Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Situation Analysis
Society is in the midst of learning how to be in the information age. The
advent of computers and the inclusion of the Web in our work and private lives
have pushed innovations and embraced information and access in ways we can
hardly imagine. We are living in a complex and challenging digital landscape
that changes constantly. (2005)
The school library exists to provide a range of learning opportunities for
both large and small groups as well as individuals with a focus on intellectual
content, information literacy, and the learner. (2004).
In addition to classroom visits with collaborating teachers, the school
library also serves as a place for students to do independent work, use
computers, equipment and research materials; to host special events such as
author visits and book clubs; and for tutoring and testing.
The school library media center program is a collaborative venture in
which school library media specialists, teachers, and administrators work
together to provide opportunities for the social, cultural, and educational
growth of students. Activities that are part of the school library media program

can take place in the school library media center, the laboratory classroom,
through the school, and via the school library's online resources. (2004)
In a school or university setup, the library plays a very vital role in the
institutions role of providing quality education to its clientele the students.
The library should not only be updated with its collection but far most should
be able to deliver what is required of it that is to serve as a haven of
information and knowledge to its clientele.
The current Library catalog is poorly designed for the tasks of finding,
discovering, and selecting the growing set of resources available in our
libraries. It is best at locating and obtaining a known item. For librarians and
for our users, the catalog is only one option of accessing library collections.
(2005)
In this time, access to information has radically changed. Information
today symbolizes power by most organizations in the corporate world. The
library is not spared from this revolution. The library should be at the forefront
of this technology explosion.

La Union School of Arts and Trade were established in 1907 by Mr. D.

Aran, an American, its founder and its first principal. It was one of the earliest
vocational schools in the Philippines that started as an intermediate school
with only 5 teachers and 88 students. In 1917, Mr. Huncy, succeeded him until
2

1922. Secondary courses were then offered. The intermediate curriculum was
eventually dropped in 1927, and in 1928, the La Union Trade School was
transferred to its present site and converted into the secondary level. It was the
incumbency of the first Filipino principal, Catalino Calica, that the school
turned out its first set of only 8 graduates. The school closed during the second
world war.

By virtue of R.A. 543 on 16 June 1950, the La Union Trade School was
placed under the support of the National Government. R.A. 801 was enacted
on 21 June 1952 to convert the institution into a National Regional School of
Arts and Trades known as the La Union School of Arts and Trades. Tranuilino
delos Trinos was the first superintendent. In 1957, Apolinario Apilado took over
as the second superintendent, and in 1957, Fermin Taruc became the third
superintendent. Taruc's administration placed much emphasis in the
improvement of the standard of instruction in all levels of education.

In 1975, Avelino Ascuncion assumed office as the fourth superintendent.

The school served as a Regional Development Center for Practical Arts in
Region I. The degree of Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology was offered
during the school year1976-1977. The school accommodated the extension
classes of UP Graduate School, Baguio City, for the degree of Master of
3

Management. Likewise, the school was also chosen by the Engineering

Equipment Inc. as its training center in Northern Luzon wherein vocational
graduates underwent further training in their field of specialization.

On May 25, 1978, Hipolito Pacis took over as the fifth superintendent
and this marked the greatest milestone for LUSAT. The school was integrated
into the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU) on
January 15, 1981 through P.D. 1778. Dr. Bienvenido Agpaoa became its first
president. In 1989, Dr. Manuel Corpus was installed as the second president.
In 1996, DMMMSU has been adjudged by the CHED (Commission on Higher
Education) as number 7 among top universities and colleges (public and
private) in the Philippines. Most graduates rated high in their respective board
and licensure exminations. On 23 July 1999, Dr. Dionisio Gat Ducusin became
the third president of the University. The Mid-La Union Campus (MLUC) has
Dr. Rodolfo R. Apigo as its chancellor, assuming the position on September 23,
1999. With transformational leaders at the helm of DMMMSU and the MLUC in
particular, the University is at the threshold of the new millennium upholding
excellence in instruction, research, extension, and production for global
competitiveness.

