NEB Class 11 none Library and Information Science Question Paper 2078 Nepal

The Parchment Library indicates the medieval/manuscript stage of library development, when written records were kept on parchment (treated animal skin) before the invention of paper and printing. It represents the early manuscript era of libraries, typically associated with monastic and church libraries.

A Zero Based Budget (ZBB) is a budgeting method in which every expense must be justified and approved for each new budget period, starting from a "zero base" rather than from the previous year's budget. Each library activity or program is evaluated afresh and funds are allocated based on need and priority, not on past allocations.

A national library serves the whole nation by collecting and preserving the country's published heritage (often through legal deposit) and is not primarily for lending, whereas an academic library serves the teaching, learning and research needs of a specific educational institution (school, college or university) and lends materials to its students and staff.

Two book selection tools are: (1) publishers' catalogues and trade bibliographies (e.g., Books in Print), and (2) book reviews in journals/newspapers and national bibliographies.

Two features of Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) are: (1) it divides all knowledge into ten main classes using pure decimal/Arabic notation that can be infinitely subdivided, and (2) it is a hierarchical scheme that proceeds from the general to the specific, with mnemonic and relative location of subjects.

Two reasons for writing the accession number on the clue (secret) page of a book are: (1) it helps to identify the book as library property and trace it if the title page or first pages are torn out or stolen, and (2) it acts as a secret/hidden record that aids in stock verification and prevents theft, since thieves may not know which page carries the number.

The subject heading of a document is determined by examining the document (its title, table of contents, preface, introduction and text) to identify its specific subject content, and then expressing that subject using a standard list of subject headings (such as Sears List of Subject Headings or Library of Congress Subject Headings) to choose the appropriate authorized term.

The call number is written or typed in the upper left-hand corner of the main (catalogue) card, in the call number/leading section, so that the card can be filed and the book located on the shelf.

A book pocket is normally pasted on the inside of the back cover (the last page / inside back board) of the book, where the date-due slip and book/borrower's card are kept.

Stealing of library resources can be controlled by measures such as installing security/electronic detection systems (e.g., RFID or magnetic security gates), property stamping and secret accessioning of materials, supervising the stack area, conducting regular stock verification, and checking bags at the exit.

Two major functions of a circulation system are: (1) issuing (lending) and receiving (returning) of library materials to and from registered members, and (2) keeping records of loans, due dates, reservations, renewals and overdue fines so that materials can be tracked and recalled.

The library plays a central role in society as an institution that collects, organizes, preserves and disseminates knowledge and information. Its main roles include:

• Education and self-learning: It supports formal education and lifelong/self-education by providing books, journals and other resources to learners of all ages.
• Information and research: It gives access to reliable information and supports research and decision-making for individuals, institutions and the nation.
• Preservation of cultural heritage: It preserves the recorded knowledge, literature and cultural heritage of society for present and future generations.
• Recreation and social development: It provides recreational reading and acts as a community space that promotes literacy, awareness and democratic participation.
• Bridging the information gap: It provides equal and free access to information, helping to reduce inequality between different social and economic groups.

Thus the library is a social institution that contributes to the educational, cultural, economic and democratic development of society.

Ranganathan's 4th law of library science is "Save the time of the reader." In day-to-day practice it is applied by organizing the library and its services so that readers get what they need quickly and conveniently:

• Open access to shelves so readers can browse and locate books directly.
• Proper classification and cataloguing (call numbers, catalogues, OPAC) so documents can be found fast.
• Clear shelf arrangement, guides and signage to direct readers without delay.
• Efficient circulation (quick issue/return, self-check systems) to reduce waiting time.
• Reference and information service and ready-reference tools to answer queries promptly.
• Reservation, reprographic and bibliographic services that save the reader from searching elsewhere.

By reducing the time and effort a reader spends in finding and using documents, the librarian puts the fourth law into practice.

A public library is important to society because it provides free and equal access to information and reading materials for all members of the community regardless of age, gender, religion, profession or economic status. Its importance can be justified as follows:

• Promotes literacy and education: It supports formal education and self/lifelong learning, helping reduce illiteracy.
• Provides free information access: It bridges the gap between the information-rich and information-poor by offering free resources to everyone.
• Supports democracy and awareness: It makes information available to citizens, enabling informed participation in social and political life.
• Preserves local culture and heritage: It collects and preserves local literature, history and culture.
• Recreation and community development: It offers recreational reading and acts as a community centre for cultural and social activities.
• Economic and social upliftment: It provides information useful for employment, skills and daily life, contributing to community development.

For these reasons the public library is often called the "people's university" and is essential for a knowledgeable, democratic society.

