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A cost comparison of manual and automated circulation systems in university libraries: The case of the Ibadan University library
03cG4573185 13 w + .oo D 1985 Pcrgamon Press Ltd
A COST COMPARISON OF MANUAL AND AUTOMATED CIRCULATION SYSTEMS IN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES: THE CASE OF THE IBADAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARY G. A. ALABI Department of Library Studies. University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria Abstract-This paper presents the results of a comparative cost study of the manual circulation system and experimental automated system in a university library in Nigeria. Two sets of data were collected: one on the existing manual circulation system and the other on the experimental automated system on an Apple II microcomputer. Eight different circulation activities were identified for evaluation for which the direct labor cost of circulating a book on each system was calculated. The experimental automated system was found to be less labor intensive than the manual system, although overall unit cost of book circulation on the automated system was higher than on the manual system ($0.59 and $0.49, respectively). Factors attributed to the higher unit cost on the automated system were the cost of equipment and the low circulation figure. However, the automated system was found to be more effective
in providing up-to-date and accurate data required for the monitoring of the library stock.
INTRODUCTION Cost-effectiveness,
cost-benefit
and needs analyses of library circulation
systems
Cost-effectiveness analysis has always been regarded as an essential tool for choosing between alternatives. It refers to the “qualitative examination of alternative systems as to the potential trade off, with regard to the effectiveness to be gained as well as the costs to be incurred among the alternatives for the purpose of identifying the preferred system and its associated equipment, product, etc.“[l]. Cost-effectiveness, which could also be used to determine the most appropriate alternative among many possibilities, can be differentiated from cost-benefit insofar as benefit is measurable in money units, while effectiveness may not be mesurable in monetary terms but in some objective criteria of a system like the circulation system of a university library. According to Lancaster[Z]. the cost-effectiveness of a library operation, which is the relationship between level of performance and the costs involved in achieving this level, can be improved either by maintaining the present performance level while reducing the costs of operating the system or by holding operating costs constant while raising the average performance level. The idea to automate should not be taken lightly. There is a need to calculate everything: the cost of the system, supplies, maintenance, personnel and conversion. In the words of Hegarthy[3], what a library needs is a system of appraisal that will give an automation system at least total cost that meets the technological requirements of the library. With respect to data for marIagement, automated circulation systems do give library administrators data that enables them to appraise library collections and bring book buying more in tune with actual patron use. Moreover, the library will possess data that can give a new perspective on loan policy, fine policy, hours of operations, staffing. the comparative productivity of different departments and of different branches, etc.
516
G. A. ALIBI IBADAN
UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY
The University of Ibadan was the first university in Nigeria. It was established in 1948 as a college affiliated with the University of London. It was upgraded to a fullfledged university in 1962. Presently, there are 28 universities[4] in Nigeria with an average student population of 101,679. The Ibadan University Library, which serves the needs of 12,032 students and 1017 faculty members, has a coflection of approximately 350,000 vofumes (223,400 titles) and nearly 6000 serial subscriptions. The collection is growing at a rate of approximately 3.9% per year(51. Apart from the main library, there are two major branches in medicine and education and 21 small departmental collections within the campus. Collections are arranged according to Bliss and Library of Congress classification schemes. The average annual circulation of books is 47,267. The manual circaiation system The circulation system is presentfy manual with the use of the Browne charging system. This charging system was introduced in October 1979 thereby replacing the age-old Bookmatic system that had been in use since the establishment of the university library in 1948. With this new method, token cards, representing the maximum number of books that can be borrowed, are given to registered users. The method has in fact eliminated the idea of creating a separate workroom for the discharge of returned materials. The library is open to registered members of the senior staff. undergraduate students as well as outsiders with the special permission of the university librarian. Such outsiders are, however, not permitted to borrow any library material for home reading. The normal loan period is 14 days. Teaching and research staff and others who have special reasons for doing so may request longer periods, but all books are expected to be returned at the end of each academic year. The library permits a foan to be renewed on application for a further period of a fortnight so long as no one else wants it. For undergraduate students, the maximum number of books permitted for a foan period of 2 weeks is four only. For senior staff and postgraduate students, a maximum of 10 is allowed. Reservation is also permitted. A reader wishing to reserve a book already borrowed by someone else fills a reservation form, which enables the library to notify him as soon as the book is returned. The penalty for fate return of books is I kobo in focal currency (i.e. $0.013) per day per book returned fate. The automated system The experimental automated circulation system was designed to provide required information on-line to all users of the library, irrespective of their computer knowfedge. It caters to two different levels of users: the ordinary users and the privileged ones. The ordinary users are the normal library users whose interest is to seek information quickly from the iibrary and borrow some books of interest, while the privileged users, on the other hand, are those of the status of a librarian or manager who are given some privileged duties of, say, registering some new books into the system. The system provides the ordinary user the capability to get the list of books held in the library with a given author, title, subject matter and publisher as the search key. Information given to such inquirers includes 1. The title of the book 2. The author of the book 3. The pubfisher 4. The subject matter 5. Status of the book
Cost comparison
of circulation systems in Ibadan University Library
527
6. Access number 7. Access control. Users at the manager’s level can perform functions such as 1. Registration of a new book 2. Removing a registered book from the master file 3. Charging a book to an ordinary user 4. Removing the name of a borrower from the borrower’s list when the borrowed book is returned 5. Getting a list of books received/acquired between two selected dates 6. Getting a list of books borrowed on a given date with the names of borrowers supplied as well 7. Getting a list of books due, which is also supplied with the names of the borrowers 8. Getting a master list of books held in the library. The user has the option of having the listing either on the line printer or on the video screen: the input from the user of the system is, however, through the only video terminal. Available resources for the experimental system. The available resources for the automated system include 1. Apple II microprocessor with 4% memory 2. Two disk drives 3. A line printer 4. A video screen 5. Applesoft Basic interpreter 6. Disk Operating System 7. Apple writer. METHODOLOGY
Some methods widely used in the literature for determining the unit cost of book circulation were explored for the determination of the unit cost of the manual circulation of library books at the Ibadan University Library. The same experimental approach was used for the calculation of the unit cost of the experimental automated system. The methods considered were those of Mosley[6] and Burgessl7J. Each of these analyses made use of different factors to arrive at the unit cost of circulation of library books. However, Mosley’s methodology, which is basically a measure of the cost-effectiveness of a circulation system, is applicable to both the manual and the automated circulation systems. The methodology relates the cost of different activities of the circulation system to the effectiveness of each alternative. The approach, which was also utilized by Wright@] on a cost-benefit analysis of Newcastle Polytechnic Library’s automated circulation control system, permits calculations of the unit cost of circulating a book in any library by emphasizing that the effectiveness of each objective of a circulation system (manual or automated) as earlier enumerated must have the folfowing criteria: 1. Effectiveness of circulation, which is determined by the volume of circulation. This is proportional to the number of potential users and is therefore assumed to be the same for both the manual and the computerized systems. 2. Effectiveness in minimizing user time and effort in borrowing. This is measured in terms of minutes saved per item borrowed on the automated as compared with the manual system. 3. Effectiveness of making materiats available to users as soon as possible, as measured by conducting a performance test on the operation of the automated circulation system when the system is fully operational. Such a test is described by Alabi and Alegbeleye[9] in the measurement of the performance level of the Ibadan University Library manual circulation system.
