DEPARTMENTAL LIBRARY SERVICES

Departmental Library Services is a library and information service rendered to the departments of the Free State Provincial Government by Library, Archive and Technology Services Directorate of the Department of Sport, Arts, Culture, Science and Technology.

A new Electronic Special Request Service was developed to enable a user to do  searches for and request titles electronically from the stock of the Free State’s Directorate Library, Archive and Technology Services. It makes provision for searches to be done as Title, Author, Subject searches, or a combination of all. To reserve a title users are requested to provide their contact particulars. The request is transferred to the responsible personnel via an e-mail message. As soon as the request is processed, the user will be contacted via his/her library. To make use of this service the user thereof should be a member of one of the public or departmental libraries affiliated to the Directorate Library, Archive and Technology Services. If not, the user should register as a member of one of these libraries.

TYPES OF SERVICES OFFERED

There are three options of accessing departmental library services:

• Central Personnel Library

• Departmental/Special Library Service

• Satellite/Branch Library Service 

  CENTRAL PERSONNEL LIBRARY

The Central Personnel Library is open to all employees of the Free State Provincial Government with the main purpose of providing information to support the development of government as a learning organization and meet the work-related information needs of officials.

Information is provided from various sources including books, a selected number of periodicals and newspapers, audio-visual materials, e.g. videos and electronic databases. 

Services offered:

• Reference/Information service:

Information enquiries will be answered over the telephone, by  electronic mail, or face-to-face for walk-in users

• Lending service for registered members

Registered members will be allowed to borrow library materials  from the collection

• Interlibrary loan service

Materials, not in stock of the Provincial Library Service, will be  requested from other libraries through Interlibrary loan system.

Note : this is only for work-related information. 

• Internet searches

The librarian will assist users to locate information on the Internet. The Directorate is subscribed to Sabinet Online which allows the library to access databases such as the SA Gazette, SA Legal  (full-text online legal and legislative information)

• Reference materials, newspapers and magazines

The materials under this category may only be used in the library. Where it is allowed users can make copies from these items.

• Selective dissemination of information and a Current awareness service for those who need it. 

Customers who would like to be kept up to date on specific subject areas can give their interest profile to the librarian and will be provided with relevant information on a regular basis.

Subject fields covered:

All subject fields relevant to the public service is covered with emphasis on management, public administration, policy, politics, current affairs, human resources management and development and specialized subject fields relevant to departments, e.g. housing, security, finance etc.

Opening hours:

Monday - Friday from 8:00 - 16:30

Contact:

Mezzanine Level

Lebohang Building

Tel (051) 405-5762

Librarian : Mr Riaan le Roux

                  lerouxaw@sac.fs.gov.za

  DEPARTMENTAL/SPECIAL LIBRARY SERVICES

The Departmental/Special Library Service is a library and information service rendered to a department or component of a department requiring a full-time specialized service on a daily basis.

Scope of the service:

The Library, Archive and Technology Services Directorate is responsible for the following:

• the provision of a qualified librarian to manage and render professional library and information service to clients;

• the provision of information materials which include the acquisition, cataloguing, and preparation of the materials; and

• computerization of library services and providing clients access to the Prolib database and other information databases via the Internet.

The department requiring the service is responsible for the following:

• the provision of accommodation, furniture for the library and proper security;

• refunding Library, Archive and Technology Services Directorate for any losses and damage of library materials, should the member responsible for such losses default;

• provision of publications required by officials in the daily execution of their duties, e.g. desktop copies for tutors, dictionaries, etc.

Free State School of Nursing (FSSON) - Library Services

There are three campuses governed by the FSSON: the Southern Campus in Bloemfontein, the Northern Campus in Welkom and the Eastern Campus in Qwa-Qwa, each with its own library.  The FSSON libraries are open to all tutors, students and personnel of the Free State School of Nursing, with the main purpose of providing information to support and meet the information needs of the users.

Information is provided from various sources including books, a selected number of periodicals, e.g. videos and electronic databases. 

Services offered:

• Reference/Information service

• Lending service for registered members

• Interlibrary loan service

• Internet searches

• Reference materials and magazines

• Selective dissemination of information and a Current awareness service for those who need it. 

Subject fields covered:

All subject fields relevant to health services is covered with emphasis on nursing, public health, anatomy, physiology, psychology, etc.

Service to non-members:

Officials who are not members of the FSSON libraries may make use of the materials in the libraries in the following way:

• by visiting and consulting the material in the libraries; and

• by requesting the material through the service of the Central Personnel Library, depending that the material is not reserved for use.  

Contacts:

  SATELLITE/BRANCH LIBRARY SERVICE

The Satellite/Branch Library Services is a library and information service rendered to individual sections of departments. The service is offered to sections of departments that require a highly specialized collection but does not qualify for a departmental/special library, because of the size of the component.

Scope of the service:

• The satellite library is a branch of the Central Personnel Library (CPL)

• The collection issued to the satellite library is part of the CPL

• The librarian of the CPL will be available to render reference services to the satellite library and also to assist with collection development and with organising the library.

Conditions for satellite library :

The component requesting the service must:

• provide suitable accommodation and furniture;

• make available a staff member to take responsibility for the library and this person must be available for training from time-to-time;

• be responsible for refunding the Directorate for any losses and damage of library materials

• the library must be administered according to the prescription of the Library, Archive and Technology Services Directorate; and

• no materials will be bought for individual officials or offices.

For further enquiries, contact:

Ms A Hicks

Tel (051) 403-9828

hicks@sac.fs.gov.za

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