Welcome to Saint Joseph Allamano Library!

Here is some information about us.

The Saint Joseph Allamano Library is located at the academic complex. The library was built in 1999 and a hall added in 2003. The main purpose of our Institute is to prepare candidates for the priesthood and religious life with a view to proceed to theological studies. Therefore, our B.A. in Philosophy is mainly for ecclesiastical purposes, to qualify the student to enter a Theology College or Seminary for priestly academic formation.

The library provides information and library services to the Consolata Missionaries, students, staff, its alumni and the surrounding community. The library’s current collection includes: – Books, Bibles, Philosophy,Psychology, Religion, Science and Humanities journals, magazines, newspapers and online databases among others

Vision :

To provide comprehensive access to resources that enrich theological studies, philosophical inquiry, and interfaith dialogue, supporting the diverse academic, research, and service needs of all patrons

Mission:

To serve the educational and research needs of students and faculty by offering comprehensive resources in Philosophy, Psychology, Theology, Religious Studies, and other academic disciplines.

Library Objectives:

1) To provide comprehensive resources to a wide range of books, journals, and digital resources in Philosophy, Theology and Religion,Psychology,Language,Social Sciences and other relevant academic disciplines to support student and faculty research.

2) To support educational excellence in an environment that promotes academic success by offering resources that align with the educational goals of students and faculty.

3) To develop and maintain a robust collection of research materials that support scholarly inquiry and innovative research in various fields of study.

4) To promote information literacy to students and faculty with the skills needed to effectively locate, evaluate, and use information resources for their academic and research activities.

5) To Create spaces and opportunities for collaborative learning and intellectual engagement among students and faculty.

6) To Provide user-friendly access to both physical and electronic resources to meet the diverse needs of all library patrons.

7) To Regularly review and update the library’s collections to ensure they remain relevant to the evolving academic and research interests of the institution.

Library Goals:

1) Provide variety of library materials

2) Provide conducive learning environment

3) Foster research and innovation

4) Promote Information Literacy

5) Leverage technology for learning

6) Provide user support for lifelong learning

7) Preserve and promote knowledge.

Go to the Website for more Information and access links.

Explore the services we offer.

The library provides information and library services to the Consolata Missionaries, students, staff, its alumni and the surrounding community.

The library’s current collection includes: – Books, Bibles, Philosophy,Psychology, Religion, Science and Humanities journals, magazines, newspapers and online databases among others.

Sections & Services

The library is divided into various sections. These are:

1. Reference Section:

Readers are provided services per their request. It is considered as a person to person service as users have different reference queries that a librarian should solve. The reference librarian assists the reader to enable him/her to articulate the users query clearly.

2. Circulation Section

The library staff ensures library users get services they need i.e. borrowing, renewing and returning of library resources in time.

3. e-Library

This service allows users to access published information via internet. Our E-Library has 19 computers all connected to the internet for use.

4. Newspapers / Periodicals

The library purchases local daily and weekend newspapers for readers.

Wireless / (Wi-Fi) Services

Users are provided with password to access internet.

5. CAS- Current Awareness Service:

All newly acquired materials or publications are displayed for users to see and view.

Go to the Website for more Information and access links.

Preamble

The rules and regulations are designed to ensure that the provision of library resources, services, and facilities is made as effectively and fairly as possible. The regulations cover the conditions for admission, discipline in the use of materials and facilities, registration, borrowing rights, penalties and fines, clearance, and copyright.

All persons wishing to become Consolata International University library users must read and understand the rules and regulations and must abide by them.

Admission to the Use of the Library

All registered Consolata International University students.
All members of the University staff and council members.
Registered Alumni.

Discipline

Good order must be maintained in the library.
Eating, drinking, sleeping, and smoking are forbidden.
Silence must be observed at all times.
Use of mobile phones and other devices that can disrupt users in the library is prohibited; all mobile phones should be on silent mode.
Readers should not deface, mark, cut, mutilate, or damage library resources in any way.
All users entering and leaving the library must show all their items to the security staff at the entrance and exit.
It is an offense to use somebody else’s identification card.
Stealing or attempting to steal any library resource or property is an offense. Appropriate disciplinary action shall be taken against the offender.
The library shall not take responsibility for loss or damage of personal property left in reading areas.
Books used in the library must be left on the reading tables. Users are not expected to shelve books back after reading.
All newspapers must be read within the designated reading section.
Entry and exit to and from the library must be through the authorized entry and exit points.

Note: Users who violate library rules may be suspended or prohibited from using the library. Breach of these regulations may also be referred to the University Disciplinary Committee.

Registration

All members interested in using the library are required to produce their authorized Consolata International University identification cards for registration.

Borrowing Rights, Penalties, and Fines

Only registered library clients of Consolata International University are entitled to borrow materials upon provision of their university identification card.
Lost or mutilated information materials on loan will be replaced or charged at the current market price of the information materials.
Patrons are notified by email when borrowed materials are overdue.
Information materials borrowed on regular loan and not returned on the due date will be charged Ksh.20 per day.
Information materials borrowed on short loan and not returned on the due date will be charged Ksh.10 per hour.
Overdue materials attract fines for the entire period, including weekends and public holidays.
Renewal of materials is allowed once if there is no demand for them.
The library reserves the right to call back any issued item at any time.
Any library user who has not cleared overdue and lost book charges shall be denied borrowing rights.