528
G. A. ALABI
For the automated system, the development and operating costs were considered, while only the operating costs for the continuing manual system were considered. The suggested equation for the derivation of unit cost of book circulation can be given as Cost = ;
t F + (N x II)
where D is the development costs, y is the period of amortization in years, F is the annual fixed operating costs, N is the number of items processed and U is the total unit cost of the variable opponents. In this study, the procedures utilized for the derivation of the unit cost of the manual and automated circulation systems took into consideration the following inputs: 1. The average academic staff salary. The salaries of academic staff in Nigerian universities range between U.S. $7800 and 20,436. For the determination of the average salary scale, the third level of each category was used as an average for calculation purposes because most academic staff tend to stay longer in their respective posts before moving to the next stage. 2. Circulation staffcostper loan. For calculation of the library staff cost per loan, it was observed that about 75% of library staff time is actually spent on circulation work, while the remaining 25% is spent outside the normal duties, like coffee breaks. etc. The staff salary calculation was based on the total number of staff that perform circulation duties: the circulation librarian. the library officer(s), the library/clerical assistants as well as the typist(s). For the librarian, the third level of salary level was used for calculation. This is because most, on the average, stay at that particular salary level before being promoted. The same criterion was adopted for library officers. In the case of library assistants. the second step of the salary scale was used for calculation. The justification for this lies in the fact that they tend to stay 1 or 2 years before going on for further studies. especially since the requirements for appointment to that cadre are equally suitable for admission into institutions of higher learning. As for clerical assistants and typists, the third level of their salary scale was used because they stay longer on the job simply because their qualifications may not be suitable for admission into institutions of higher learning. 3. Value of library user’s time. This involves users’ average salary per hour. which in the case of students is based on the hourly rate of BJI .OO(i.e. $1.30) per hour per person as authorized by the administrative unit of the university setup. 4. Srarionery costs. The total costs of stationery materials for the manual and automated circulation activities were also taken into consideration for the cafculation of the unit costs of circulation. 5. Mean hourly wage of library assistants. The mean wage of a library assistant was calculated as $1.25. This value is about the same as $1.30, which the university authorities have established as the hourly rate payable to those parttime workers carrying out activities identical to those of the junior library staff. 6. Supervisory and adminisrrafi~e cosrs. In calculating the costs of supervision of circulation activities by the respective circulation staff, it was assumed that about 75% of the circulation librarian’s time is actually devoted to supervision and other administrative duties. With the same assumption, a library officer is expected to devote about 85% of his total working hours to circulation duties, while a typist would devote about 90% of her working hours to her job. 7. System development and operational costs. These are largely capital investment costs because their value is not consumed within the normal period of 1 year. In this study. these costs include development costs comprising cost of system design, cost of programming and testing and cost of the hardware. These costs are amortized over the expected life of the system, usually 5 years in the case of computer systems. The validity of the results obtained was achieved by multiplying the average times obtained at different stages of the study by an z~nproducfi~le time factor (UPTF) as defined by
Cost comparison
of circulation systems in Ibadan University
529
Library
Mosley[6]. The use of this factor is to allow for unproductive time between activities or between cycles of an activity. This unproductive time includes (i) idleness, when no useful work is being executed at the circulation counter, (ii) visiting the rest rooms, (iii) reading or talking on duty, etc. The UPTF as measured in most academic libraries in the U.S.A.[6] ranges from 13 to 25%. This has not been measured in Nigeria, but it is assumed that it will not be less than the upper limit of 25%, as most private matters cannot be transacted on the telephone as can easily be done in the U.S.A. and other advanced countries. Personal visits are often required for most intra- and extracurricular activities. This being the case, the UPTF for academic libraries in Nigeria is estimated as: 100 = 1.33 (with 25% as the UPTF). 100 - 25 This will be used to multiply the times recorded tablishing some validity in the timing processes.
