LIBRARY SERVICES

1.HISTORY OF THE LIBRARY

St. Charles Lwanga Senior Seminary Library was established in early 1979, following the foundation stone that was laid three years earlier. The seminary was officially opened in 1979, and Father Polycarp Pengo (Now Cardinal and the Archbishop of Dar es Salaam) was the first Rector of this Seminary.

The Collection of books for the Library came from different donors. There had been three main sources. The first source was mainly the Missionary Congregations such as the White Fathers and Maryknoll Fathers. The Second Source was foreign benefactors who assisted the Library financially. The third Source was small projects and the local contributions from different dioceses in the country.

The History of St. Charles Lwanga Senior Seminary cannot go without mentioning the founding Professors who witnessed its beginning. When the Seminary was officially opened on the 14th January 1979, the then Professor of Moral Theology (Fr. Polycarp Pengo), Dogmatic Theology Professor (Rev. Fr. Marchand), Professor in Sacred Scriptures (Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Mutabazi) and Professor in Liturgy (Rev Fr. Joseph MacCabe) were the first to order books for their respective subjects that they were teaching. In 1982 different books were brought to the seminary, thanks to the efforts put forward by Professors.

The Seminary Formation takes seriously and emphases the intellectual formation of the Seminarians for their future ministry as Catholic Priests. As it is depicted in the overall view of the formation, three areas of formation are given due importance; this is Human Formation, Intellectual formation and Spiritual formation. (Optatam Totius, 4). The Library, as it is for all academic Institutions and Universities, is the heart of all education endeavours. The library intends to provide students with ample time to study and make their scientific research in a more easy conducive way.

2. BOOKS

The Library has a stock of various theological books. Such books and other related materials in the field of social and political sciences can be found in our Library. Among the main Theological books available deal with Sacred Scripture, Dogmatic theology, Liturgy, Pastoral Theology, World Religions, Catechetics, Spiritual theology, Moral Theology, Missiology, Church History, Homiletics and Islamology.

Other books which are found in our Library include books on Social Sciences, Language, Natural Sciences and Technology such as Medicine, engineering and Agriculture. The Library contains more than 20,000 books.

3. LIBRARY SERVICES

The Library mainly serves the Community Members of St. Charles Lwanga Senior Seminary - Segerea. The Library always serves the Students and the Professors who teach in the Seminary. The library is opened from 8.00am to 23.00pm to allow students visit at all times. The teaching staff and the Librarians work together. Visitors are allowed to use the Library.

Due to books’ scarcity in our Library, we discourage students from borrowing books. Therefore books are read in the Library, and in rare cases books can be borrowed. The Library have reading chambers which can accommodate up to 140 students. Also the Library has a Computer laboratory where Students can use computers. Photocopying services are also availble.

A reading room (above) and below is Computer room

4. INTERNET SERVICES

The efforts to connect our library with Broadband internet services began in early 2006. The project meant first of all to connect with internet in the Fathers’ residence who are full time Formators and Lecturers. The project was facilitated by the Tanzania Telecommunication Company Limited (TTCL) using landline telephone that provided both data and voice. This project brought about some changes of mentality of our students shifting from the use of typewriters to the use of computers.

The use of computer and access to internet provided our students with efficiency in doing their scientific research and paper works. In this special project of connecting internet in the Staff Quarters (Priests’ house) and library we owe an immense debt of gratitude to Fr. Vincent Mrio and Fr. Joseph Mlola (Now Bishop of Kigoma Diocese) in collaboration with Father David Mubirigi who was the Rector of the seminary from 1999 to September 2007.

In the years 2010 to 2013 we experienced a setback in providing our library with broadband internet services. There had been a continuous destruction of telephone copper wires along the road from Segerea Oilcom to the junction of Majumba Sita area. In recent years between 2013 and 2015 in order to solve the problem of lacking internet in our library, we have opted to a more advanced Radio Link project. The progress of science and technology provides the premises with the right to enjoy broadband internet through radio frequency and Wi-Fi system. In order to realize this project the Seminary administration team has consulted the experts and providers from TTCL.

The work has been completed and our Library now has the access to both cable and wireless Internet. We thank Bishop Bernadin Mfumbusa (Bishop of Kondoa), Fr. Vincent Mrio the current Rector of St. Charles Lwanga Senior Seminary, Fr. Chrisantus Ndaga of Mahenge Diocese, the Episcopal Conference of Tanzania (TEC) and the Episcopal Conference of America which donated funds for the establishment of the ICT system in our library. This includes the last stage of the project, that is, the establishments of the Seminary Website which will make simplify communication both within and outside the Seminary.

The Seminary Library is currently underway to join other world Libraries for the On-line Program whereby Students will be able to access books found in other Libraries hence widen their knowledge. This also solves the problem of books due to the financial constraints facing the Seminary.