Through the years, Mid-La Union Campus, under the flagship of the Don
Mariano Marcos Memorial State University has developed and sustained itself
to become the leading school in the region and one of the top educational
institutions nationwide. Proof of its excellence can be seen in the list of board
topnotchers that MLUC has produced over the past 25 years. MLUC takes pride
in its continuing plight to be a distinct center of excellence

Today, MLUC carries the flagship of being the key provider of Information
Technology Education as the Bachelor of Science of Information Technology of
the Institute of Information Technology was awarded by the Commission on
Higher Education as Center of Development in Information Technology. With
this, the campus is now revolutionizing its various processes and infusing it
with the use information technology to hasten various activities of the campus
one of which is the library.

Conceptual Framework

An integrated library system (ILS), also known as a library

management system (LMS), is an enterprise resource planning system for a
library, used to track items owned, orders made, bills paid, and patrons who
have borrowed. (Adamson, 2008)

An ILS usually comprises a relational database, software to interact with

that database, and two graphical user interfaces (one for patrons, one for staff).
Most ILSes separate software functions into discrete programs called modules,
each of them integrated with a unified interface. Examples of modules might
include:

acquisitions (ordering, receiving, and invoicing materials)

cataloging (classifying and indexing materials)

circulation (lending materials to patrons and receiving them back)

serials (tracking magazine and newspaper holdings)

the OPAC (public interface for users)

Each patron and item has a unique ID in the database that allows the

ILS to track its activity. (Tennant, 2006)

The term 'digital library' is now widely accepted to mean the use of digital
technology by libraries to acquire, store, conserve and provide access to
information. Practically, a digital library is an assemblage of digital computing,
storage and communications machinery together with the content and software
needed to reproduce, emulate, and extend the services provided by
conventional libraries based on paper and other material means of collecting,
cataloguing, finding, and disseminating information. (Rathinasabapathy 2006)

The Internet and the World Wide Web are two of the principal building
blocks that are used in the development of digital libraries. The Internet
tradition emphasizes collaboration and, even now, the continuing development
of the Internet remains firmly in the hands of engineers. An important
characteristic of the Internet is that the engineers and computer scientists who
develop and operate it are heavy users of their own technology. They
communicate by e-mail, dismissing conventional mail as "snail mail." (2000)

The World Wide Web or "the web" as it is colloquially called, has been one
of the great successes in the history of computing. It ranks with the
development of word processors and spread sheets as a definitive application of
computing. The web and its associated technology have been crucial to the
rapid growth of digital libraries. Technically, the web is based on four simple
techniques. They are: the Hyper-Text Mark-up Language (HTML), the Hyper-Text
Transport Protocol (HTTP), MIME data types, and Uniform Resource Locators
(URLs). Each of these concepts is introduced below and discussed further in
later chapters. Each has importance that goes beyond the web into the general
field of interoperability of digital libraries. (2000)

In a paper written by Yan Han and Atifa Rawan, they proposed for the
building an Integrated Library System (ILS) for Afghanistan universities and
7

colleges based on open source software. As one of the goals of the Afghan
eQuality Digital Libraries Alliance, the authors applied systems analysis
approach, evaluated different open source ILS, and customized the selected
software to accommodate users' needs. The author adopted systems analysis
by taking account of Afghan collections, users needs, and systems
functionality required to perform essential library operations. Koha was chosen
as the base software due to its functionality, maturity and support. Some of the
reasons are:

The software architecture is open source LAMP, which is popular, stable,

and predominant.
Our staff has skills in these open software systems.
It is a full-featured open source ILS. Certain components such as multiple
branch support and users management are critical.
Koha is probably the most renowned open source ILS. It is a full-featured
ILS, developed in New Zealand and first deployed in Horowhenua Library Trust
in 2000. So far Koha has been running in a few public and special libraries.
The underlying architecture is Linux, Apache, MySQL, and Perl (LAMP) stack.
(2007)

Existing status of
the DMMMSUMLUC Library
Management System
in terms of:
Performance
Information
Economics
Controls
Efficiency
Service

Survey
Questionnaire
Assessment of the
existing status of the
DMMMSU-MLUC
library management
system
Systems
Development
Usability
Questionnire
Assessment of the
usability of the ILMS
software

Feedback

Figure 1. The Research Paradigm

DMMMSU-MLUC
Integrated Library
Management System
(ILMS)

Statement of the Problem

The main purpose of this study is to implement a computer-based

Integrated Library Management System for the library of Don Mariano Marcos
Memorial State University Mid-La Union Campus (DMMMSU MLUC).