A document is any recorded information that can be used as a source of knowledge. Documents are commonly classified as follows:

• Primary documents: Contain original, first-hand information. Examples: research papers/journal articles, conference proceedings, patents, theses, standards, and reports.
• Secondary documents: Arrange, summarize or repackage information from primary documents. Examples: textbooks, encyclopaedias, dictionaries, handbooks, reviews, and indexing/abstracting journals.
• Tertiary documents: Guide the user to primary and secondary sources. Examples: bibliographies of bibliographies, directories, guides to the literature, and lists of research in progress.

Documents may also be grouped by physical form:

• Print/textual documents: Books, periodicals, newspapers, pamphlets.
• Non-print/non-book documents: Maps, manuscripts, microforms, audio-visual materials (CDs, DVDs), and electronic/digital documents (e-books, databases, websites).

Thus documents range from original sources of information to compiled and guiding materials, in both printed and non-printed forms.

A call number is the unique address of a document on the shelf. It is built by combining the following elements:

1. Class number: Assigned from a classification scheme (e.g., Dewey Decimal Classification) according to the specific subject of the document. This is determined by examining the document's subject content.
2. Book number (author/Cutter mark): Added to distinguish documents within the same class, usually derived from the author's name (Cutter number) and often the first letter(s) of the title.
3. Collection/other marks (if needed): Symbols indicating special collections, volume number, copy number, edition or year, etc.

Procedure:

• Examine the document to identify its subject.
• Find the correct class number from the classification scheme (e.g., DDC schedules and tables).
• Derive the book/author number from the appropriate author table (e.g., Cutter table).
• Combine them (class number on top, book number below) to form the complete call number.

Example: A book on Library Science by an author "Sharma" in DDC could get a call number such as 020 / S (020 = Library and information sciences, S = author mark). This call number is then written on the spine label, the book and the catalogue card so the document can be shelved and retrieved correctly.

A library catalogue is a list of the documents in a library's collection, arranged according to a definite plan. Its main objectives (following Cutter's and Ranganathan's principles) are:

• To enable a reader to find a document when the author, title or subject is known.
• To show what the library has by a given author, on a given subject, or in a given kind of literature.
• To assist in the choice of a document as to its edition (bibliographically) or as to its character (literary or topical).
• To act as a key/index to the collection, providing the location (call number) of each document so it can be retrieved from the shelves.
• To list all documents of an author, collaborator, series or subject together, helping in collocation.
• To serve as a tool for stock verification and library management, recording added entries, cross references and the holdings of the library.

In short, the catalogue helps users locate documents by author, title and subject, and helps the library to manage and control its collection.

Subject headings are standardized words or phrases that represent the subject content of a document in the catalogue. Their need can be justified as follows:

• Subject approach to documents: Many readers search by subject rather than by author or title; subject headings provide this approach.
• Collocation of related materials: They bring together all documents on the same subject under one uniform term, even if the authors used different words.
• Control of vocabulary: By using a standard list (Sears or LCSH), they ensure consistency and avoid confusion caused by synonyms and different spellings.
• Saving the reader's time: They help users find all relevant material quickly through one authorized heading and cross references (see / see also).
• Comprehensive retrieval: They guide the reader from broader to narrower and related subjects, improving recall and precision in searching.

Therefore, subject headings are essential in a catalogue to provide an effective, consistent and time-saving subject approach to the collection.

Stack reading (shelf reading) is the process of checking books on the shelves to ensure they are arranged in the correct order according to their call numbers. It is essential for the following reasons:

• Maintains correct shelf order: Readers and staff often replace books in the wrong place; stack reading restores the proper classified/call-number sequence. Example: a book with call number 025 wrongly shelved among 052 books is detected and put back in place.
• Easy retrieval and saving reader's time: When books are in order, they can be located quickly, supporting Ranganathan's fourth law. Example: a student looking for a specific text finds it immediately because the shelf is in order.
• Detects misplaced, missing or damaged books: Regular shelf reading reveals books that are lost, stolen or damaged so action can be taken. Example: during stack reading a torn or missing volume is noticed and sent for repair or replacement.
• Helps in stock verification: It supports periodic stock-taking by keeping holdings organized and accounted for.
• Improves the appearance and usability of the library: Neatly arranged stacks encourage use and give a good impression of the library.

Thus stack reading keeps the collection in usable order, ensures quick access, and helps in the maintenance and control of library resources.

While designing a library building, careful planning is required so that the building serves readers, staff and the collection efficiently. Four important needs to be taken care of are:

1. Location and site: The library should be located at a central, easily accessible and quiet place, free from noise, dust and pollution, with provision for future expansion, parking and easy entry/exit.

