Ghana. Africana Collection This collection consist of materials on Africa in general and West Africa in particular. Government Public In-Stock Acts/Laws Decrees Legislative Instrument Executive Instrument Lands and Concession Bulletins Local government Bulletins Ghana Gazette Hansard (Parliamentary Debates) Report of Committees/Commissions on Enquiry Annual Reports Periodicals/Newspapers In-Stock Daily Graphic Graphic Sports Graphic Showbiz Mirror The Ghanaian Times Spectator Daily Guide New Statesman The Suns .

A Picture Of The Accra Central Library

THE ACCRA CENTRAL LIBRARY The Accra Central Library is the regional headquarters of all the public libraries in the Greater Accra Region. It has four departments i.e. (Reference Library, Lending Library, Extension Library and Children's Library) and six branch and they are Tema Library, Teshie Library, Osu Library, Dodowa Library, Dansoman Library and Lartebiokoshie Library respectively.

A PUBLIC LIBRARY A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is generally funded from public sources, such as taxes or A public institution or establishment charged with the care of collection of books and the duty of making them accessible to those who require the use of them. Examples of public libraries are the Greater Accra Regional Library, Tamale Regional Library, Kumasi Regional Library and the Koforiua Regional Library

A NATIONAL LIBRARY A National Library is a library specifically established by the government of a country to serve as the preeminent repository of information for that country or Its a library that keeps all documents of and about a nation under legal Provision and thus represents of and about the whole nation. The George Padmore Library on African affairs could also serve as a national library.

Special Libraries

SPECIAL LIBRAIRES Special libraries offer unique opportunities to work in places such as corporations, hospitals, the military, museums, law firms, advertising agencies, professional associations, private businesses, and the government. Many special librarians/information specialists now work outside the typical library setting and have a no library job title. Special libraries can serve particular populations, such as the blind and physically handicapped, while others are dedicated to special collections, such as the Judicial Service Library

THE LIBRARY A library is a collection of sources of information and similar resources, made accessible to a defined community for reference or borrowing/ A building containing collection of books, periodicals and sometimes films and recorded music for people to read, borrow or refer to. There are four types of libraries and there are: Public Libraries Academic Libraries National Libraries Special Libraries

Academic Libraries

An Academic Library is a type of library which is associated or attached with any educational institution to support educational programmes.

An Academic Library in an integral part of a formal education system which provides time bound education from primary school level to university level. An Academic Library works as a base for teaching, learning, research etc.

We can categorize academic libraries into three categories

1. School Library
2. College Library
3. University library

The Library

THE LIBRARY A library is a collection of sources of information and similar resources, made accessible to a defined community for reference or borrowing/ A building containing collection of books, periodicals and sometimes films and recorded music for people to read, borrow or refer to. There are four types of libraries and there are: Public Libraries Academic Libraries National Libraries Special Libraries