This paper discussed the need to rejuvenate the public library services in Delta State for national development. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The study covers sixteen (16) communities where public libraries are established using purposive sampling method to select 480 respondents and the entire 42 library staff. A total of 522 library users and staff were used as samples for this study. The instruments used for data collection were questionnaire and observation through personal visitations by the researchers. The paper highlighted the present situation of public libraries in Delta State of Nigeria which is associated with lack of government financial support for public library development, irregular power supply and inadequate manpower. The paper recommended that adequate personnel, funding, infrastructural development in the aspect of good structural building, facilities and regular power supply that befit public libraries in order to enhance national development should be provided.
The development of a nation and its human capital is dependent on the availability and use of information at its disposal. [
The public library is a local centre that provides all kinds of knowledge and information readily available to its users [
1) Make significant contributions to formal and informal education, including lifelong learning and various forms of literacy by providing facilities, resources and services designed to ensure access to relevant information in appropriate formats, language, content and contexts;
2) Ensure social inclusion and cohesion by providing access to information and knowledge to all women, men, and children. This critical access, when used by the disadvantaged―such as the poor, the elderly, the disabled, and the unemployed―forms the foundation of poverty reduction, since information poverty is often the root cause of economic poverty;
3) Preserve and promote cultural heritage and diversity and foster mutual understanding and respect among cultures and peoples;
4) Create citizen awareness and engender social values for democratic governance and traditions, by opening multiple windows to the world and its alternate possibilities through their collections, facilities and programmes; and
5) Harness information and knowledge for economic development through professional processing, storage and dissemination to stimulate innovation and human capacity for efficiency and productivity.
From the above, it could be deduced that citizens of Nigeria who are not privileged to attend post-primary education can develop themselves through the use of public libraries that are equipped with modern facilities.
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However, the enunciated functions of the public libraries can be achieved when public libraries are well equipped with modern facilities such as good reading environment with fully air conditioners, good lightning systems, recent information resources, and information communication technology tools to render services to its patrons. However, [
Moreover, even in the urban areas, public libraries are not able to provide the necessary services needed by its clienteles due to inadequate infrastructure and lack of government support. Several studies in Nigeria [
Public libraries exist to acquire, process, provide access and dissemination information to the citizens. Library’s information technology (IT) infrastructures are necessary to facilitate access, retrieval and dissemination of information. Other library infrastructures provide conducive working environment for librarians and library patrons. Public libraries in other parts of the world are well equipped with modern infrastructures and technological equipments. Despite changes that are witnessed in information services provision, the public libraries in Delta State of Nigeria are yet bedevilled with inadequate infrastructure. This hinders the effort of the public libraries to provide information services to the library clientele. This paper tries to assess the situation of public libraries in Delta State as to make recommendations to rejuvenate them for effective service delivery to the library users.
This study was guided by the following research questions:
1) Does public library in Delta State meet their role to its users?
2) What are the information needs of the public library users in Delta State?
3) What are the hindrances to accessing information materials in public libraries in Delta State?
An ideal public library whether located in urban or rural settlement is expected to be housed in a modern building with enough reading rooms, storage space and offices with air conditioners, internet facilities, good lightning systems, fans, fire extinguishers, good furniture and functional equipment that are durable and complement the architectural style of the building. In addition, public libraries should be equipped with professional staffs that are competent to guarantee effective and quality library services to the citizens. Similarly, public libraries fulfill a number of functions which should be taken into consideration when planning the interior of the library;
The plan should be flexible enough to adapt to current and future trends.
Libraries with less than 20,000 sq. ft. (1800 sq. m.) should be on one floor.
Libraries operating on several floors will need elevators.
Noisy activities should be near the entrance area and quiet activities further away.
The children’s area, washrooms and cloakrooms should be visible from a service counter.
Adequate fire and security alarms should be installed.
