ABSTRACT
This project is on the development of public libraries
in Nigeria with reference to the Imo Central Library, Owerri. Chapter one
of this work traces the history of public Library development in Imo State
starting from the days of the eastern Nigeria Library Board which serried as a
platform for the establishment of the Imo State Central Library Owerri. Chapter
two highlights the roles which a public Library can play in the society in it’s
capacity as an agency of education, information, culture, recreation and asthetic
appreciation. Services rendered by public Libraries were mentioned, such
services includes reference services, circulations of materials, local
collections development, display and exhibition, etc. problems militating
against public Library development in the state were also highlighted in this
chapter. Three methods of data collection were used in this project. Three
methods of data collection were used in this project. These include: oral
interview, examination of the Libraries records and the questionnaire made.
Through these methods the researcher collected relevant data for this project
work. In chapter five, findings were made from investigation carried act about
the Library from these findings, the researcher therefore made a number of
recommendations which he hoped will develop in Imo State.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background to the study
1.2
Statement of problems
1.3
Objective of the study
1.4
Research Question
1.5
Scope of the study
1.6
Significance of the study
1.7
Population of the study
CHAPTER TWO
2.1
Literature Reviews
2.2
The Public Library as an agency of education
2.3
The public Library as an agency for information
2.4
The public Library as an agency for rural extension
2.5
The public Library as an agency for manpower
development.
2.6
The public library as a culture agency.
2.7
Public library: an agency for aesthetic appreciation
2.8
Public library: Agency for recreation
2.9
Services Rendered by the public library.
2.10 Circulation
of material
2.11 Reference
services
2.12 User
Instrument / Education
2.13 Local
Collection Development
2.14 Display and
current awareness services
2.15 Clientele
2.16 Functions
of public libraries
2.17 How public
library is funded
2.18 Problems
militating against public library development.
CHAPTER THREE
3.1
Research method
3.2
Oral Interview
3.3
Records and Report
3.4
Questionnaire
CHAPTER FOUR
4.1
Data Analysis and Interpretation
4.2
Oral Interview
4.3
Questionnaire method
CHAPTER FIVE
5.0
Summary of finding and conclusion
5.1 Findings conclusion
5.2 Conclusion
References
Appendix 1
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
In this modern world of information explosion the
society is always in need of information agencies strive to meet this
information need. Numerous definitions have been given to the term library,
one of such definitions are contained in the encyclopedia Britannica (vol.22,
1988) state that “a library is a collection of written, printed or other
graphic or visual materials (including files, photographs, tapes, phonograph
records, video discs, microforms and computer programmes) organized and
maintained for reading, study and consultation. Another definition of library
is from the websters New York World Dictionary (1991) which states hat “library
is a room or building where a collection of books, periodicals etc are kept for
reading and reference” collier’s encyclopedia (vol.14,1990) defines the
“library as collection of graphic materials, books, films, magazines, maps
manuscripts, organized for use” while majority of people take a library to be a
place where books are kept. These views of people about the library is not
satisfactory.
Therefore,
the definition of a library to be accepted by all should be the one given by
Agbodike 1995 in a lecture delivered, “ A library is a collection of records of
human culture in print or non-print information providing materials, or book
and non-book materials, house, preserved, organized, interpreted and managed by
professional librarians or clientele for information, knowledge, education,
research, recreation and aesthetic appreciation and cultural enjoyment. The
definition which unites the library to book alone is incomplete for there are
many other forms of recorded knowledge such as tapes, firms, microfilms,
microfishes, video tapes and projectors contained in the holdings of libraries.
Commenting on the changing roles of the library, the father of librarianship, Melvin,
Dewy (1906) stated that the library has lost it’s etymologic meaning and means
not a collection of books but the central agency for disseminating information,
innocent recreation or best of all, inspiration among the people.
