IntroductionHarrod’s (2000), outlined faculty library as an organized assortment of books positioned in a faculty for the usage of lecturers and pupils, however often for pupils. It might comprise books of reference and or books for dwelling studying and within the care of knowledgeable librarian, or teacher-librarian. It’s variously name “Instructional Materials Centre”, “Learning Centre or Media centre.”The Faculty library serves as a service company which helps the faculties’ goals and supplies supplies for all topics and all curiosity of pupils and lecturers. The varsity library is a supportive useful resource of the varsity curriculum, its provisions, companies, and growth is directed at aiding faculty programmes (Kinnel, 1994).Libraries typically have as their primary function buying, processing, storing and disseminating info to which faculty library is just not an exception. The varsity library has a significant position to play within the info service. They supply supplies related to the curricular wants of everyone with the varsity group. The significance of offering such sources can’t be overemphasized if the varsity library is to be an instigator of and assist for useful resource primarily based studying within the faculty.Additionally, in relation to info expertise, the library and its librarian, make accessible supplies and companies in several varieties to permit each pupils and the varsity group to make use of these expertise find the knowledge they want.The aim and philosophy of college library service are quickly being understood and accepted by faculty directors and lecturers. The very fact necessitates that the varsity librarian be totally aware of these functions equivalent to steering, the studying programme and the enrichment programme for pupils and lecturers. Nonetheless, Albert Academy library has no skilled and certified librarian, who understands and performs these functions to be able to be sure that the service provision is totally attained.Albert Academy Faculty LibraryThe Albert Academy was inaugurated on the 4th October 1904. It was till 1975 when the Albert Academy Alumni Affiliation of their assembly thought it sensible that such a good establishment should not go with no library as the event of college libraries was at its highest peak at the moment. An concept to erect a library constructing was born with the collaboration of the alumni affiliation and the homeowners of the varsity that’s the United Methodist Church. The library was established with the intention of getting a spot the place pupils may go and discover new concepts to additional strengthen their faculty curriculum actions and leisure as properly.The library was formally opened to the whole faculty group by His Excellency the late Dr. Siaka P. Stevens on 4th October 1976, then President of the Republic of Sierra Leone and likewise a member of the Albert Academy Alumni Affiliation class of 1922. The library was named after him following the immense contribution he made in direction of establishing the library for the varsity group. The Albert Academy Library has a mission to “Support school curriculum activities by providing materials of relevance in the school process and to introduce new and improved information sources to help make the school to be in line with modern standards of education.”The goals of the Albert Academy faculty library are as follows:I. To offer pupils with library supplies and companies most applicable and most significant of their progress and growth;ii. To take part totally at school programmes because it strikes to fulfill the wants of pupils, lecturers, mother and father and others group members;iii. to stimulate and information pupils in all phases of their studying that they could discover rising enjoyment and satisfaction and should develop in vital judgment and appreciation;iv. To make accessible new growth and hold pupils abreast of recent traits in training acknowledge reader’s wants and holding them properly knowledgeable to be able to create a properly dynamic instructional atmosphere;v. To work with the trainer within the choice and manufacturing of instructional supplies that meet the goals of the curriculum, provide steering in the usage of assortment, analysis of training programmes and supplies, facilitates the placement, organisation and upkeep of supplies effectively; andvi. To assist pupils to develop into expert customers of libraries and of printed and audio-visual supplies.Library Provision at Albert Academy Faculty LibraryA main position within the info service offered by trendy faculty library is within the provision of supplies related to the curricular wants of pupils and lecturers. In recent times, the curriculum actions have moved to a different stage, the place the varsity being supportive useful resource of this motion, should endeavor to deal with quite a lot of print and non-print supplies and have entry the place doable to digital sources of data that are additionally a part of the knowledge sources within the library.Given the calls for of the trendy faculty curriculum, the varsity library should now home all kinds of print and non-print supplies and have entry, the place doable, to digital sources of data. The Albert Academy Faculty supplies printed supplies, e-book, fiction and non-fiction in addition to pamphlets, newspapers, chart, photos, monographs, manuals, handbooks, textbooks and different reference books the library additionally supplies non-books supplies which embrace audio and audio-visual supplies, slides, tape-slides, video cassettes, and CD ROM’s. Though these aren’t supplies within the conventional sense, they nonetheless represent sources to be used by pupils and lecturers. Use of digital sources assist faculty libraries to current pupils and lecturers with an idea of a Faculty Info Centre which isn’t continued to the varsity however is a hyperlink to an never-ending provide of data (Herring, 1988).Albert Academy Faculty Library ServicesThe function of building Albert Academy Faculty Library is to supply companies for each pupils and lecturers in a bid to meet one in all its main functions, which is to help curriculum targets by offering companies which might be indispensably linked to the success of this function.One of many principal companies of the Albert Academy Faculty library is to behave as back-up to the underneath resourced faculty programme. Even superior international locations can’t simply inventory supplies starting from 5 thousand (5,000) to twenty thousand (20,000) in a small room to supply assist to highschool