A BRIEF HISTORY AND INTRODUCTION TO THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH LIBRARY

Even though the establishment of the School of Public Health (SPH) dates back to 1994, it took almost 15 years to properly set up the School of Public Health library and gradually raise it to   its present status. It started with a small collection in 1994 and steadily grew into a full-fledged school library in the year 2010, after merging the previous library collections with those at the then Malaria Centre which is now the current location of the School of Public Health. 

The SPH-Library is a branch of the University of Ghana Library System (UGLS). As such, this library also benefits from the use of e-resources acquired by the Balme Library through the interconnectivity of the University of Ghana library system. Although a small library, the SPH-Library is well-equipped to serve its numerous clienteles. For example, there is a Wi-Fi facility in the library for easy connectivity to the internet by users. Additionally, the collection is current because efforts are made by the management of the School of Public Health to ensure that the collection is up- to- date. Since most students of the school are health practitioners, some of whom are resident outside the Greater-Accra region, provision has been made for them to use the off-campus access for the use of the library resources anywhere outside campus at their own convenience.

Apart from students and faculty of SPH, the library is patronised by regular users from other departments on UG campus. The SPH-Library also provides services to students and faculty from other Universities and Public Health Institutions, members of Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, private medical practitioners and researchers who visit the library to use print books as well as e-resources. All these other categories of users are being attracted to the SPH-Library not only because   the SPH at UG is the pioneer public health school to be established in Ghana but also due to the uniqueness of the library’s collection. Some of the titles available in stock can be located under the following broad subject areas:

Encyclopaedias and dictionaries in public health, public health policy; culture, health and illness; public health monitoring & evaluation; health communication; modern nutrition in health; understanding environmental health; epidemiology; principles and practices of infectious diseases; adolescent health problems; waste treatment and disposal and public health research methods among others.

Opening hours:

Semester Time

Mon – Friday           8:30am - 5:00pm

Semester Break

Monday – Friday:      9:00am - 5:00pm

Collection:

Print materials

  • Reference materials

  • Books

  • Journals

  • Theses

  • Periodicals (Pamphlets, Magazines, Health Reports, etc.)

  • Logbooks

  • EnLink collection on nutrition

  • Newspapers

Non-Print

  • OPAC (UGCat) 

  • E-Resources (Online Databases, e-Books & e-Journals)

  • UGSpace

Services

  • The library provides the following services:

  • Readers’ Services

  • Library orientation to freshers

  • Seminars in Information literacy

  • Training in Bibliographic Instructions

  • Referencing

  • Plagiarism checker (Turnitin)

  • Use of Mendeley & EndNote

  • Literature search

  • Training in the use of OPAC

Library rules

The SPH- library like its counterparts within the University of Ghana Library System (UGLS), is governed by rules and regulations which are usually disclosed during orientation sessions. The following are some of the rules:

  • No mask, no entry

  • Food or drink not allowed in the library

  • Mobile phones are to be put on silence

  • Firearms and other offensive weapons are not allowed into the library

  • Smoking is strictly forbidden

Contact librarian:

  • Mr. Newton Yao Akrong

  • Senior Librarian                   

  • SPH-Library

  • P. O. Box LG13

  • Legon     

  • E-mails: nyakrong@ug.edu.gh/sphlibrary@ug.edu.gh