Technology infrastructure should address technology needs/goals [
However, the current state of public libraries in Delta State is an aberration to an ideal public library.
1) Borrowing and Lending
The main task of the public libraries is to provide its citizens with information materials such as books and non-book materials. They also provide access to information materials through borrowing and lending services in which borrowers may take books home as long as they return them at a certain time and in good condition depending on the borrowing policy of the public library. [
2) Free Internet Services
Part of the public library mission has become attempting to help bridge the digital divide, in which public libraries in developed nations are increasingly providing access to the Internet and public computers for users who otherwise would not personally be able to connect to these services [
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3) Meeting Space for Community
Before the development of the modern public library, subscription libraries were often used as clubs or gathering places; they served as much for social gossip and the meeting of friends as coffee shops do today [
4) Reference Centres for Information Resources
Most public library serves as a custodian of historical documents relevant to their particular town, where they are situated. [
5) Present State of Some Public Libraries in Delta State of Nigeria
Delta State is one of the six States in the South-South geo-political zone of Nigeria. It was created in 1997 out of the old Bendel State, bounded by Bayelsa and Edo States. Delta State is developing very fast with abundant human, capital and natural resources. According to [
Public libraries in Delta State are faced with some challenges. The scenario in some public libraries in Delta State as observed during a visit in course of this study needs improvement. [
Albeit, the public library in Warri along Swamp Road has been renovated after a long time of neglect, the information resources it housed are still scanty, obsolete and without internet facilities unlike the public libraries in developed countries. However, the library still stock books that were written in the 60 s, 70 s and 80 s.
This study investigates the present situations of public libraries in Delta State of Nigeria. This study adopted descriptive research design because it tries to identify, explain, describe and report issues affecting the public libraries in Delta State. According to [
S/N | Local Government Area (LGA) | LGA Headquarter/Location of Library | Availability of Library | No. of Librarian/Library Users | No. of Community Users | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Aniocha North | Issele-Uku | Available | 3 | 30 | 33 |
2 | Aniocha South | Ogwashi-Uku | Available | 3 | 30 | 33 |
3 | Burutu | Burutu | Available | 3 | 30 | 33 |
4 | Ika South | Agbor | Available | 3 | 30 | 33 |
5* | Isoko North | Oleh | Available | 3 | 30 | 33 |
6 | Isoko South | Ozoro | Available | 3 | 30 | 33 |
7 | Ndokwa East | Kwale | Available | 2 | 30 | 32 |
8 | Okpe | Orerokpe | Available | 2 | 30 | 32 |
9 | Oshimili North | Ibusa | Available | 3 | 30 | 33 |
10 | Oshimili South | Asaba | Available | 2 | 30 | 32 |
11 | Sapele | Sapele | Available | 2 | 30 | 32 |
12 | Ughelli North | Ughelli | Available | 3 | 30 | 33 |
13 | Uvwie | Ogborikoko | Available | 2 | 30 | 32 |
14 | Warri North | Koko | Available | 2 | 30 | 32 |
15 | Warri South | Warri | Available | 3 | 30 | 33 |
16 | Bomadi | **Bomadi | - | - | - | - |
Tuomo | - | - | ||||
17 | Ethiope East | Oghara | Available | 3 | 30 | 33 |
18 | Ethiope West | Mosaga | - | - | - | - |
19 | Ika North East | **Owa-Oyibu | - | - | - | - |
Uteh-Okpu | - | - | - | - | ||
Akumazi | - | - | - | - | ||
20* | Isoko North | OwehOlogbo | - | - | - | - |
21 | Ndokwa West | - | - | - | - | - |
22 | Patani | - | - | - | - | - |
23 | Udu | - | - | - | - | - |
24 | Ughelli South | Iyara | - | - | - | - |
25 | Ukwuani | Umuaja | - | - | - | - |
Total | 42 | 480 | 522 |
Source: Field work and Delta State Library Board. *Note that Isoko North appeared twice indicating status of library in the two towns.