Specifically, it aims to answer the following:

1. What is the status of managing the library of DMMMSU-MLUC in terms

of:
a. Performance,

b. Information,

c. Economics,

d. Control,

e. Efficiency,

f. Services?

2. What integrated computer-based library management system can be

developed for DMMMSU MLUC?

10

3. What is the level of usability of the DMMMSU MLUC Integrated Library

Management System in terms of:

a. Efficiency

b. Affect

c. Helpfulness

d. Control, and

e. Learnability?

Importance of the Study

We have come to an age where everything is already accessible with a

single click. The library which is known as the repository of information is no
doubt should be at forefront of this digital revolution.

The DMMMSU MLUC Library is struggling its way to be at pace with the
University libraries in the country who have already made a mark in the digital
world. This study will put the DMMMSU MLUC Library in the ranks of these
Universities in the Philippines as well as in the world.

11

This study will be very beneficial to DMMMSU MLUC Librarys clientele

as information will be readily accessible to users conveniently because of the
integration of the Internet and the World Wide Web to the Online Public Access
Catalog.

The DMMMSU MLUC Library workforce will also be benefited from this
study as their work will be greatly reduced by the aid of computerization
specifically in the task of maintenance and inventory of library holdings.
Reports will be easily generated at a single click of a mouse. This will only
mean that less time will be attributed to library collection monitoring and
maintenance thus time may be diverted into furthering the improvements of
the library collection.

The community can also be benefited from this study because the
DMMMSU MLUC Library is not only for students and staff of DMMMSU but is
also open to the public.

Definition of Terms

Existing Status of the DMMMSU-MLUC Library. This refers to the

current status of managing the library resources of the DMMMSU-MLUC

12

Library. The status of which will be measured using performance, information,

economics, control, efficiency and services as variables.

a. Performance: It indicates whether the current throughput and

response time are adequate.
b. Information: It indicates whether the end users get timely, accurate,
and useful information.
c. Economy: It indicates whether services provided by the current
system are cost-effective.
d. Control: It indicates whether there are effective controls to provide
accurate and secure information.
e. Efficiency: It indicates whether the current system makes good use of
resources.
f. Services: It indicates whether the current services are reliable,
flexible, and expandable.

Integrated Library Management System. A computer-based

information system used to manage the library collections of the DMMMSU
MLUC Library in terms of cataloguing, circulation and report generation.

13

Usability of the ILMS. The capability of the software to be understood,

learned, used and liked by the user when used under a specified condition.
Indicators include efficiency, affect, helpfulness, control and learnability.

a. Efficiency. The degree to which the user can achieve their goals of his
interaction with the ILMS in a direct and timely manner.
b. Affect. The degree of how much the ILMS captures the users
emotional responses.

c. Helpfulness. The extent to which the ILMS assist the user.

d. Control. The degree to which the user feels, he and not the ILMS, is
setting the pace.

e. Learnability. The ease with which the user can get started and learn
new features of the product.

14

Chapter 2
REVIEW OF LITERATURE

This chapter provides for discussion on various literatures relating to this

study. It will present various theories and concepts that may be applicable to
the study under consideration.
This is a fascinating period in the history of libraries and publishing. For
the first time, it is possible to build large-scale services where collections of
information are stored in digital formats and retrieved over networks. The
materials are stored on computers. A network connects the computers to
personal computers on the users' desks. In a completely digital library, nothing
need ever reach paper.