for different
activities,
thereby
es-
Observations and data analysis In order to determine how long it takes the manual and the automated systems to perform some circulation functions, timing of eight identified circulation activities was performed with the use of a stopwatch. The same methodology of timing used in some observations in physics and chemistry was adopted. The point at which timing became constant was taken as the mean value for that event. In the course of utilizing the experimental automated system, the following observations were made. 1. Charge function. The following prompt statements are generated as soon as the computer is triggered off for borrowing. TITLE: Title of the book AUTHOR: Author of the book BORROWER: Name of the borrower, which should not be more than 20 characters DATE BORROWED: DD/MM/YY-the date the book is borrowed DATE DUE (DD/MM/YY): The date the book is expected to be returned The time of charging a book manually at the Ibadan University Library was the same as on the experimental automated system. It took 1.73 minutes to charge out a book on each of the two systems. 2. Discharge function. This allows users to delete a borrower from the borrower’s list when the borrowed book is returned. The prompt statements are: TITLE: Title of the book AUTHOR: Author of the book Name of the borrower BORROWER: The borrower’s name is deleted from the borrower’s list if (i) the book with the title and author is found and (ii) the name of the borrower agrees with the book marked “borrowed.” This allows a user to borrow more than one book. The manual discharge function at the Ibadan University Library was about two times more labor intensive than the designed automated system. While it took 1.37 minutes to discharge a book on the automated system. it took 2.62 minutes to perform the same operation on the existing manual system. The direct labor cost of discharging a book manually is thus double that of the automated system. 3. Renewal function. For renewal, the due date is altered to correspond to the new date of return. The average time recorded for this event was 2.85 minutes on the manual as against 2.33 minutes on the automated system.
G. A.
530
ALABI
4. Overdue notices. As the bibliographic data already created at the charging level are not being utilized, it was observed that the automated system becomes much cheaper than the manual system. For example, while an overdue notice took 0.31 minute to generate on the automated system, it took 2.15 minutes on the manual system. 5. Fine calculation. As in the preparation of overdue notices, fine calculation and disposition function also requires the display of overdue books, from which display of appropriate fines can be generated. The time for generating fines on overdue books was the same on the manual as on the automated system (1.69 minutes). 6. Reservation. Reserving a book on the automated system takes as much time as it takes to charge out. This is due to the fact that reserving circulating material requires keying some bibliographic information about the material before such reservation can be made. Reserving a book on the manual system took 2.75 minutes as compared with the 1.73 minutes it took the same activity to be performed on the automated system. 7. Recall. A book already borrowed from the library can be recalled before the due date if such book is urgently required in the library. In the manual system, a standard form is processed for the book to be recalled and mailed to the borrower. On the automated system, however, such a message is generated on the computer and printed on the line printer for onward dispatch to the affected borrower. The average time for generating a recall notice on the automated system at the Ibadan University Library was 1.76 minutes compared with the average time of 2.22 minutes it took for the manual system to generate such a notice. 8. Assisted query. Both the manual system and the designed automated system make provision for users of the library to interrogate the systems for any required information. Such information ranges from availability of a book in the library, to the whereabouts of a particular title, to whether, for instance, the title is on loan in the library, etc. Because book records are already fed into the computer, such information can be retrieved by following the required guidelines. In most of the manual circulation system, relevant information can be obtained only by going through the author/title files before answers can be provided. While it took as much as 2.79 minutes to provide an answer manually on the status of a book that could not be located on the shelves, it took only 0.76 minute to provide the necessary information on the automated system. Table 1 is a comparative table for the timing of the eight identified activities on both the manual and automated systems.
Table 1. Timing of the manual and automated circulation functions Time in minu Circulation
Functions
Manual
Automated
1.
Charging
1.73
1.73
2.
Discharging
2.62
1.37
3.
Renewal
2.86
3.10
4.
Overdue
1st
2.19
0.31
2nd
2.10
0.31
1.69
1.69
Rotice
5.
Fines
calculation
6.
Reservation
2.75
1.73
7.
Recall
2.22
1.76
8.
Assisted
2.79
0.76
Query
Cost comparison
of circulation systems in lbadan University Library
531
Table 2. Direct labor cost of book circulation on the manual system
Activity 1. Charging 2. Discharging 3. Renewal (20 in 200 or 10%) 4. Overdue notice 1st 2nd 5. Fine (1% of total circulation) 6. Hold (reservation) (5 in every 200 or 0.5%) 7. Recall (1 in 200 or 0.5%) 8. Assisted query (5 in 200 or 0.5%)
Actual time (minutes) (A)
Actual time x UPTF (1.33) W)
1 min 18 set (1.30) 1 min 58 set (1.97) 2 min 9 set (2.15)
1.73 min 2.62 min 2.86 min
200 200 20
7.27 11.00 1.20
1 min 39 set (1.65) 1 min 35 set (1.58) 1 min 16 set (1.27)
2.19 min 2.10 min 1.69 min
4 3 2
0.18 0.13 0.07
2 min 4 set (2.07)
2.75 min
5
0.29
1 min 40 set (1.67)
2.22 min
1
0.05
2 min 47 set (2.78)
2.79 min
5
0.29
Frequency (C)
Cost of activity
(B x C x $0.021)
Total cost per 200 charges = $20.48. Direct labor cost = $20.48/200 = 0.10.
costs
The cost of performing all the eight functions outlined in Table 1 constitutes the direct labor cost of the circulation system. This cost was obtained (as shown in Table 2) when all the times taken to perform different circulation tasks were converted into monetary equivalents. The calculation of the overall unit cost, taking into consideration the development and recurrent costs of the manual system as well as the costs of equipment, supervision and administration, stationery and users’ time. is given in Table 3. Users’ time was based on the sum of faculty users’ and students’ time. The same procedure was utilized for the experimental automated system as shown in Tables 4 and 5.