From the
definition given above, the three components of a library are books, staff and
building. A library cannot exist without books or a qualified institution
called a library without a building, as well as adequate finance to run and
maintain it. There are different types of libraries performing different
functions aimed at satisfying their various patrons. These includes: school,
academic, special national and public libraries. School libraries are libraries
located in primary and secondary schools. They support and enrich the
educational programmes in the schools in which they are located.
Academic
libraries are libraries located in institutions of high learning while special
libraries are those established in companies, organizations, government
department and research institutions. This type of library satisfy the needs of
subject specialists and researchers. The National Library of a country is the
one responsible for collecting and conserving the whole of that county’s book
production for the benefit of further generations. It is the chief depository
of the national arts and culture.
Public
libraries are libraries built for the general public. They are supervised,
financed and supported them by the state or local government of a country.
According to the New encyclopedia (vol. 22, 973) “public libraries are
acknowledged to be an indispensable point of community life as promoters of
libraries providers of a wide range of reading for all ages, and centres for
community information services”. Public libraries are established by state law
supported from the general public funds and administered for the benefit of the
citizens of the town, city, or region which maintains it on the basis of equal
access to all, whether they are artisans, or professionals. It does not
discriminate as it’s doors are open to all classes of people.
The
American library Association (1967), in one of its publications, stated the
functions of public libraries. Again, at the seminar in library management,
organized by the University of Ibadan and the British council (1970), it was
considered that the public library should provide printed and audio-visual
materials to meet the individual and group needs of its community for
information, self realization, recreation and culture growth and for assistance
in campaign out their duties are citizens and members of the community.
1.1.1 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE
CENTRAL LIBRARY OWERRI.
The Imo State Library Board came into existence
with the creation of Imo and Anambra state. Despite the creation of the Imo
state out of the former east central state, both continued to maintain a
central library services under the east central state library board
until September, 1976, when the library staff of
origin had to be transferred to Owerri to establish the administrative
headquarters of the present
library Board. At
the same time, the assets and liabilities of the former east central state were
shared. The movement of staff to Owerri created accommodation problems. Most of
the junior staff occupied the uncompleted library building as their residence
and worked very hard to see that the library was opened early for services.
1.1.2 IMO LIBRARY BOARD:
The Imo State Library Board was actually set up by
edict N0. 12 of the
library Board
edict 1977. The edict state: “There is hereby established a board to be known
as the Imo state library Board. The Board shall be a body corporate with
perpetual succession and a common seal and with power to sue and be sued in its
corporate name”. The edict which set up the Imo state library board had made it an animate body can sue and
be sued in its corporate name.
The
services of the board are supplemented by the divisional libraries at , Abriba, Umuahia (now
in Abia state), Orlu and Mbano. The Board started it’s operation with the sum
of five hundred and forty thousand, eight hundred and thirty-two naira
(540,832.00) for the financial year 1976 and 1977 with six catalogue cabinets,
catalogue cards, some metal filing cabinets and few type writers. In addition
to this, the state government provided the sum of five hundred thousand naira
to cover its capital expenditure. Anambra and Imo state share a considerable
quantity of new books which had not been allocated prior to the creation of
state.
1.1.3 APPOINTMENT
OF THE BOARD
The
library
Board was appointment on 10th
November, 1976. Its member were Professor A.O. Anya as chairman and
seven members namely, professor, D.I. Nwoga, Dr. Eze Ogueri, Miss. Gloria I.
Ofor, Mazi F. Nwosu Ezi, Mrs. R. Umelo, the permanent secretary, ministry of
education and information (Mr. N.C. Okonkwo), or his representative and the
director of library services. It held its first meetings on December 17th 1976
and it was addressed by the then honourable commissioner for education and
information (Dr. M.A Nwachukwu), on 14th January 1977. The Board held three
meetings altogether during the period under review.
The board relationship with the press
has been most cordial and added to this is the Boards’ determination to provide
adequate public library facilities for the state. It will not be satisfied
until every major centre of the community in the state particularly the headquarters
of the local government areas have been provided with effective public library
services.
