Topic 3 : Accessing information regarding technology skills.
Current advances in technology reduce the process of finding information at the public library. Learners can search the information on the internet to find the locations of the public libraries, the working hours of the public libraries, the telephone numbers, and the services/activities that allow users to easily access the public library. All kinds of information in the public library are categorized systematically.
Dewey decimal system classifies world knowledge into major categories and the sub-categories and from sub-divided into sub- categories by using Arabic numbers 0-9 as symbolized.
Congress Classification System
Most University libraries in Thailand use the Library of Congress
Classification System which was improved by Herbirt Putnum in B.E.2445.
The Library of Congress Classification System classified subject into 20 categories using a large Roman A-Z alphabets except I, O, W, X, Y that are reserved for expanding the new academic category and academic in the future.
The Table of the classification book system of the American Library classified the academic section into 20 categories as the followings.
Section A: General knowledge
Section B: Philosophy and religion
Section C: History
Section D: Universal history
Section E-F: American history
Section G: Geography, Anthropology, Folklore
Section H: Social Sciences
Section J: Political Science
Section K: Law
Section L: Education
Section M: Music
Section N: Fine Arts
Section P: Language and literature
Section Q: Science
Section R: Medical science
Section S: Agriculture
Section T: Technology
Section U: Military science
Section V: Naval science
Section Z: Library
For the public library that services general public, the classified book section is very important. In addition, classification of such systems provides the library with book titles and media to facilitate the searching of such things as novels, short stories, documentaries, history, science, sports, and recreation.
Accessing Information in the Public Library
Public Libraries are operated by a variety of departments, such as the Office of Non-Formal Education, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, and the Municipalities. The Public Library system facilitates information retrieval as follows:
1. Using the program to search: Nowadays, the Office of Non- Formal Education has developed programs to administer and manage the library. They offer complete service, such as book information, media, member information and other data. If users want to know whether there are books, they want in the library, they can search by using the programs. The library provides computers for users to search by typing words related to the books for example; history, mammal, education, global warming etc. Users can find and study the details of how to use the program from the public library.
2. Searching information by using the catalog card. Some public libraries still provide a searching service using the catalog card. Catalog cards are privileged and kept in a drawer of the catalog card cabinets.
Example of Catalog card
The catalog card is shown on the top, the author’s name is on the top line; being called the author’s card.
Source: https://www.usg.edu/galileo/skills/unit04/primer04_04.phtml
3. Activity
The ONIE teachers grouped students into groups of 10. The students then go to the public library and cooperate with the librarian to get suggestions about the library’s' information resources. Then they have the students complete finding books using the library program or the catalog cabinet. The competitors quickly pick up the books on the finding list from the bookshelves after that each group make a report and hand it in to the teacher.