Table 3. Unit cost of book circulation on manual systems
Development costs-fixed Recurrent costs--fixed Equipment: Implementation (borrower’s ID cards-200 at an average of $/158 per 1000). System maintenance Supervision/administration (costs) 1. Circulation librarian (75% of working time) 2. Library officer (85% of working time) 3. 1 typist for secretarial duty (90% of working time) Total supervision and administration costs (for 47,267 circulations) Recurrent costs: Stationery Direct labor Users’ time (1.73 min x $0.22/min X 11%) + (1.73 min X $O.O2l/min x 89%) Overall unit cost
Annual cost f$)
Unit cost G)
None None
-
410.80 None 7759.05 3692.40 1544.40 13.406.65
0.28 0.04 0.10 0.07 0.49
t Time taken for borrowing = 1.73 min. Value of library users’ time = $0.22/min (academic). Percentage of loan to academic staff = 11%.
532
G. A. ALABI Table 4. Direct labor cost of book circulation on the experimental
I. Charging 2. Discharging 3. Renewal 4. Overdue nottce 5. Fme calculation 6. Reservation 7. Recall 8. Assisted query Total
Actual time (A)
Actual time x UPTF (1.33) (B)
1 min 18 set (1.30) 1 min 2 set (1.03) 2 min 20 set (2.33) 14 set (0.23) 1 min 16 set (1.27) 1 min 18 set (1.30) 1 min 19 set (1.32) 34 set (0.57)
1.73 1.37 3.10 0.31 1.69 1.30 1.76 0.76
automated system
Frequency per day (0 200 200 20 4 2 5 1 5
Cost of activity (B x C x $0.021)
1.27 5.75 1.30 0.03 0.07 0.18 0.04 0.08 $14.72
Direct labor unit cost = $14.721200 = $0.07.
Table 5. Unit cost of book circulation on automated system Total cost (%) Development costs (fixed) Systems destgn (1 man-month) Programmmg and testing (1.5 man-months) Total systems development cost System development amortized over a period of 5 years Recurrent costs (fixed) Equipment: 2 Apple II (48k) microcomputers 4 disk drives 1 line printer 2 dtsk controllers Mamtenance Total equipment costs for a period of 5 years Supervision costs-vanable Total fixed costs (D/Y + F) Recurrent costs-variable Direct labor Materials: 40 diskettes for data storage @ $130 per packet of 10 12 ribbons @ $11.05 per one 6 cartons of paper @ $84.50 per carton Total cost of materials Users’ ttme (11% X 1.73 min X $0.22/min) + (89% x 1.73 min + $O.O2l/min) Overall unit cost (i.e. nos 3 & 4)
Annual cost (S)
Unit cost (S)
5200 2600 7800 3120.00
6500 4550 1560 780 13.380
1170.00 2676.00 13,406.65 20.372.00
0.43 0.07
520.00 132.60 507.00 1159.60
0.02 0.07 0.59
Average annual circulation figure = 47,267. &‘:ote. All the hardware costs quoted are landing costs in Nigeria.
DISCUSSlON
The unit cost of circulating a book on the manual circulation system at the Ibadan University Library was $0.49 compared with $0.59 on the automated system. The designed automated system is therefore 20.4% more expensive than the manual system. This figure is reasonable considering that similar studies outside Nigeria have recorded as high as a 30% increase in cost for the automated system. This cost differential, however. depends largely on the specific system design. A microcomputer was used for this study as a model; if larger computer units were to be used, it is possible that the cost differential would be higher than the 20.4% obtained above. As in other similar studies, the cost differential will be reduced with rising salaries and falling computer
Cost compartson
533
of circulation systems in Ibadan University Library
costs. Also, as the volume of circulation increases with the increase in number of potential users, the automated circulation system will be less expensive and more costeffective than the manual system. The direct labor costs for the manual and automated systems are $0.10 and $0.07 respectively. This indicates that the equipment and maintenance costs of the Apple II microcomputer are the main reasons why the automated system is more expensive than the manual system. However, an automated system has added benefits that outweigh costs. The costs of computer technology have fallen over the years, and the technology itself has expanded at such a rapid rate that the activities performed by computers have become much cheaper. On the contrary, personnel costs have been rising tremendously in the Nigeria labor market, of which the university libraries are a part. The rise in salaries and the falling costs of computers would make the unit cost of circulating a book manually more costly and less effective than the automated system. CONCLUSION
Concerning the overall performance of the experimental automated system. it was observed that while it performs better than the existing manual system in some of the eight identified circulation activities, its performance in some of these activities was not too good. However, in agreement with findings in other academic libraries. the cost of performing different circulation activities. known as the direct labor cost. was cheaper on the automated system than on the manual system. The results obtained also showed that the experimental automated circulation system could be installed in any of the Nigerian university libraries with the same or even better level of performance as at the Ibadan University Library. REFERENCES I. Okedara. J. T. “Cost-effectiveness analysis of the educational system in Nigeria.” (Semmar paper presented at the Faculty of Education: University of Ibadan; November, 1979): 2. 2. Lancaster. F. W. The Meusrrremenr and et,aluarion of Library Sen,ices. Washington: Informatton Resources Press; 1977. 395. 3. Hegarthy. K. “Rating systems and vendors,” Libray Journal. 105(4): 1980: 1570-1571. 4. National Universirles Commission. Executit,e Diary. 1985. Lagos: National Universitres Commisston. 1985. 5. Ibadan Uni~~ersiry Librarys Annuul Report, 1981182. Ibadan: 1983. 6. Mosley. I. J. “Cost-effectiveness analysts of the automation of a circulatton system.” Jorrr~7oI of Library 7. Burgess, Library 8. Wright.
Automarion.
16(3): 1977: 216-254.
T. K. “A cost-effectiveness Auromarion.
model for comparing various circulation system”.
Jorw7ul
of
6(Z): 1973; 75-86.
G. A. “Shall we ctrculate automattcally? A cost benefit anaysts of Newcastle Polytechmc Library’s automated ctrculation control system.” Program. 15(4): 1981: 209-225. 9. Alabi, G. A and Alegbeleye. G. 0 “Performance measures in an academic hbrary. The case of Ibadan University Library”. (Paper presented at a seminar in the Department of Library Studtes: Umversity of Ibadan: March 1979.)