Digital Libraries

An informal definition of a digital library is a managed collection of

information, with associated services, where the information is stored in digital
formats and accessible over a network. A key part of this definition is that the
information is managed. A stream of data sent to earth from a satellite is not a
library. The same data, when organized systematically, becomes a digital
library collection. Most people would not consider a database containing
financial records of one company to be a digital library, but would accept a
15

collection of such information from many companies as part of a library. Digital

libraries contain diverse collections of information for use by many different
users. Digital libraries range in size from tiny to huge. They can use any type of
computing equipment and any suitable software. The unifying theme is that
information is organized on computers and available over a network, with
procedures to select the material in the collections, to organize it, to make it
available to users, and to archive it.

In some ways, digital libraries are very different from traditional libraries,
yet in others they are remarkably similar. People do not change because new
technology is invented. They still create information that has to be organized,
stored, and distributed. They still need to find information that others have
created, and use it for study, reference, or entertainment. However, the form in
which the information is expressed and the methods that are used to manage it
are greatly influenced by technology and this creates change. Every year, the
quantity and variety of collections available in digital form grows, while the
supporting technology continues to improve steadily. Cumulatively, these
changes are stimulating fundamental alterations in how people create
information and how they use it.

Economics
16

Technology influences the economic and social aspects of information,

and vice versa. The technology of digital libraries is developing fast and so are
the financial, organizational, and social frameworks. The various groups that
are developing digital libraries bring different social conventions and different
attitudes to money. Publishers and libraries have a long tradition of managing
physical objects, notably books, but also maps, photographs, sound recordings
and other artifacts. They evolved economic and legal frameworks that are based
on buying and selling these objects. Their natural instinct is to transfer to
digital libraries the concepts that have served them well for physical artifacts.
Computer scientists and scientific users, such as physicists, have a different
tradition. Their interest in digital information began in the days when
computers were very expensive. Only a few well-funded researchers had
computers on the first networks. They exchanged information informally and
openly with colleagues, without payment. The networks have grown, but the
tradition of open information remains.

The economic framework that is developing for digital libraries shows a

mixture of these two approaches. Some digital libraries mimic traditional
publishing by requiring a form of payment before users may access the
collections and use the services. Other digital libraries use a different economic
model. Their material is provided with open access to everybody. The costs of
17

creating and distributing the information are borne by the producer, not the
user of the information. This book describes many examples of both models
and attempts to analyze the balance between them. Almost certainly, both have
a long-term future, but the final balance is impossible to forecast.

Why digital libraries?

The fundamental reason for building digital libraries is a belief that they
will provide better delivery of information than was possible in the past.
Traditional libraries are a fundamental part of society, but they are not perfect.

Here are some of the potential benefits of digital libraries.

The digital library brings the library to the user. To use a library requires
access. Traditional methods require that the user goes to the library. In a
university, the walk to a library takes a few minutes, but not many people
are member of universities or have a nearby library. Many engineers or
physicians carry out their work with depressingly poor access to the latest
information.

A digital library brings the information to the user's desk, either at work or
at home, making it easier to use and hence increasing its usage. With a

18

digital library on the desk top, a user need never visit a library building. The
library is wherever there is a personal computer and a network connection.

Computer power is used for searching and browsing. Computing power

can be used to find information. Paper documents are convenient to read,
but finding information that is stored on paper can be difficult. Despite the
myriad of secondary tools and the skill of reference librarians, using a large
library can be a tough challenge. A claim that used to be made for
traditional libraries is that they stimulate serendipity, because readers
stumble across unexpected items of value. The truth is that libraries are full
of useful materials that readers discover only by accident.

In most aspects, computer systems are already better than manual methods
for finding information. They are not as good as everybody would like, but
they are good and improving steadily. Computers are particularly useful for
reference work that involves repeated leaps from one source of information
to another.

Information can be shared. Libraries and archives contain much

information that is unique. Placing digital information on a network makes
it available to everybody. Many digital libraries or electronic publications are
maintained at a single central site, perhaps with a few duplicate copies
19

strategically placed around the world. This is a vast improvement over

expensive physical duplication of little used material, or the inconvenience
of unique material that is inaccessible without traveling to the location
where it is stored.

