A Systems Framework for Library Analysis

Abstract

A library is a system for assembling published materials, developing information services and disseminating information for use by a client and, as such, is among the particular class of systems which is open to environmental influences and includes human interaction in the context of carrying out defined tasks. Such systems are defined by Russel Ackoff [1] as purposeful and by P. B. Checkland [2] as human activity systems. Checkland expands his statement on the human activity system in the following way: Human activity systems must be designated in two different ways. Firstly, there are the physical collection of components which are the Structured set’ which make up the system; and secondly, because of the nature of the human component, there are the activity systems which are concerned with the management, in the broadest sense, of these systems [3].