Curtin Malaysia librarians help SM Sains’ Resource Centre with cataloguing and classification

Miri – 21 March 2019 – Staff of The Library & Learning Commons section of Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) recently helped the Resource Centre at Sekolah Menengah Sains Miri enhance its library services by conducting a Cataloguing and Classification Workshop for two staff and 40 student librarians of the school.

The Library & Learning Commons staff comprised senior librarian Sorina Ramli and library technical services team members Diana Sengalang, Nurul Huda Ibrahim, Nora Tusan and Marina Samsudin.

The school staff and students were introduced to the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), an internationally applied decimal system of library classification which uses a three-figure code to represent the major branches of knowledge, and allows finer classification to be made by the addition of further figures after a decimal point.

They were also taught the use of Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) developed and maintained by the United States Library of Congress. It is a controlled vocabulary used for indexing, cataloging and searching for bibliographic records in library catalogues and electronic databases that has been adopted by modern libraries across the world.

According to Sorina, the staff and students are now able to catalogue and systematically label books according to the DDC standards and subject headings, as well as share constructive ideas and solve problems encountered when doing cataloguing and classification.

In thanking SM Sains principal Dzulbadzli Abdullah and Resource Centre teacher Fiona Shu Chew for giving them the opportunity to conduct the workshop, Sorina said The Library & Learning Commons section will continue sharing knowledge and collaborating with the SM Sains Resource Centre, as it does with the libraries of several other schools and public libraries in Miri.

This workshop, which was  carried out as part of The Library & Learning Commons’ community outreach programme, followed three Information Literacy Skills (ILS) workshops for staff and students of Sekolah Menengah Kerajaan Pujut, Sekolah Menengah Vokasional Miri, as well as SM Sains Miri, in January.

Curtin Malaysia has one of the most modern and innovative libraries among universities in Malaysia. Its Library & Learning Commons section serves over 4,000 students and its extensive facilities include The Library occupying approximately 16,100 square feet on three floors, which is complemented by two common study areas across the campus.

The Library’s current collections consist of approximately 32,800 printed books, 4,300 audio-visual items, 500 print journals, 420,000 electronic books, 160,000 electronic journals and 600 online databases. With the latest digital technologies and Internet access, its online resources can be easily accessed by users anywhere and at any time.

Sorina (centre, front row) and her team members presenting a souvenir to teacher Noridah Sulaiman of SM Sains.

The Curtin librarians with staff and students in front of the school’s main building.