Information is easier to keep current. Much important information needs

to be brought up to date continually. Printed materials are awkward to
update, since the entire document must be reprinted; all copies of the old
version must be tracked down and replaced. Keeping information current is
much less of a problem when the definitive version is in digital format and
stored on a central computer.

Many libraries provide online the text of reference works, such as directories
or encyclopedias. Whenever revisions are received from the publisher, they
are installed on the library's computer. The new versions are available
immediately. The Library of Congress has an online collection, called
Thomas that contains the latest drafts of all legislation currently before the
U.S. Congress; it changes continually.

The information is always available. The doors of the digital library never
close; a recent study at a British university found that about half the usage
of a library's digital collections was at hours when the library buildings were
20

closed. Materials are never checked out to other readers, miss-shelved or

stolen; they are never in an off-campus warehouse. The scope of the
collections expands beyond the walls of the library. Private papers in an
office or the collections of a library on the other side of the world are as easy
to use as materials in the local library.

Digital libraries are not perfect. Computer systems can fail and networks
may be slow or unreliable, but, compared with a traditional library,
information is much more likely to be available when and where the user
wants it.

New forms of information become possible. Most of what is stored in a

conventional library is printed on paper, yet print is not always the best way
to record and disseminate information. A database may be the best way to
store census data, so that it can be analyzed by computer; satellite data can
be rendered in many different ways; a mathematics library can store
mathematical expressions, not as ink marks on paper but as computer
symbols to be manipulated by programs such as Mathematica or Maple.

Even when the formats are similar, materials that are created explicitly for
the digital world are not the same as materials originally designed for paper
or other media. Words that are spoken have a different impact from words
21

that are written, and online textual materials are subtly different from
either the spoken or printed word. Good authors use words differently when
they write for different media and users find new ways to use the
information. Materials created for the digital world can have a vitality that is
lacking in material that has been mechanically converted to digital formats,
just as a feature film never looks quite right when shown on television.

Each of the benefits described above can be seen in existing digital libraries.
There is another group of potential benefits, which have not yet been
demonstrated, but hold tantalizing prospects. The hope is that digital libraries
will develop from static repositories of immutable objects to provide a wide
range of services that allow collaboration and exchange of ideas. The
technology of digital libraries is closely related to the technology used in fields
such as electronic mail and teleconferencing, which have historically had little
relationship to libraries. The potential for convergence between these fields is
exciting. (2000)

An Integrated Library System

An Integrated Library System (ILS) usually includes several critical

components such as acquisition, cataloging, catalog (search and find),
circulation, and member management. Traditionally it has been the center of
22

any library. Recent development in digital libraries results in distributed

systems in libraries and an ILS is treated as one of digital library systems. It is
still critical to have a centralized ILS to provide a primary way to access libraryowned materials for Afghanistan universities and colleges. Other services such
as inter library loan and other digital library systems can be further developed
to extend libraries' services to users and communities. (2005)
Currently the ILS market is primarily dominated by commercial systems
such as Innovative Interface, Endeavor, and Sirsi. Compared with other
computing areas, open source systems in ILS are immature and limited, as
there are only a few products available and most of the products do not have
the full features of an ILS. However, they are providing a valuable alternative to
those costly commercial systems.
Based on the availability of existing funding, experiences with
commercial vendors, and consideration of vendor supports and future
directions, the authors decided to build the Digital Library infrastructure with
the "open" concept (open access, open source, and open standards). The
decision is widely influenced by globalization, open access, open source, open
standards, and increasing users expectations. At the same time, the decision
gives us an opportunity to develop and integrate new tools and services for
libraries as suggested by the University of California. (2005)
23