The sample for this study is made up of 522 library users and library staff as shown in
Category | Number | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Young School Leaver | 150 | 28.7% |
Adult Educated Scholar | 100 | 19.1% |
Business Men and Women | 70 | 13.4% |
Teacher | 70 | 13.4% |
Farmer | 60 | 11.2% |
Teenager | 30 | 5.7% |
Library Staff | 42 | 8% |
Total | 522 | 100% |
businessmen and women, 70 of the respondents are teachers, 60 of the respondents are farmers and 30 of the respondents are teenagers. The respondents are within the age bracket of 13 to 60 years. A total of 82 of them are within the ages of 50 to 60 years. Another 150 are within the ages of 40 to 49 years. Majority of the respondents or 200 are within the ages of 30 to 39 years while 90 of the respondents are of ages 20 to 29 years. The respondents constitute the populace that uses the public libraries in Delta State.
Research question 1: Does the public libraries in Delta State meet their role to its users?
Result in
Research question 2: What are the information needs of the public library users in Delta State?
In
Research question 3: What are the hindrances to accessing information materials in public libraries in Delta State?
As shown in
Statement | Satisfied | Not satisfied |
---|---|---|
Provision of access to information materials | 192 (37%) | 330 (63%) |
Promotion of reading culture to the citizens | 320 (61%) | 202 (39%) |
Serve as centre for information dissemination | 169 (32%) | 353 (68%) |
Provision of current and up-to-date information to its citizens | 142 (27%) | 350 (73%) |
Support in educating users on use of library materials | 330 (63%) | 192 (37%) |
Preservation and promote cultural heritage | 150 (29%) | 372 (71%) |
S/N | Problems | Strongly Agree/Agree | Diagree/Strongly Disagree |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Insufficient fund | 360 (69%) | 162 (31%) |
2 | Inadequate infrastructural facilities | 410 (79%) | 112 (21%) |
3 | Irregular power supply | 380 (73%) | 142 (27%) |
4 | Insufficient library staff | 390 (75%) | 132 (25%) |
This study equally showed that inadequate infrastructure hinders public library operations as attested by majority or 79% of the respondents. This means that library infrastructure such as good building, air conditioners, chairs, conducive environment, internet facilities, good lighting, fans and fire extinguisher that are needed to enhance the public library services are not adequate in the libraries under study. Absence of these infrastructures would negatively affect the services of the library. Similarly, another majority or 73% of the respondents agreed that irregular power supply is a hindrance. This finding is supported by [
Public libraries are vital institutions in any society. It helps and supports the citizen to access information in various fields of human endeavours and in different formats. Delta State needs to rejuvenate its public libraries (public institutions) to better lots of the citizens and to improve information dissemination which would engender development in all sectors in the States and the nation in general. Delta State needs to recognize and improve services that are provided by public libraries in order to reduce high rate of illiteracy and other forms of social ills that are associated with juvenile in the society. A literate society is an informed society. Functional modern public libraries are needed for socio-economic growth of Delta State. It therefore behaves on the government at all levels in Nigeria to formulate policies and strategies to improve the quality of public libraries.
To rejuvenate the public libraries, the following recommendations are proffered:
Effort should be made by the government at all levels to allocate sufficient fund annually and ensure its utilization to improve public libraries. This will enable the public libraries to have modern infrastructures and equipments which would encourage users.
Government should ensure that a committee is set up to monitor public library activities from time to time to ensure that public libraries play their role effectively in the society.
Librarians in public libraries should be sent for training and retraining in librarianship both within Nigeria and overseas to ensure adequate service delivery to the library users.
Gloria O. Oyovwe-Tinuoye,Saturday U. Omeluzor,Uche Emeka-Ukwu, (2015) Rejuvenating Public Library Services in Delta State for National Development. Open Access Library Journal,02,1-9. doi: 10.4236/oalib.1102048