Department of Electronic Services

It embraces the following groups:

• A group of CD containing references, databases and cultural and self-learning materials. Their number is estimated as 500 CDs.
• A group of CD accompanying some books for supporting and illustrating them. They are estimated as 201 CD.
• A group of CD flexible discs accompanying some books as illustrating materials. They are estimated as 41 FD.
• A group of CD donated to the Deanship of Library Affairs by some educational and service corporations. They are estimated as 99 CD.

The employees of the department perform the arrangement, numeration, and classification of all these different groups and make them ready for researchers easy access and retrieval. As these groups are growing, they should be continuously followed up. Upon the researcher visit to the Department, full information about him/her are recorded, and help him/her to obtain the required material. We also perform the process of program preparation and facilitate it to the researcher so as guarantee the safety of good use and safety of material from loss and damage.

Informing Excerpt:

It presents services for all users from inside or outside The University. It exerts all abilities to serve scientific research, in the sense of changing the databases if proved to be inefficient, or if one database is not in reasonable use that justifies subscription in. The strategy of change relies on the participation of The University Staff Members through their departments, when new databases are sent to them for trial. According to these departmental reports, a decision toward subscription or not is taken. In 2002, subscriptions in all databases that work on old system have been cancelled, as a step to subscribe on online databases. This allows the researcher to browse the required database anytime and from a suitable place. A number of the new databases embrace scientific journals in different specializations that avail full text articles.

Works and Functions of the Department:

• Procuring research abstracts and full texts.
• Directing and guiding researchers in how to use the databases network.
• Procuring full texts in collaboration with the British Library.
• Serving researcher through telephone, fax and email sets.
• Performing the subscription procedures with databases and publishers.
• Performing administrative works related to purchase and maintenance of equipment.
• Preparing statistics and annual reports for the Section.

Iit contains 40 appliances that serve the researchers at the same time. The Library policy coincides with the University Policy that keeps pace with electronic services. The functions of the Internet Unit include:

• Preparing the appliances for work starting from the first working hour.
• Performing the process of cleaning appliance memory for speeding up.
• Watching users so as not to misuse the internet.
• Follow-up and collaboration with Deanship of Information Technology when the internet is faulty.
• Performing a search on the internet information which can be printed and presented to users.
• Training students or others on the use of internet and what services it presents.

The Deanship of Library Affairs saves no effort in furnishing its services to all members of the community, and endevours to convey the information to whoever needs it. One of the community groups who has been denied, totally or partially, the vision benefaction, has acquired our most concern, through procuring the Sight Unit which is a computer programme that allows the blind to hear all what is written on the screen; which has been converted to media written in Braille Method.

The JAWS System (Version 12.0):

Excerpt about The Programme:

The System is a comprehensive programme speaking in both Arabic and English languages that allow the blinds use the computer with professionalism and workmanship. It transforms all what appears on the screen into sound heard by the user, including the desktop contents, icons, lists orders, conversations and open applications windows. It also allows the user reviews the internet, browses and downloads websites using the Microsoft Explorer, and to send and receive email messages.

The Microsoft Outlook Programme:

The system also reports the name of any key on the keyboard when has been pressed on. The Program is equipped with a number of basic bilingual tools (Arabic & English).

Documents Reader:

It is the programme of reading papers and documents through merging the OCR and TTS technologies; where the former recognizes the optically scanned papers and transforms it into text, while the latter reads it perfectly and clearly.

The Educational System:

It is a training programme for recognizing the keyboard, and to learn how to use it and perform the different writing methods.

Braille Transformer:

It transforms the text files into symbols used in Braille Methods (Grade 1 and Grade 2). The new files could be saved on the Hard Disc or typed on a Parallel or Sequenced Braille Printer. The Braille Method Grade 1 Files can be transformed into normal text files. Sakhr Company contributes immensely in developing the Sight System technologies where the Arabic Text Optical Recognition Process depends on a Sakhr Programme called “the Automatic Reader”, Advanced Copy, the Seventh Edition, which includes the Xerox Text Bridge Programme that recognizes English Texts. Sakar Company has also developed the Spoken Text Reading Technology in the programme for reading Arabic Texts clearly and perfectly, even in the absence of the vowelization and punctuation that are required for a correct reading.


Braille Sense Plus:

A Device that meets the needs of the blind Arabian pronunciation wise and Braille. The device serves as a laptop for the blind and the visually impaired.
The advantages of this device: word processing - reading and writing emails - daily diary - visual presentation - access to the Internet.
All of these features to keep up with the different needs of the blind and visually impaired in the work environment, study or reading or hobbies.

Maintain the computers inside the Deanship and writing support programs for employees and design and follow-up web pages and supervise the main web page of the Deanship.

Is a unit overseeing the maintenance of automated systems used in the library and follow-up day-to-day operations run automated systems and technical coordination between the library and automated systems companies and stakeholders in the university.

• Overseeing the Department and the Units belonging to it administratively and technically.
• Following up the work flow and its development and performing the required procedures for.
• Presenting monthly and annual reports about the employees of the Department.
• Following up the Databases administratively, financially and technically and performing the current and future modernizations for them.
• Contributing in the development of the Deanship’s Website on the Internet.
• Informing about the Department requirements from the technical and maintenance sides.
• Following up the modernization of the devices in the Deanship.
• Preparing and answering the letters of the Department.
• Contributing in the Deanship’s Committees.
• Contributing in internal and external conferences, symposia and exhibitions.
• Contributing in the process of selecting databases, preparing agreements and negotiating with service providers and publishers.
• Maintain the Symphony library management system.
• Follow-up and maintain the internal network of the library.
• Coordination with the companies providing the library management system in updates and system maintenance.

• Nominating the Department’s employees for training courses.
• Endorsing the vacations of the employees of the Department.
• Heading the Department Committee of Contracts and Purchases, and preparing the technical studies for it.
• It is deputized to grant some authorities to the Department’s employees if the benefit of work requires that.