This paper described an Afghanistan digital library initiative of building

an Integrated Library System (ILS) for Afghanistan universities and colleges
based on open source software. As one of the goals of the Afghan eQuality
Digital Libraries Alliance, the authors applied systems analysis approach,
evaluated different open source ILS, and customized the selected software to
accommodate users' needs.
This has been a successful endeavor which means for a similar approach
to be used in this study, a similar amount of success will be achieved as we can
develop an integrated library system out of technology at a low cost.
Web OPACs have become almost universal and de rigueur in present day
library systems. Web OPACs generally offer a wide range of search options.
They may incorporate information retrieval techniques such as word stemming,
truncation, weighted searching, use of fuzzy match search logic, natural
language processing; they may provide enriched subject access, or enhanced
content. They may (e.g. Fretwell-Downings OLIB) provide automatic spelling
correction of common terms. They frequently provide the ability for a reader to
save searches via email. Self-service features, such as reader-initiated
reservations, renewals, equipment bookings, and document ordering, are
common; the trend is towards borrower empowerment (Saffady 2000). The
interfaces may incorporate extensive search limiting or browsing features.
24

Chapter 3
25

METHODOLOGY

Research Design
The researcher will be used the descriptive and applied type of research.
Descriptive research design is a scientific method which involves observing and
describing the behavior of a subject without influencing it in any way.
Descriptive research design is a valid method for researching specific subjects
and as a precursor to more quantitative studies. Whilst there are some valid
concerns about the statistical validity, as long as the limitations are understood
by the researcher, this type of study is an invaluable scientific tool. Whilst the
results are always open to question and to different interpretations, there is no
doubt that they are preferable to performing no research at all. (Shuttleworth,
2008)
Descriptive research is used to obtain information concerning the
current status of the phenomena to describe "what exists" with respect to
variables or conditions in a situation. The methods involved range from the
survey which describes the status quo, the correlation study which investigates
the relationship between variables, to developmental studies which seek to
determine changes over time. Primarily, the researcher in its goal to determine
the existing status of the DMMMSU-MLUC Library Management System will be
26

using a survey questionnaire to gather data. A survey questionnaire will also be

employed to determine the level of usability of the developed DMMMSU-MLUC
Integrated Library Management System.
The applied type of research will also be used for systems development.
Applied research is designed to solve practical problems of the modern world,
rather than to acquire knowledge for knowledge's sake. One might say that the
goal of the applied scientist is to improve the human condition. In the aim to
improve the current library management system of DMMMSU-MLUC, this
methodology is invoked with the goal of improving the management of the
resources of the DMMMSU-MLUC Library by the development and
implementation of a computer-based integrated library management system.

Population and Locale

The study will be conducted at DMMMSU-MLUC San Fernando City. La
Union particularly, the Library. The respondents will include library
administrators and staffs, as well as the users of the library who are faculty
members and students.
Total enumeration will be used for library administrators and staffs of
DMMMSU-MLUC library while purposive sampling will be used for library
users who are faculty members and students.
27

The DMMMS-MLUC Library is divided into five reading centers and the
main library. Each reading center employs a librarian and a staff except for the
main library which has two (2) staffs.
DMMMSU-MLUC has a total of 246 teaching staff and 50 non-teaching
staff. The study will consider students enrolled for the Second Semester, School
Year 2009-2010. Records of the Office of the Campus Registrar show that for
the given period, the school has recorded 5,123 officially enrolled students.
The Lynch Formula was used to determine the sample size of the
student, faculty and staff respondents. The distribution of respondents is
shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Distribution of Respondents
Respondents

Population

Librarians and Staff

13

Faculty members and Non-teaching

Staff

100

Students

500

This will be used to determine the existing status of the DMMMSU-MLUC

library management system and the usability of the DMMMSU-MLUC
Integrated Library Management System.
Data Instrumentation and Collection

28

To determine the existing status of managing the library of DMMMSUMLUC, Wetherbes PIECES framework will be used (see Appendix A). The
PIECES framework is used for identifying operational problems to be solved. It
is a checklist used for identifying problems with an existing information
system. It consists of the following:

Performance: It indicates whether the current throughput and response

time are adequate.

Information: It indicates whether the end users get timely, accurate, and
useful information.

Economy: It indicates whether services provided by the current system

are cost-effective.

Control: It indicates whether there are effective controls to provide

accurate and secure information.