5. LONG TERM PLAN OF ESTABLISHING E-LEARNING FACILITIES AT ST. CHARLES LWANGA SENIOR SEMINARY - SEGEREA

A: Background and situation

For a long time, St. Charles Lwanga Senior Seminary had wished to carry this project of setting up ICT system at the Seminary with a view of imparting knowledge to the students, while also taking the advantages of what ICT offers to the world today. We believe that we should take the advantage of new technologies to attain high-level, broad-based, and far-reaching both spiritual and socioeconomic development goals in order to set up strategies of our apostolate to the people of God in the country.

This ICT infrastructure setting is expected to benefit not only the seminarians, but the professors and priests who might wish to do research and communication with the rest of the world.

B: Project Objectives

To set up a High level internet and network design at St. Charles Lwanga Senior Seminary that would ease seminary training and formation on communications, Record Keeping (i.e., fewer lost files and faster availability),Theological researches, Increased Community apostolate outreach via ICT system.

The network is designed to achieve several specific operational objectives:

  • Secure Service: The main objective of this network is to provide secure administrative computing service to the Seminary. It is designed to be functionally and physically isolated from access by people not employed by the seminary so as to minimize the risk of unauthorized use.
  • Integration to the LAN system: Set up a LAN system setting up saver for various documents.
  • Versatile Information Processing: The network will enable users to retrieve, process, and store information for public use and for private use. The other end could be in the position to benefit from our systems. These include the Catholic education systems which are going to be our partner in the system.
  • Collaboration: The network will centralize the power system of storage with one physical location to be accessed only by experts for security purposes. A network will enable Alumni of the seminary to share information and ideas easily so they can work more efficiently and productively.

C: Project Approach:

  • Equipping the Seminary with the requisite ICT infrastructure would enhance learning, study, communication and research. The project would allow:Access to e-Learning resources such as journals
  • Access to e-Books by use of Kindle readers or other applications which are now available
  • Allow research by accessing existing e-Resources like those of Vatican and its institution etc.
  • Encourage use of social media for the seminarians to engage with the vast cyberspace population

Setting up of LAN connection, Web and blog and internet connection that will include (WI-FI Connection) at St. Charles Lwanga Senior Seminary in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to enhance efficiency in communication and networking.

The proposed network is designed to serve this Seminary in Dar es Salaam, connecting the seminary with the outside world and act as training to seminarians in digital apostolate. The seminary also wants to offer, once the system is in place, some short course trainings on ICT especially to members of diocesan clergy and other key Pastoral agents of Evangelization.

Enhancing digital communication/networking in the seminary and between the seminary and the Dioceses, National Offices and our international partners. To make it possible for the seminarians and staff manage and use an incredible variety of information easily for effective and efficient service to the church.

To bridge the information gap existing among our seminarians and those in other seminaries vis as vis ICT.

D: Project Results:

The results expected from this project once it is fully implemented are:

  • Increased efficiency in networking
  • Decreased Anxiety due to the increased reliability
  • Increased Connectivity within the seminary departments and Library and between the seminary and dioceses. National offices and beyond
  • Ease of Record Keeping (i.e., fewer lost files and faster availability)
  • Increased Community outreach apostolate Support via ICT
  • Increased students and Staff Morale
  • Better theological researches and Informed community

E: Outcome results:

In terms of numbers of Users and Priority Levels. Three priority levels in terms of users will be supported: Staff and Management system (top priority), students and academic programs/researches (medium priority), and other member of the community (low priority). Network management processes will receive top-priority service; most network processes will receive medium-priority service; a few processes (e.g., e-mail transfers, backup, etc.) will be given low.

6. FUTURE PROSPECTS

The struggle to make our Library give the best services continues. There are various challenges which the Seminary still faces to meet her goals! These challenges, which we look forward to overcome include:

  • The need to have a permanent Librarian who is professionally competent and who will foster the computerization of the library.
  • To add more tables and chairs in the reading rooms.
  • To add more book shelves to meet the inflow of books
  • Some chambers, especially the internet room, need to be air conditioned. This is due to the Hot/ humid climate in Dar es Salaam. All these need organization, commitment and a call to all Seminary’s alumni, friends, benefactors and all generous people who can give a helping hand financially to facilitate the lacking infrastructure in our library.

We wish that our library provides the best services ever and becomes among the best and visited library in the world. We wish to keep sound the objectives and importance of the Library to the Seminarians, in their Priestly formation. That is to Study and be well versed with Theological and other Studies relevant for their future Ministry. As Pope Benedict XVI in his Letter to the Seminarians (18th October 2010), "Your time in the seminary is also time of study. The Christian faith has an essentially rational and intellectual dimension". This is true to all Seminaries where the Seminarians are encouraged and persuaded to study and prepare well for their future Ministry. The Libray enhances Seminarians to arrive to that goal.