2. Adequate space and flexibility: Sufficient space must be provided for the present and future collection, reading areas, staff work areas, stack rooms and users. The design should be flexible (modular) so that internal arrangements can be changed as needs grow, following the principle of expandability.

3. Lighting, ventilation and environment: Proper natural and artificial lighting, good ventilation and suitable temperature/humidity control are needed for comfortable reading and for the preservation of documents. Large windows, proper air circulation and protection from direct sunlight and dampness should be ensured.

4. Functional layout and user comfort: The internal layout should allow smooth flow of readers and materials, with logical placement of the entrance, circulation desk, reading rooms, reference section and stacks. Furniture should be comfortable and ergonomic, and facilities for differently-abled users (ramps, accessible toilets) should be provided.

(Other needs that may be mentioned include safety and security (fire safety, emergency exits), proper acoustics to control noise, and aesthetic/architectural appeal.)

Taking care of these needs ensures that the library building is functional, comfortable, safe and able to serve its users effectively while protecting its resources.

The Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) is a hierarchical scheme that divides all knowledge into ten main classes (000–900), each further divided into ten divisions and ten sections, using decimal notation. A classification (class) number is constructed by the following steps:

1. Examine the document and determine its subject: Study the title, contents, preface and text to find the specific subject.

2. Identify the main class (000–900): Place the subject in one of the ten main classes. Example: a book on libraries falls in 000 Generalities (020 Library & Information Science).

3. Find the division (second digit): Within the main class, locate the appropriate division. Example: within 000, library science is 020.

4. Find the section (third digit): Narrow down further to the specific section. Example: 025 for library operations.

5. Add decimal subdivisions if needed: For more specific subjects, add a decimal point and further digits from the schedules. Example: 025.3 for cataloguing, 025.4 for classification.

6. Apply the auxiliary tables (if required): Use the standard tables to add notation for:

   • Standard subdivisions (Table 1), e.g. “–03” for dictionaries.
   • Geographic areas (Table 2), e.g. “–5496” for Nepal.
   • Other tables for languages, literature, ethnic groups, etc. These are added to the base number as directed by the schedules.

7. Build the final number by synthesis: Combine the base number with the table notations following the instructions (“add to” notes) to form the complete class number. Example: A history of libraries in Nepal might be built as base 027 + area notation to express “libraries of Nepal.”

Illustrative example: For a book on “Classification in libraries” — main class 000 → division 020 (Library & Information Science) → section 025 (operations) → 025.4 (classification). The constructed class number is 025.4, to which a book (author) number is added to make the full call number.

Thus a DDC number is constructed by moving from the general main class to the specific subject and, where necessary, synthesizing it with notation from the auxiliary tables.

Preservation refers to all the activities aimed at prolonging the life of library materials and protecting them from damage, while conservation refers to the specific treatments and repairs done to restore and stabilize damaged materials. In the context of Nepal, where libraries face problems of humidity, dust, insects, poor storage, earthquakes, fire and lack of resources, preservation and conservation can be carried out as follows:

Preventive preservation (control of the environment):

• Control of temperature and humidity: Keep storage areas cool and dry using ventilation, dehumidifiers or air-conditioning where possible, since Nepal's monsoon humidity causes mould and decay.
• Protection from dust, light and pollution: Regular cleaning, dusting, proper shelving and protection from direct sunlight to prevent fading and dirt damage.
• Pest and fungus control: Use of fumigation, naphthalene balls, insecticides and regular inspection to control insects (e.g., silverfish, bookworms), rodents and fungus.
• Proper storage and handling: Use of strong shelves, acid-free boxes, correct shelving, and training users and staff in careful handling of materials.

Protection from disasters:

• Fire safety: Provision of fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and safe wiring.
• Earthquake and flood safety: Strong, earthquake-resistant buildings and storage above flood level — important in Nepal's seismic and flood-prone areas.

Conservation/restoration of damaged materials:

• Repair and binding: Mending torn pages, re-binding worn-out books, and lamination of fragile documents.
• Restoration of manuscripts: Special treatment of old palm-leaf and paper manuscripts (e.g., at the National Archives, Kathmandu) by cleaning, de-acidification and repair.

Modern methods:

• Reformatting and digitization: Microfilming and digitizing rare books, newspapers and manuscripts to preserve their content and reduce handling of originals.
• Use of microforms and electronic copies to provide access while protecting fragile originals.

Administrative measures:

• Adequate budget, trained conservation staff, preservation policy and cooperation with institutions such as the National Library, National Archives and Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya, which preserve Nepal's documentary heritage.

By combining preventive care, disaster protection, repair/restoration and modern digitization — supported by adequate budget and trained staff — library resources can be effectively preserved and conserved in the context of Nepal.