RA No.7

FIELD TRIP EXPERIENCE IN IRR

Last August 26, 2009 we had a field trip in IRRI, this is my first visit to the place so as my other classmates. I am excited to see the place. We had been there one hour before the call time. While waiting for my other classmates, we got the chance to roam around and enjoy the view of the field. We had a good breakfast/merienda in the IRRI canteen before our tour goes on. They had prepared a good lecture for us to listen.

According to the lecture we had, IRRI was founded in 1961. It houses the world largest collection of rice literature. It doesn’t only serve one country but worldwide. Since most of our lessons is all about IRS. IRRI is said to have the best example of how information retrieval should be. Our main purpose of the activity is to observe the system that they are using which is the Millennium Integrated Library System. According to the lecturer it is the best system that they had so far. The system helps them to have a direct links to information. It has also a special feature of On-line renewal link. The lecturer even shares how to acquire good library system as we become more interested in it. According to her, we should consider system preference, its cost and usability. The other objective of our visit is to know their Ariel Document Delivery System Services. This is the first time I had heard such library service, it is good to know that library really finds ways to conveniently serve the public. Through this service even other countries can have physical access through IRRI document delivery.

I had learned so much through our field trip. I had learned that good IRS requires lots of patients and budget. Librarians should also be innovative, creative and resourceful in gaining and collecting other means of information. In the midst of crisis, library also suffers but it should not hinder us in providing quality services among our patrons.