An Assessment of Public Library Services in North Eastern Nigeria

• Autores: Adam Gambo Saleh, Fatima Ibrahim Lasisi
• Localización: Library Philosophy and Practice, ISSN-e 1522-0222, Nº. 1, 2011
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • North Eastern Nigeria, formally one political state, is now made up of six autonomous states. Government efforts to coordinate library service in Nigeria as exemplified by the commissioning of two expert studies variously led by F. A. Sharr (1963) and R. L. Pearce (1968), were thwarted by the incessant political fragmentation of the Country into autonomous states, resulting in the emergence of inefficient and ineffective public libraries. With the achievement of political stability of some sort, in the last ten years as a result of the institutionalization of democracy, the question is has the situation changed? Are public libraries in Nigeria efficient and effective? Are public libraries in Nigeria adequately funded? Do they conform to the minimum standards recommended by IFLA/UNESCO?, this and other questions guided the study. A survey of the Public Libraries in the capital of the Six States making the North East Region was conducted, Questionnaire and Facilities Enumeration Form (FEF) was used to collect data. Descriptive analysis of the data revealed that while improvements are noticeable in terms of physical structures and management legislation, the Libraries are far from provision of efficient and effective services. The Government must be committed towards public library development in the country in order to succeed in its various economic and political programs, with a view to becoming a developed nation by 2020.