Efficiency: It indicates whether the current system makes good use of

resources.

Services: It indicates whether the current services are reliable, flexible,

and expandable.
For the development of the system, the researcher will be using the

Rapid Application Development. James Martin, in his book first coining the
term, wrote, Rapid Application Development (RAD) is a development lifecycle
29

designed to give much faster development and higher-quality results than those
achieved with the traditional lifecycle. It is designed to take the maximum
advantage of powerful development software that has evolved recently.
Rapid Application Development is a software development methodology
that involves techniques like iterative development and software prototyping.
According to Whitten (2004), it is a merger of various structured techniques,
especially data-driven Information Engineering, with prototyping techniques to
accelerate software systems development.

Figure 2. Rapid Application Development Paradigm

In Rapid Application Development, structured techniques and

prototyping are especially used to define users' requirements and to design the
final system. The development process starts with the development of
30

preliminary data models and business process models using structured

techniques requirements analysis and design. In the next stage, requirements
are verified using prototyping, eventually to refine the data and process models.
These stages are repeated iteratively; further development results in "a
combined business requirements and technical design statement to be used for
constructing new systems". (Bently, 2004)
To determine the usability of the DMMMSU-MLUC Integrated Library
Management System, the researcher will be using the Software Usability
Measurement Inventory (SUMI) (see Appendix B). SUMI is a rigorously tested
and proven method of measuring software quality from the end user's point of
view. SUMI is a consistent method for assessing the quality of use of a software
product or prototype, and can assist with the detection of usability flaws before
a product is shipped. SUMI is recommended to any organization which wishes
to measure the perceived quality of use of software, either as a developer, a
consumer of software, or as a purchaser/consultant. SUMI is increasingly
being used to set quality of use requirements by software procurers. SUMI also
assists the manager in identifying the most appropriate software for their
organization. It has been well documented that if staff have quality tools to
work with, this contributes to overall efficiency of staff and the quality of their
work output.
31

Data Analysis
To analyze the gathered data the researcher will be using mean, and
weighted mean and grand mean. A standard Likert Scale will be used to
analyze the data.
For the status of the existing status of managing the resources of the
DMMMSU-MLUC library, the following scale will be used with the
corresponding descriptive ratings as follows:

Table 2. Status of the Existing DMMMSU-MLUC Library Management System

Numerical
Equivalent

Rating Scale
4.21 5.00

Descriptive
Rating
Strongly Agree

Constraint

3.41 4.20

Agree

Constraint

2.61 3.40

Neutral

Constraint

1.81 2.60

Disagree

Capability

1.00 1.80

Strongly Disagree

Capability

For mean ratings between 2.61 and 5.00, it will be considered a

constraint as it is a weak point for the existing system. On the other hand,
mean ratings between 1.00 and 2.60 are considered capability, as there are
strengths of the existing system.
32

To describe the usability of the DMMMSU-MLUC Integrated Library

Management System software using the Software Usability Measurement
Inventory (SUMI) in terms of efficiency, helpfulness, control and learnability,
the following Likert scale with the corresponding descriptive ratings will be
used:
Table 3. Usability of the DMMMSU-MLUC Integrated Library Management
System
Numerical
Equivalent

Rating Scale
4.21 5.00

Descriptive
Rating
Strongly Agree

Very Usable

3.41 4.20

Agree

Usable

2.61 3.40

Neutral

Fairly Usable

1.81 2.60

Disagree

Unusable

1.00 1.80

Strongly Disagree

Very Unusable

For mean ratings between 3.41 and 5.00, it will be interpreted as the
software being usable. On the other hand, mean ratings between 1.00 and
3.40 are considered not usable, as respondents are not satisfied with the
software.

33

REFERENCES

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Anctil, Eric, and Jamshid Beheshti (2004). Open Source Integrated Library
Systems: An Overview.
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The University of California Libraries (2005). Rethinking how we provide

bibliographic services for the University of California. California.
Han, Yan and Rawan, Atifa (2007) Afghanistan Digital Library Initiative:
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