programmes. Subsequently, they see the necessity for central inventory of supplies which might be borrowed for differing lengths of time (lending service) and likewise for studying and session companies. That is performed to be able to increase the varsity curriculum on the Albert Academy which is inclusive of the Primary Sciences and Know-how, Social Sciences, Humanities and the Superb Arts.Albert Academy Faculty library additionally supplies inter-library mortgage companies requests. That is significantly precious to senior pupils learning subjects throughout topics supplied in depth. Pupils who can’t afford to buy or entry such costly supplies profit from this kind of library service. By inter-library mortgage companies, supplies are sourced from different colleges libraries for the advantage of each pupils and lecturers.A reference service can be offered at Albert Academy Faculty library. The Faculty Librarians spend a sizeable proportion of their time offering what in different libraries time period could be termed as reference service. In offering a reference service, faculty Librarians carry out the same position to that of different librarians. In a reference interview at school, every pupil is handled as necessary as the opposite and given the Librarian’s full consideration. That is achieved by private help given to the pupils and lecturers find particular info whether or not direct or oblique. A number of the reference supplies on the Albert Academy Faculty Library are dictionaries, encyclopedias, directories, yearbooks, biographies newspapers, maps and charts, and the educational and administrative calendar of occasions or the operation of the varsity.Probably the most precious companies offered by Albert Academy Faculty library is that of data provision. The Albert Academy Faculty library retains the lecturers and pupils knowledgeable about new instructional sources and growth within the fields of curiosity to them by displaying the jackets of books that simply arrived. The Albert Academy Faculty library makes use of Present Consciousness Companies (CAS) to realize this objective. That is performed by figuring out the knowledge wants of each lecturers and pupils and assembly these wants. Linked to the CAS is the Selective Dissemination of Info (SDI) and that is extra specific with lecturers. This ranges from holding particular person lecturers knowledgeable about new sources within the library or about newly printed supplies, to alerting lecturers to conferences and course calls for or occasion linked to their curricular curiosity.Challenges of Library Provision and Companies on the Albert Academy Faculty LibraryNo matter what an organisation has to depend as success, is sure to face sure difficulties that stand earlier than it as challenges to its success. Faculty Libraries in Sierra Leone, particularly Albert Academy Faculty Library aren’t with out challenges.To begin with the library and its sources have been ignored by the pupils and lecturers. Regardless of their all-important nature of service provision in assist to them they don’t see it as a precious a part of their actions. It’s because most lecturers and pupils don’t get sufficient provide of textbooks and different supplies instantly linked to the curriculum programme and most lecturers put together pamphlets on the market to pupils from which there instructing relies. This has prompted a lot of the pupils to closely depend upon these sources as a substitute of the library sources.The Faculty Library has a staffing problem. For instance the Albert Academy Faculty Library has no skilled library workers to deal with an info service for over two thousand pupils and lecturers.Moreover, the library has a problem with area. The area offered for the library from inception is not sufficient for the varsity. The varsity inhabitants by way of lecturers and pupils has grown comparatively excessive to over two thousand (2000) pupils and workers as in comparison with the area offered for a little bit over 5 hundred (500) pupils and workers about 40 years in the past. It has develop into troublesome to entry the library and its sources.As well as, there’s a funding downside. The Albert Academy Faculty Library is confronted with the difficultly of securing funds from the faculties authorities for an efficient assortment growth. The library relies upon closely on donations and items to inventory its assortment and most of those supplies given on this guise aren’t reflective of the programs supplied within the faculty curriculum. Typically, the varsity administration has to unfold meager monetary sources throughout a large spectrum of college wants.The institution of the pc laboratory with slight web services unbiased of the varsity library has additionally created an issue for the Albert Academy Faculty Library. The lecturers and pupils would favor to go to the Laptop centre for Web companies rather more that visiting the library. The separation of the Web services from the library companies has posed a critical menace to the library provision and companies.Additionally, it’s fairly confirmed that the Albert Academy Faculty Library lacks the capability to supply for the visually impaired or handicapped. The absence of college library supplies within the Braille format prevents blind and the partially sighted pupils to make the most of the accessible library sources of their colleges libraries.Last, the problem of preservation of library supplies is just not a typical follow for the Albert Academy Faculty. This preservation is meant to make sure that the supplies final lengthy due to their frequent use. It has develop into troublesome to entry funds to protect supplies which might be underneath menace of carrying out by steady use.Regardless of some gloomy predictions on the longer term funding of training and doable restrictions on the supply of sources on the Albert Academy Faculty Library, the way forward for the varsity library appears assured. It may be argued that due to present instructional and technological traits, there has by no means been a larger want for well-resourced and professionally staffed faculty library than it’s now. The emphasis on the person’s-the kid’s and the grownup’s-ability to search out and use info successfully is prone to proceed in colleges, at work and for spare time activities. A future society depending on digital info for its prosperity will want an info curriculum in its colleges. Therefore the supply of excellent faculty library provision and companies within the faculty curriculum can’t be overemphasised (Kargbo, 2000).