A COST COMPARISON OF MANUAL AND AUTOMATED CIRCULATION SYSTEMS IN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES: THE CASE OF THE IBADAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARY G. A. ALABI Department of Library Studies. University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria Abstract-This paper presents the results of a comparative cost study of the manual circulation system and experimental automated system in a university library in Nigeria. Two sets of data were collected: one on the existing manual circulation system and the other on the experimental automated system on an Apple II microcomputer. Eight different circulation activities were identified for evaluation for which the direct labor cost of circulating a book on each system was calculated. The experimental automated system was found to be less labor intensive than the manual system, although overall unit cost of book circulation on the automated system was higher than on the manual system ($0.59 and $0.49, respectively). Factors attributed to the higher unit cost on the automated system were the cost of equipment and the low circulation figure. However, the automated system was found to be more effective
in providing up-to-date and accurate data required for the monitoring of the library stock.
INTRODUCTION Cost-effectiveness,
cost-benefit
and needs analyses of library circulation
systems
Cost-effectiveness analysis has always been regarded as an essential tool for choosing between alternatives. It refers to the “qualitative examination of alternative systems as to the potential trade off, with regard to the effectiveness to be gained as well as the costs to be incurred among the alternatives for the purpose of identifying the preferred system and its associated equipment, product, etc.“[l]. Cost-effectiveness, which could also be used to determine the most appropriate alternative among many possibilities, can be differentiated from cost-benefit insofar as benefit is measurable in money units, while effectiveness may not be mesurable in monetary terms but in some objective criteria of a system like the circulation system of a university library. According to Lancaster[Z]. the cost-effectiveness of a library operation, which is the relationship between level of performance and the costs involved in achieving this level, can be improved either by maintaining the present performance level while reducing the costs of operating the system or by holding operating costs constant while raising the average performance level. The idea to automate should not be taken lightly. There is a need to calculate everything: the cost of the system, supplies, maintenance, personnel and conversion. In the words of Hegarthy[3], what a library needs is a system of appraisal that will give an automation system at least total cost that meets the technological requirements of the library. With respect to data for marIagement, automated circulation systems do give library administrators data that enables them to appraise library collections and bring book buying more in tune with actual patron use. Moreover, the library will possess data that can give a new perspective on loan policy, fine policy, hours of operations, staffing. the comparative productivity of different departments and of different branches, etc.
516
G. A. ALIBI IBADAN
UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY
The University of Ibadan was the first university in Nigeria. It was established in 1948 as a college affiliated with the University of London. It was upgraded to a fullfledged university in 1962. Presently, there are 28 universities[4] in Nigeria with an average student population of 101,679. The Ibadan University Library, which serves the needs of 12,032 students and 1017 faculty members, has a coflection of approximately 350,000 vofumes (223,400 titles) and nearly 6000 serial subscriptions. The collection is growing at a rate of approximately 3.9% per year(51. Apart from the main library, there are two major branches in medicine and education and 21 small departmental collections within the campus. Collections are arranged according to Bliss and Library of Congress classification schemes. The average annual circulation of books is 47,267. The manual circaiation system The circulation system is presentfy manual with the use of the Browne charging system. This charging system was introduced in October 1979 thereby replacing the age-old Bookmatic system that had been in use since the establishment of the university library in 1948. With this new method, token cards, representing the maximum number of books that can be borrowed, are given to registered users. The method has in fact eliminated the idea of creating a separate workroom for the discharge of returned materials. The library is open to registered members of the senior staff. undergraduate students as well as outsiders with the special permission of the university librarian. Such outsiders are, however, not permitted to borrow any library material for home reading. The normal loan period is 14 days. Teaching and research staff and others who have special reasons for doing so may request longer periods, but all books are expected to be returned at the end of each academic year. The library permits a foan to be renewed on application for a further period of a fortnight so long as no one else wants it. For undergraduate students, the maximum number of books permitted for a foan period of 2 weeks is four only. For senior staff and postgraduate students, a maximum of 10 is allowed. Reservation is also permitted. A reader wishing to reserve a book already borrowed by someone else fills a reservation form, which enables the library to notify him as soon as the book is returned. The penalty for fate return of books is I kobo in focal currency (i.e. $0.013) per day per book returned fate. The automated system The experimental automated circulation system was designed to provide required information on-line to all users of the library, irrespective of their computer knowfedge. It caters to two different levels of users: the ordinary users and the privileged ones. The ordinary users are the normal library users whose interest is to seek information quickly from the iibrary and borrow some books of interest, while the privileged users, on the other hand, are those of the status of a librarian or manager who are given some privileged duties of, say, registering some new books into the system. The system provides the ordinary user the capability to get the list of books held in the library with a given author, title, subject matter and publisher as the search key. Information given to such inquirers includes 1. The title of the book 2. The author of the book 3. The pubfisher 4. The subject matter 5. Status of the book
Cost comparison
of circulation systems in Ibadan University Library
527
6. Access number 7. Access control. Users at the manager’s level can perform functions such as 1. Registration of a new book 2. Removing a registered book from the master file 3. Charging a book to an ordinary user 4. Removing the name of a borrower from the borrower’s list when the borrowed book is returned 5. Getting a list of books received/acquired between two selected dates 6. Getting a list of books borrowed on a given date with the names of borrowers supplied as well 7. Getting a list of books due, which is also supplied with the names of the borrowers 8. Getting a master list of books held in the library. The user has the option of having the listing either on the line printer or on the video screen: the input from the user of the system is, however, through the only video terminal. Available resources for the experimental system. The available resources for the automated system include 1. Apple II microprocessor with 4% memory 2. Two disk drives 3. A line printer 4. A video screen 5. Applesoft Basic interpreter 6. Disk Operating System 7. Apple writer. METHODOLOGY
Some methods widely used in the literature for determining the unit cost of book circulation were explored for the determination of the unit cost of the manual circulation of library books at the Ibadan University Library. The same experimental approach was used for the calculation of the unit cost of the experimental automated system. The methods considered were those of Mosley[6] and Burgessl7J. Each of these analyses made use of different factors to arrive at the unit cost of circulation of library books. However, Mosley’s methodology, which is basically a measure of the cost-effectiveness of a circulation system, is applicable to both the manual and the automated circulation systems. The methodology relates the cost of different activities of the circulation system to the effectiveness of each alternative. The approach, which was also utilized by Wright@] on a cost-benefit analysis of Newcastle Polytechnic Library’s automated circulation control system, permits calculations of the unit cost of circulating a book in any library by emphasizing that the effectiveness of each objective of a circulation system (manual or automated) as earlier enumerated must have the folfowing criteria: 1. Effectiveness of circulation, which is determined by the volume of circulation. This is proportional to the number of potential users and is therefore assumed to be the same for both the manual and the computerized systems. 2. Effectiveness in minimizing user time and effort in borrowing. This is measured in terms of minutes saved per item borrowed on the automated as compared with the manual system. 3. Effectiveness of making materiats available to users as soon as possible, as measured by conducting a performance test on the operation of the automated circulation system when the system is fully operational. Such a test is described by Alabi and Alegbeleye[9] in the measurement of the performance level of the Ibadan University Library manual circulation system.
