Services at Jabatan Kehakiman Syariah Malaysia Library: An Analysis of Arabic Cataloguing Procedures
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24191/jikm.v14i2.4469Keywords:
special library, case study, library management, Arabic cataloguing, Islamic classificationAbstract
This case study explores the Arabic cataloguing procedures at the Jabatan Kehakiman Syariah Malaysia Library (JKSM) and the challenges faced in organising Islamic legal resources. The study addresses key issues such as the adaptation of international cataloguing standards, inconsistencies in transliteration practices, and the lack of standardised subject headings for Arabic legal materials. Using a qualitative approach, the research gathers insights from library staff through a group interview, focusing on their experience with cataloguing procedures and the complexities of managing Arabic resources. The findings highlight significant obstacles, including transliteration inconsistencies, difficulties in Arabic input, and challenges in information retrieval. Moreover, the study underscores the need for localised classification systems like the IIUM Library Classification System for Knowledge Resources on Islam (ICSI) to better represent Islamic legal texts. The research concludes with recommendations for a phased integration of ICSI, staff training, pilot reclassification projects, and collaboration with other Islamic law libraries. These strategies aim to improve accessibility, standardisation, and the overall efficiency of cataloguing Arabic legal resources, contributing to the advancement of Islamic librarianship and supporting the broader goal of equitable access to legal information in Arabic.
References
Abdulraheem, J. W. (2020). Constraints to cataloguing and classification of Arabic literature in Nigerian Libraries. Kogi Journal of Education and Pedagogy, 1(2), 277-282.
Aljalahmah, S. H., & Zavalina, O. L. (2021). Information representation and knowledge organization in cultural heritage institutions in Arabian gulf: A comparative case study. Journal of Information & Knowledge Management, 20(04), 2150050.
Alsahar, M., & AlKhatib, B. (2023). A step towards semantic digital library in the Arabic region. Journal of Digital Information Management, 21(2), 29-38.
Atallah, M., & Salamon, A. (2020). Adapting Islamic and Middle Eastern studies librarianship to changing users' needs. MELA Notes, (93), 12-31.
Baxter, P., & Jack, S. (2008). Qualitative case study methodology: Study design and implementation for novice researchers. Qualitative Report, 13(4), 544-559.
Dagher, I., & Soufi, D. (2021). Authority control of Arabic personal names: RDA and beyond. Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 59(2-3), 260-280.
Guichard-Marneur, M. (2023). Catalogue across languages: The opportunities and challenges of the multilingual Online Public Access Catalogue as an interface between librarians and end-users. Master’s thesis, University of Boras, Sweden.
Houghton C., Murphy K., Shaw D. & Casey D. (2015). Qualitative case study data analysis: an example from practice. Nurse Researcher 22(5), 8-12.
Idrees, H., & Mahmood, K. (2009). Devising a classification scheme for Islam: Opinions of LIS and Islamic studies scholars. Library Philosophy and Practice, 2009, 1-15.
Idrees, H. (2012). Library classification systems and organisation of Islamic knowledge. Library Resources & Technical Services, 56(3), 171-182.
Igwe, K. N., & Ayandokun, A. A. (2024). Review of the treatment of religion and religious works in the library of congress and Dewey decimal classification schemes for knowledge organization in libraries. Samaru Journal of Information Studies, 24(1), 214-227.
Ismail, M. I., & Roni, N. A. M. (2011). Issues and challenges in cataloguing Arabic books in Malaysia academic libraries. Education for Information, 28(2-4), 151-163.
Khurshid, Z. (2002). Arabic script materials: Cataloging issues and problems. Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 34(4), 67–77.
Kurzman, C., & Martin III, J. D. (2018). The hidden heritage of Arab libraries: Online catalogs and institutional barriers to discoverability. IFLA journal, 44(4), 300-310.
Makin, E., Ford, N., & Robertson, A. M. (1996). Cataloguing in special libraries in the 1990s. Information Research, 2(3).
Momin, N. A., & Othman, K. (2012). Enhancing Islamic cataloguing system and cataloguer: An approach to the managerial concept of human and material resources. ʻUlūm Islāmiyyah Journal.
Perpustakaan Jabatan Kehakiman Syariah Malaysia. (n.d.). Online public access catalog (OPAC). Koha Online Catalog. http://library.jksm.gov.my/
Peyvand Robati, A., & Singh, D. (2013). Competencies required by special librarians: An analysis by educational levels. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science.
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldana, J. (2019). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (4th eds.). Arizona State University.
Mansor, Y., & Ismā ‘īl al‐Shawābikah, Y. A. (2007). Library of Congress classification: catalogers’ perceptions of the new Subclass KBP. Library Review, 56(2), 117-126.
Monyela, M. (2021). Call us by our names: The need to establish authority control standards for non-Roman names. Library Philosophy and Practice, 1(1), 1-10.
Moustapha, A. A., & Ahmad, R. (2021). Critical issues in cataloging and classifying Arabic books: A case study. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal), 6623, 1-17.
Mukhtar, N.A., Daud, R.M., Ramli, L., Musa, M.R., & Rabingan, S.A. (2016). Revising and devising a classification scheme for Islam: The IIUM library’s experience. Regional Islamic Libraries Seminar (RElies)2016.
Olukade, A. O. C., & Abdulraheem, J. W. Arabic collection processing and challenges in Nigerian academic libraries: The University of Ilorin library experience. Ilorin Varsity International Journal of Library & Information Science, 3(2).
Osman, R. R. & El-Masry, A. F. (2016). Cataloguing Arabic script materials: challenges in using international standards and integrated library management systems. Paper presented at IFLA WLIC 2016, Columbus, OH.
Qader, R. N. A. (2024). Bibliographic records evaluation of online catalog of the Central Library University of Mosul: An analytical study. Adab Al Rafidayn, 54(96).
Rajan, S. S., & Esmail, S. M. (2021). Manuscripts: Preservation in the digital age. Library Philosophy and Practice, 1-10.
Robinson, B. (2016). Addressing bias in the cataloguing and classification of Arabic and Islamic materials: Approaches from domain analysis. In A. B. Click, S. Ahmed, J. Hill & J. D. Martin, III (Eds.), Library and Information Science in the Middle East and North Africa (pp. 255–269). Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter Saur.
Shaalan, K., & Raza, H. (2009). NERA: Named entity recognition for Arabic. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 60(8), 1652-1663.
Zavalina, O. L., & Aljalahmah, S. H. (2023). Arabian Gulf academic libraries’ knowledge representation practices, perspectives and barriers. Journal of Information & Knowledge Management, 22(06), 2340001.
Zuwiyya, L. (2007). Arabic cataloguing; A criticism of the present rules. Library Resources & Technical Services, 51.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Nor Saadah Md Nor, Atikah Muhammad Noor Choliq, Nur Hidayah Mohd Saleh
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright of articles that appear in the journal belongs exclusively to Faculty of Information Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA (Publisher). This copyright covers the rights to reproduce the article, including reprints, electronic reproductions or any other reproductions of similar nature.