Materials for Use Within the Library

Reference books
Projects and theses
Periodicals (newspapers, journals, and magazines)

Loan Periods

Category	Books	Period
Undergraduate students	4 books	2 weeks
Academic staff	4 books	1 month
Non-Academic staff	2 books	2 weeks
Alumni	2 books	2 weeks

Rules and Regulations Governing the Use of Digital Library/Laptops Within the Library

Users of laptops must maintain order and avoid distracting other library users.
Access must be for the purpose of academic research.
Accessories attached to the library computers should not be unplugged.
Use of the internet (including the transmission or receiving of any material) in violation of copyright law is prohibited.

Clearance

All registered members of the library must clear with the library at the expiry of their membership.
All users are required to return all borrowed resources and replace or make payment in case of any lost item and overdue fines.

Copyright

Most library materials are protected by copyright law, which makes deliberate infringements like unauthorized copying a criminal offense. All users of electronic information resources must abide by the terms of the appropriate licenses.
Permitted copying limits shall be less than 5 pages of a book made for academic purposes.
Copying from whatever source from the library must comply with the current law on copyright.

Information Literacy

Training on Information Literacy is scheduled to take place at the beginning of each Academic year. At the end of the training, patrons are expected to:

Recognize the need for information and determine the nature and extent of the information needed.
Retrieve information effectively and efficiently.
Critically evaluate information and the information-seeking process.
Manage information.
Apply prior and new information to create new understandings.
Use information with understanding and acknowledge cultural, ethical, economic, legal, and social implications.

The Information Literacy sessions include:

Library Orientation for New Students: This is an introduction to library services, sections, and resources.
Navigating and Using E-Resources: Step-by-step guide on how to navigate and utilize the library’s electronic resources.
Citation and Referencing: Proper citation practices.
Plagiarism: How to cite ethically and avoid plagiarism.
Copyright: Information on copyright laws and how they affect the use of resources.

Referencing Guide

During the Information Literacy Training, students are also taken through referencing and how to cite various sources of information. The purpose of proper citing of sources is to give credit to the author for any ideas or quotations used. This enables your reader to locate the sources.

Decide what type of resource you are using: a book? a web site? a magazine? an interview?
Find the most suitable format to use.
Write your citation, following the appropriate styles. Use the proper punctuation; but remember, your source might not have all of the parts listed in the guidelines and examples. Kindly seek guidance from the Librarians should you require more information.

Library Collections

Open Shelves/Reading Area

This collection allows library users to access information on the shelves without the supervision of library staff. Books stored in the library’s open shelves are available for lending. The lending period varies between students and members of staff.

Short Loan Collection

This section was established to ensure that textbooks in high demand are restricted for use in the library only. Users are allowed to borrow books from this section for a maximum of two hours.

Reference Collection

Books in this section are for use in the library only. The collection includes resources meant for consultation rather than cover-to-cover reading, such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, and atlases.

The library also offers recreational materials (e.g., novels, plays, poetry) as part of the lending collection.

Reference and Information Services

The library provides general information services to all patrons. A reference librarian is available to assist patrons. These services include:

Customer Training & Orientation Services
KOHA – OPAC
Institutional Repository
Conducting research on the internet
Subject databases and electronic journals
Basic information on navigating the library facility and services
Basic information literacy skills

Customers with Special Needs

The library staff provides assistance to customers with special needs in accessing and locating library materials.

The Open Public Access Catalog (OPAC)

The Open Public Access Catalog (OPAC) provides information on what is in stock in the library, the location of textbooks on the shelves, and their availability. You can access the catalogue on the library website via the link: http://opac.consolatauniversity.ac.ke.

The OPAC enables you to find a book using either the:

Author
Title
Subject

Searching for Information Resources in the Library

Two search options are provided to cater to the range of user search skills:

Basic Search: The Basic Search screen allows you to search the OPAC database by entering text into a single text box and clicking "GO." Once the results are displayed, click on the preferred title to verify bibliographic data and availability.
Advanced Search: If you are not satisfied with the results, an advanced search can be conducted by clicking on the “Advanced Search” button. With the advanced search, you can combine keywords using "AND," "NOT," and "OR" to limit your search results and get a specific textbook. After entering keywords in the search box and clicking the search button, a list of items matching your search will be displayed. You can then click on the title of the preferred item, and if available, retrieve the textbook from the shelves for use.

Dspace - Institutional Repository

Dspace is a digital archive that collects, preserves, and disseminates the university’s research outputs, theses, dissertations, projects, and other scholarly content of Consolata International University and its faculty.

Anti-Plagiarism

According to the Consolata International University Anti-Plagiarism Policy, all research proposals, projects, theses, dissertations, and other research works should be subjected to an anti-plagiarism check before being accepted as authentic productions by students.

To facilitate this, kindly email your research work to: library.philosophicum@consolata.net.