528
G. A. ALABI
For the automated system, the development and operating costs were considered, while only the operating costs for the continuing manual system were considered. The suggested equation for the derivation of unit cost of book circulation can be given as Cost = ;
t F + (N x II)
where D is the development costs, y is the period of amortization in years, F is the annual fixed operating costs, N is the number of items processed and U is the total unit cost of the variable opponents. In this study, the procedures utilized for the derivation of the unit cost of the manual and automated circulation systems took into consideration the following inputs: 1. The average academic staff salary. The salaries of academic staff in Nigerian universities range between U.S. $7800 and 20,436. For the determination of the average salary scale, the third level of each category was used as an average for calculation purposes because most academic staff tend to stay longer in their respective posts before moving to the next stage. 2. Circulation staffcostper loan. For calculation of the library staff cost per loan, it was observed that about 75% of library staff time is actually spent on circulation work, while the remaining 25% is spent outside the normal duties, like coffee breaks. etc. The staff salary calculation was based on the total number of staff that perform circulation duties: the circulation librarian. the library officer(s), the library/clerical assistants as well as the typist(s). For the librarian, the third level of salary level was used for calculation. This is because most, on the average, stay at that particular salary level before being promoted. The same criterion was adopted for library officers. In the case of library assistants. the second step of the salary scale was used for calculation. The justification for this lies in the fact that they tend to stay 1 or 2 years before going on for further studies. especially since the requirements for appointment to that cadre are equally suitable for admission into institutions of higher learning. As for clerical assistants and typists, the third level of their salary scale was used because they stay longer on the job simply because their qualifications may not be suitable for admission into institutions of higher learning. 3. Value of library user’s time. This involves users’ average salary per hour. which in the case of students is based on the hourly rate of BJI .OO(i.e. $1.30) per hour per person as authorized by the administrative unit of the university setup. 4. Srarionery costs. The total costs of stationery materials for the manual and automated circulation activities were also taken into consideration for the cafculation of the unit costs of circulation. 5. Mean hourly wage of library assistants. The mean wage of a library assistant was calculated as $1.25. This value is about the same as $1.30, which the university authorities have established as the hourly rate payable to those parttime workers carrying out activities identical to those of the junior library staff. 6. Supervisory and adminisrrafi~e cosrs. In calculating the costs of supervision of circulation activities by the respective circulation staff, it was assumed that about 75% of the circulation librarian’s time is actually devoted to supervision and other administrative duties. With the same assumption, a library officer is expected to devote about 85% of his total working hours to circulation duties, while a typist would devote about 90% of her working hours to her job. 7. System development and operational costs. These are largely capital investment costs because their value is not consumed within the normal period of 1 year. In this study. these costs include development costs comprising cost of system design, cost of programming and testing and cost of the hardware. These costs are amortized over the expected life of the system, usually 5 years in the case of computer systems. The validity of the results obtained was achieved by multiplying the average times obtained at different stages of the study by an z~nproducfi~le time factor (UPTF) as defined by
Cost comparison
of circulation systems in Ibadan University
529
Library
Mosley[6]. The use of this factor is to allow for unproductive time between activities or between cycles of an activity. This unproductive time includes (i) idleness, when no useful work is being executed at the circulation counter, (ii) visiting the rest rooms, (iii) reading or talking on duty, etc. The UPTF as measured in most academic libraries in the U.S.A.[6] ranges from 13 to 25%. This has not been measured in Nigeria, but it is assumed that it will not be less than the upper limit of 25%, as most private matters cannot be transacted on the telephone as can easily be done in the U.S.A. and other advanced countries. Personal visits are often required for most intra- and extracurricular activities. This being the case, the UPTF for academic libraries in Nigeria is estimated as: 100 = 1.33 (with 25% as the UPTF). 100 - 25 This will be used to multiply the times recorded tablishing some validity in the timing processes.
