This paper covers the following: * The concept and benefits of automation. * Integrated Library Software (ILS) products * ILS adoption in academic libraries across Nigeria while expatiating on KOHA ILS as viable solution for effective library service delivery to library users. * Explicit step-by-step strategy used to import a total of 23, 274 records from X-Lib automation software to KOHA ILS at Laz Otti Memorial Library, Babcock University.

1. Being a paper presented at the KOHA15 Conference, held at
the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan,
19th to 21st October, 2015.
Saturday U. Omeluzor
C. Evans Otuza, Ph.D.
Gloria O. Oyovwe-Tinuoye

2. Highlight
This paper discusses
 Introduction
 The concept and benefits of automation.
 Integrated Library Software (ILS) products
 ILS adoption in academic libraries across Nigeria while
expatiating on KOHA ILS as viable solution for effective
library service delivery to library users.
 Explicit step-by-step strategy used to import a total of 23, 274
records from X-Lib automation software to KOHA ILS at Laz
Otti Memorial Library, Babcock University; and
 Concludes by encouraging libraries to adopt viable automation
software such as KOHA in order to forestall problems
associated with system failure, poor service provision to the
clientele and none visibility of the library and its materials to
the library users.

3. Introduction
 “Library and information science occupies a vantage
position in the education sector and plays a strategic role
in national growth and development” (Shekarau, 2014, p.
iii).
 Prior to the use of information and communication
technology (ICT) tools in the library to access and
disseminate information, traditional methods were
predominantly used.
 Ayiah and Kumah (2011) asserted that traditional library
processes proved unsatisfactory to respond quickly
enough in a technology driven environment.

4.  Due to the growing number of collections in
libraries for various courses offered in a university
and the decentralization of library activities for
effective service delivery to library users,
 Omeluzor, Adara, Madukoma, Bamidele and
Umahi (2012) averred that it became inevitable to
use automation software that would provide on-
the-spot access to information, take accurate
records or stock of library collections, identify
materials on loan, link with other libraries and
provide adequate library services to the users.

5.  Library automation is the use of computer and other
associated technologies to manage the library operations.
 It is an improved method to render services and to provide
access to the library collections.
 It creates opportunities for library users to access the
library’s collections without necessarily being physically
present in the library.
 It is a promising trend in library management and delivery
of quality library services to the library users.
 Considering far reaching conspicuous benefits that
automation software offers, they are now been deployed
by libraries in the bid to join the global information
society on the Internet to deliver services to a wider
populace of library users in diverse regions irrespective of
geo-political location, space and time.

6. Concept of automation
Automation is
synonymous to quality
control and effective
management using
computer and associated
technologies to do what
could have been done
manually.

7. Benefits of automation
Why is library automation necessary
in library operations?
1. Library automation manages library
processes and services.
2. It enhances access and retrieval of
information materials.
3. It improves delivery of quality
services to library users.

8. 4. It integrates all library operations and
services that comes in separate modules
such as acquisition, cataloguing, serials,
circulation and reference services into
one system.
5. Automation is a marketing tool to market
the library and its services.
6. It showcases a library and its parent
institution especially with software that
is Internet compliant like Koha.

9. 7. It gives a library an edge over its competitors.
8. It enhance collaboration and provide active
link among libraries.
9. It supports quick retrieval of information
materials.
11. It increases the visibility of both the library
and the university through a constant
online/web presence
12. Support distant students and community
users.

10. Okiy (1998) affirmed that the
application of computer technology
to university libraries has
transformed the pattern of
information handling, provision
of services and the
perception in
library cooperation
worldwide.

11. RATIONALE FOR THIS PAPER
 Academic libraries all over the world are established to
support its parent institution. In this 21st century, libraries
are adopting new methods to deliver services to its
clientele through the use of ICT tools, thereby enhancing
learning, teaching and research of its parent institution.
 A study by Aguolu, Harunan and Aguolu in 2006 cited in
Sharma (2009) revealed that most academic and research
libraries in Nigeria have not computerized any of their
functions.
 It is now a decade since Aguolu, et al, made that claim;
therefore, it is pertinent to critically look at the extent to
which ILS is being adopted and used in academic
libraries in Nigeria.

12. Integrated Library software products
Proprietary ILS Open Source ILS
Source code is controlled by
vendor.
Source code is accessible to
everyone. No vendor lock in.
Lack of support from vendor
(Osaniyi, 2010).
Support is available to users
through online user group.
High cost of product and
susceptible to virus attack
(Omeluzor, et al. 2012).
It is free, anyone can copy,
and share (Uzomba et al.
(2015). It runs on Solaris
and Ubuntu OS.
It cannot be modified,
changed, altered or
customized.
It can be modified, changed,
altered and customized.

13. Adoption of Library Automation Software
in some Nigeria libraries
The first attempt to computerize Nigerian
university libraries was in the 1970s (Ibrahim,
2012).
The International Institute for Tropical
Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan in 1984 announced
its large-scale automation success story using
Battelle Automated Search Information System
(BASIS).
(Ibrahim, 2012 and Abbas, 2014).

14. The National Universities
Commission (NUC) in 1994
introduced TINLIB, a foreign
software into the university libraries.
Many libraries like Ladoke Akintola
University of Technology and
Development Policy Centre library
at Ibadan adopted TINLIB
(Idowu and Mabawonku, 1999).