for different
activities,
thereby
es-
Observations and data analysis In order to determine how long it takes the manual and the automated systems to perform some circulation functions, timing of eight identified circulation activities was performed with the use of a stopwatch. The same methodology of timing used in some observations in physics and chemistry was adopted. The point at which timing became constant was taken as the mean value for that event. In the course of utilizing the experimental automated system, the following observations were made. 1. Charge function. The following prompt statements are generated as soon as the computer is triggered off for borrowing. TITLE: Title of the book AUTHOR: Author of the book BORROWER: Name of the borrower, which should not be more than 20 characters DATE BORROWED: DD/MM/YY-the date the book is borrowed DATE DUE (DD/MM/YY): The date the book is expected to be returned The time of charging a book manually at the Ibadan University Library was the same as on the experimental automated system. It took 1.73 minutes to charge out a book on each of the two systems. 2. Discharge function. This allows users to delete a borrower from the borrower’s list when the borrowed book is returned. The prompt statements are: TITLE: Title of the book AUTHOR: Author of the book Name of the borrower BORROWER: The borrower’s name is deleted from the borrower’s list if (i) the book with the title and author is found and (ii) the name of the borrower agrees with the book marked “borrowed.” This allows a user to borrow more than one book. The manual discharge function at the Ibadan University Library was about two times more labor intensive than the designed automated system. While it took 1.37 minutes to discharge a book on the automated system. it took 2.62 minutes to perform the same operation on the existing manual system. The direct labor cost of discharging a book manually is thus double that of the automated system. 3. Renewal function. For renewal, the due date is altered to correspond to the new date of return. The average time recorded for this event was 2.85 minutes on the manual as against 2.33 minutes on the automated system.
G. A.
530
ALABI
4. Overdue notices. As the bibliographic data already created at the charging level are not being utilized, it was observed that the automated system becomes much cheaper than the manual system. For example, while an overdue notice took 0.31 minute to generate on the automated system, it took 2.15 minutes on the manual system. 5. Fine calculation. As in the preparation of overdue notices, fine calculation and disposition function also requires the display of overdue books, from which display of appropriate fines can be generated. The time for generating fines on overdue books was the same on the manual as on the automated system (1.69 minutes). 6. Reservation. Reserving a book on the automated system takes as much time as it takes to charge out. This is due to the fact that reserving circulating material requires keying some bibliographic information about the material before such reservation can be made. Reserving a book on the manual system took 2.75 minutes as compared with the 1.73 minutes it took the same activity to be performed on the automated system. 7. Recall. A book already borrowed from the library can be recalled before the due date if such book is urgently required in the library. In the manual system, a standard form is processed for the book to be recalled and mailed to the borrower. On the automated system, however, such a message is generated on the computer and printed on the line printer for onward dispatch to the affected borrower. The average time for generating a recall notice on the automated system at the Ibadan University Library was 1.76 minutes compared with the average time of 2.22 minutes it took for the manual system to generate such a notice. 8. Assisted query. Both the manual system and the designed automated system make provision for users of the library to interrogate the systems for any required information. Such information ranges from availability of a book in the library, to the whereabouts of a particular title, to whether, for instance, the title is on loan in the library, etc. Because book records are already fed into the computer, such information can be retrieved by following the required guidelines. In most of the manual circulation system, relevant information can be obtained only by going through the author/title files before answers can be provided. While it took as much as 2.79 minutes to provide an answer manually on the status of a book that could not be located on the shelves, it took only 0.76 minute to provide the necessary information on the automated system. Table 1 is a comparative table for the timing of the eight identified activities on both the manual and automated systems.
Table 1. Timing of the manual and automated circulation functions Time in minu Circulation
Functions
Manual
Automated
1.
Charging
1.73
1.73
2.
Discharging
2.62
1.37
3.
Renewal
2.86
3.10
4.
Overdue
1st
2.19
0.31
2nd
2.10
0.31
1.69
1.69
Rotice
5.
Fines
calculation
6.
Reservation
2.75
1.73
7.
Recall
2.22
1.76
8.
Assisted
2.79
0.76
Query
Cost comparison
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531
Table 2. Direct labor cost of book circulation on the manual system
Activity 1. Charging 2. Discharging 3. Renewal (20 in 200 or 10%) 4. Overdue notice 1st 2nd 5. Fine (1% of total circulation) 6. Hold (reservation) (5 in every 200 or 0.5%) 7. Recall (1 in 200 or 0.5%) 8. Assisted query (5 in 200 or 0.5%)
Actual time (minutes) (A)
Actual time x UPTF (1.33) W)
1 min 18 set (1.30) 1 min 58 set (1.97) 2 min 9 set (2.15)
1.73 min 2.62 min 2.86 min
200 200 20
7.27 11.00 1.20
1 min 39 set (1.65) 1 min 35 set (1.58) 1 min 16 set (1.27)
2.19 min 2.10 min 1.69 min
4 3 2
0.18 0.13 0.07
2 min 4 set (2.07)
2.75 min
5
0.29
1 min 40 set (1.67)
2.22 min
1
0.05
2 min 47 set (2.78)
2.79 min
5
0.29
Frequency (C)
Cost of activity
(B x C x $0.021)
Total cost per 200 charges = $20.48. Direct labor cost = $20.48/200 = 0.10.
costs
The cost of performing all the eight functions outlined in Table 1 constitutes the direct labor cost of the circulation system. This cost was obtained (as shown in Table 2) when all the times taken to perform different circulation tasks were converted into monetary equivalents. The calculation of the overall unit cost, taking into consideration the development and recurrent costs of the manual system as well as the costs of equipment, supervision and administration, stationery and users’ time. is given in Table 3. Users’ time was based on the sum of faculty users’ and students’ time. The same procedure was utilized for the experimental automated system as shown in Tables 4 and 5.
Table 3. Unit cost of book circulation on manual systems
Development costs-fixed Recurrent costs--fixed Equipment: Implementation (borrower’s ID cards-200 at an average of $/158 per 1000). System maintenance Supervision/administration (costs) 1. Circulation librarian (75% of working time) 2. Library officer (85% of working time) 3. 1 typist for secretarial duty (90% of working time) Total supervision and administration costs (for 47,267 circulations) Recurrent costs: Stationery Direct labor Users’ time (1.73 min x $0.22/min X 11%) + (1.73 min X $O.O2l/min x 89%) Overall unit cost
Annual cost f$)
Unit cost G)
None None
-
410.80 None 7759.05 3692.40 1544.40 13.406.65
0.28 0.04 0.10 0.07 0.49
t Time taken for borrowing = 1.73 min. Value of library users’ time = $0.22/min (academic). Percentage of loan to academic staff = 11%.