15. The University of Nigeria,
Enugu (UNEC) Library,
one of the Federal
Universities in the South
East zone at several times
automated with TINLIB, X-
LIB and LIB+.

16. The University of Benin
Library is currently using
Strategic Library Automation
Management (SLAM), an
indigenous proprietary ILS
that is incompatible with
Internet and web resources.

17. Failure of Proprietary software
 Automation of libraries in Nigeria using
proprietary ILS such as X-lib, TINLIB, LIB+,
CDS/ISIS had failed due to problems
associated with porosity, compatibility issue,
susceptible to virus attack, vendors’ poor
attitude to respond and lack of skilful
manpower
(Adeyemi, 2002; Osaniyi, 2010; Omeluzor, et al., 2012 and
Mbakwe and Ibegbula, 2014).

18. Adoption of KOHA in some
Nigerian Libraries
The Bowen University Library,
a privately owned university in
Nigeria automated their library
with Koha open source integrated
library software
(Otunla and Akanmu-Adeyemo, 2010).

19. The University of Jos also
adopted KOHA ILS for holistic
library management and online
library registration.
Akpokodje and Akpokodje
(2015) confirmed that “open
source ILSs are more cost
effective than proprietary ILSs”.

20. The Redeemers
University, MOWE also
adopted KOHA and is
currently supporting the
operations and services
of its library.

21. Laz Otti Memorial (LOM) Library,
Babcock University; a privately
owned institution of higher learning
by the Seventh-day Adventist Church
adopted Xlib in 2003 which failed
(Omeluzor, et al. 2012).
In 2012 after the failure of Xlib, it
adopted KOHA, installed by
Projektlink Konsult Limited, Ibadan.

22. Why adopt Koha?
Full-featured ILS: Koha is a true
enterprise-class ILS with comprehensive
functionality including basic or advanced
options. In use worldwide in libraries of
all sizes.
It includes modules for circulation,
cataloguing, acquisitions, serials,
reserves, patron management, branch
relationships, and more.

23. International Library Standards
Compliant:
Koha is built using library standards
and protocols that ensure
interoperability with other systems and
technologies, while supporting
existing workflows and tools.

24. Web-based Interfaces: Koha's OPAC,
circulation, management and self-
checkout interfaces are all based on
standards-compliant World Wide Web
technologies – XHTML, CSS and
JavaScript.
You do not have to install any software on
your clients systems. All they need is a
browser. This makes systems
administration tasks easier.

25. Dual Database Design: Koha uses a
dual database design that utilizes the
strengths of the two major industry-
standard database types - text-based and
relational database management system
(RDBMS).
This design feature ensures that Koha is
scalable enough to meet the transaction
load of any library, no matter what the size.

26. Open Source: Koha is
distributed under the open-
source General Public License
(GPL).
This gives you right to the
source code, modify, customize,
change and alter the software to
meet your need.

27. No Vendor Lock-in: This is an
important part of the open-source
promise that there is no vendor lock-
in.
Libraries are free to install and use
Koha themselves if they have the in-
house expertise or to purchase
support or development services from
the best available source.

28. Migration of data from XLIb
to KOHA
X-Lib is a proprietary software
which did not provide any means
to export out its data either as a
Comma Separated Values
(CSV) or as Machine Readable
Catalog (MARC) data.

29. A careful analysis of the X-Lib files
revealed a database system of files
based on Foxpro.
The key files containing relevant
tables were identified.
After identifying these files, the next
step was to find ways to merge the
files and extract the data into CSV
format.

30. Several efforts were made to
use the open source
programmes – “open office”
and “libre office” to open and
manipulate the data into a
format that can easily be
exported to CSV without
success.

31. However, Goggling for
Database file (DBF) to CSV
converter (Foxpro files are dbf
format) turned into
‘DBFTOCSV’, a perl script
that did a wonderful job of
converting the Xlib dbf files
into a CSV file.

32.  After generating the CSV file, the next challenge
was to convert the CSV file into a format that
can be imported into Koha.
 The format for data import that Koha support is
MARC.
 To convert the CSV into MARC, the very
efficient utility which is “MarcEdit” was used.
 MarcEdit is a free programme, which can do all
sorts of manipulation with your Marc data.
 MarcEdit was therefore employed to finish the
job and all the usable data in X-Lib was
imported into Koha.

33. After the conversion into MARC
using MarcEdit, the generated
MARC file was imported into Koha
using Bulkmarcimport script.
At the end of the conversion, a total
of 23,274 records were imported
into the Koha database from X-Lib
for LOM Library, Babcock
University.

34. Conclusion
 Access to available information resources in a
library’s collection and beyond is the main
reason for adoption and installation of an ILS.
 The revolution and transformation which ILS
brought to the Nigeria libraries and information
science environment in the last three decades
has been tremendous.
 This would be appreciable if libraries in
Nigeria explore and utilize viable automation
software to enhance their services to its
clientele.

35. Recommendations
 Libraries in Nigeria should be willing to go the whole
mile to adopt and implement viable automation
software that can stand the test of time.
 The library administration should be at the fore in the
course of transmitting the change necessary in the
mode of service provision in academic libraries.
 Since funding constitutes a major setback to the
realization of automating the library, adequate
administrative support – financial and otherwise
should be accorded the library for its success.

36. Thank you for
your time.