532
G. A. ALABI Table 4. Direct labor cost of book circulation on the experimental
I. Charging 2. Discharging 3. Renewal 4. Overdue nottce 5. Fme calculation 6. Reservation 7. Recall 8. Assisted query Total
Actual time (A)
Actual time x UPTF (1.33) (B)
1 min 18 set (1.30) 1 min 2 set (1.03) 2 min 20 set (2.33) 14 set (0.23) 1 min 16 set (1.27) 1 min 18 set (1.30) 1 min 19 set (1.32) 34 set (0.57)
1.73 1.37 3.10 0.31 1.69 1.30 1.76 0.76
automated system
Frequency per day (0 200 200 20 4 2 5 1 5
Cost of activity (B x C x $0.021)
1.27 5.75 1.30 0.03 0.07 0.18 0.04 0.08 $14.72
Direct labor unit cost = $14.721200 = $0.07.
Table 5. Unit cost of book circulation on automated system Total cost (%) Development costs (fixed) Systems destgn (1 man-month) Programmmg and testing (1.5 man-months) Total systems development cost System development amortized over a period of 5 years Recurrent costs (fixed) Equipment: 2 Apple II (48k) microcomputers 4 disk drives 1 line printer 2 dtsk controllers Mamtenance Total equipment costs for a period of 5 years Supervision costs-vanable Total fixed costs (D/Y + F) Recurrent costs-variable Direct labor Materials: 40 diskettes for data storage @ $130 per packet of 10 12 ribbons @ $11.05 per one 6 cartons of paper @ $84.50 per carton Total cost of materials Users’ ttme (11% X 1.73 min X $0.22/min) + (89% x 1.73 min + $O.O2l/min) Overall unit cost (i.e. nos 3 & 4)
Annual cost (S)
Unit cost (S)
5200 2600 7800 3120.00
6500 4550 1560 780 13.380
1170.00 2676.00 13,406.65 20.372.00
0.43 0.07
520.00 132.60 507.00 1159.60
0.02 0.07 0.59
Average annual circulation figure = 47,267. &‘:ote. All the hardware costs quoted are landing costs in Nigeria.
DISCUSSlON
The unit cost of circulating a book on the manual circulation system at the Ibadan University Library was $0.49 compared with $0.59 on the automated system. The designed automated system is therefore 20.4% more expensive than the manual system. This figure is reasonable considering that similar studies outside Nigeria have recorded as high as a 30% increase in cost for the automated system. This cost differential, however. depends largely on the specific system design. A microcomputer was used for this study as a model; if larger computer units were to be used, it is possible that the cost differential would be higher than the 20.4% obtained above. As in other similar studies, the cost differential will be reduced with rising salaries and falling computer
Cost compartson
533
of circulation systems in Ibadan University Library
costs. Also, as the volume of circulation increases with the increase in number of potential users, the automated circulation system will be less expensive and more costeffective than the manual system. The direct labor costs for the manual and automated systems are $0.10 and $0.07 respectively. This indicates that the equipment and maintenance costs of the Apple II microcomputer are the main reasons why the automated system is more expensive than the manual system. However, an automated system has added benefits that outweigh costs. The costs of computer technology have fallen over the years, and the technology itself has expanded at such a rapid rate that the activities performed by computers have become much cheaper. On the contrary, personnel costs have been rising tremendously in the Nigeria labor market, of which the university libraries are a part. The rise in salaries and the falling costs of computers would make the unit cost of circulating a book manually more costly and less effective than the automated system. CONCLUSION
Concerning the overall performance of the experimental automated system. it was observed that while it performs better than the existing manual system in some of the eight identified circulation activities, its performance in some of these activities was not too good. However, in agreement with findings in other academic libraries. the cost of performing different circulation activities. known as the direct labor cost. was cheaper on the automated system than on the manual system. The results obtained also showed that the experimental automated circulation system could be installed in any of the Nigerian university libraries with the same or even better level of performance as at the Ibadan University Library. REFERENCES I. Okedara. J. T. “Cost-effectiveness analysis of the educational system in Nigeria.” (Semmar paper presented at the Faculty of Education: University of Ibadan; November, 1979): 2. 2. Lancaster. F. W. The Meusrrremenr and et,aluarion of Library Sen,ices. Washington: Informatton Resources Press; 1977. 395. 3. Hegarthy. K. “Rating systems and vendors,” Libray Journal. 105(4): 1980: 1570-1571. 4. National Universirles Commission. Executit,e Diary. 1985. Lagos: National Universitres Commisston. 1985. 5. Ibadan Uni~~ersiry Librarys Annuul Report, 1981182. Ibadan: 1983. 6. Mosley. I. J. “Cost-effectiveness analysts of the automation of a circulatton system.” Jorrr~7oI of Library 7. Burgess, Library 8. Wright.
Automarion.
16(3): 1977: 216-254.
T. K. “A cost-effectiveness Auromarion.
model for comparing various circulation system”.
Jorw7ul
of
6(Z): 1973; 75-86.
G. A. “Shall we ctrculate automattcally? A cost benefit anaysts of Newcastle Polytechmc Library’s automated ctrculation control system.” Program. 15(4): 1981: 209-225. 9. Alabi, G. A and Alegbeleye. G. 0 “Performance measures in an academic hbrary. The case of Ibadan University Library”. (Paper presented at a seminar in the Department of Library Studtes: Umversity of Ibadan: March 1979.)