1.1.4 OFFICIAL
OPENING OF THE CENTAL LIBRARY OWERRI
The state central library, Owerri was
officially opened to the public on 12th November 1976 by then military governor of
Imo state (His Excellency, commander Godwin Ndubuisi Kanu). The ceremony was witnessed
by nearly five hundred guest including state commissioners, high ranking
government officials, representative of various business concerns, banking and
public affairs, and representatives from various local government areas in the
state. The building of the library was designed to accommodate eight five
thousand volumes of books, but it was opened with a book stock of about twelve
thousand. On the ground floor, the building houses the children’s library,
acquisition and cataloguing departments as well as an auditorium to sit some
hundred persons, the mobile library garage and loading bag. The first floor
contain a reference library and he adult reading library, the administration
wing of the library which is behind the ground floor, contains the general
office and accounts section while the first floor of the wing accommodates
offices for the director and other personnel staff.
THE
CENTRAL LIBRARY IS MADE UP OF THESE SECTIONS: CHILDREN’S SECTION ADULT LENDING
SECTION TECHNICAL SERVICES SECTION
ACQUISITION SECTION NIGERIANA
SECTION
CHILDREN’S SECTION: The section started with a
total of five hundred and three children, two hundred and fifty were makes and
two hundred and fifty-three were females. These number has increased by much
since then. A total number of five thousand seven hundred and fifty six books
were issued in the same period, two thousand five hundred and thirty-two books
were non-fiction. A number of writings with African and
background have been acquired for the children. Journals were also acquired for
them.
ADULT LENDING SECTION: This
section started with six thousand five hundred books and by 1977 the book stock
had increased to then thousand six hundred books. The section does not had
adequate fiction books in its holdings. But effort were made to improve the
situation. The non-fiction holdings are improving every body. The number of
non-fiction books borrowed was five thousand and twenty-six, out of this
numbers, two thousand were borrowed by males while two thousand five hundred
books were borrowed by females.
In 1977, there was an increase in
borrowing of books by both sexes. The library has now a collection which
reflects a wider range of fields.
TECHNICAL SERVICES SECTION:This section initially experience problem brought
about by lack of tools and equipment and the task of processing books for the
library, many unprocessed books were transferred to Owerri, form Enugu, and
this created a lot of problems by sorting out the unnecessary materials
accessioned, catalogued and shelve them and required. Before the creation of
acquisition section, about four hundred and eighty-three children’s books and
two thousand three hundred and nine-teen adult books had been accessioned and catalogued
in the section. Four thousand materials are processed for Owerri, two thousand
two hundred and twenty eight for Umuahia divisional library, one thousand six
hundred and sixty for
and three hundred and seventy eight for Abriba divisional library respectively,
(of which are now in Abia state).
ACQUISIITON SECTION: The
acquisition department was not established as a separate section as soon as the
library came down from .
It was rather separated from the cataloguing division in February 1977. The
acquisition policy of the Imo state library board states that: All books
selected either by individuals, libraries or by a group should be passed to the
acquisition department for pre-order searching. No blanket orders should be
given to any vendor except in respect of annuals, in case of reference books
only two copies of a title should be allocated to each library but not more than
eight copies”.
With the creation of the section,
acquisition duties have been streamlined and co-ordinated and co-ordinated with
other sections of the services. The staffing of this section began with a
librarian and typist. It was later joined by two library assistants. The
secretaries performances ahs been satisfactions. The sections has been
satisfactory. Its accessioned materials have virtually field up the shelves.
According to records, some thirteen thousand seven hundred and four books were
accessioned in the section while nine thousand six hundred and thirty-eight
items on order were outstanding. Out of the thirteen thousand seven hundred and
four accessioned book, seven thousand nine hundred and ninety seven were adult
books while five thousand seven hundred and seven were juvenile.
NIGERIANA SECTION: This section consist mainly
of Nigerian publications. The stock covers a total of one thousand three hundred
and eight volume comprising serials, magazine and newspapers. Because of
economic problems, not all books are purchased. The works of staff of this
section include keeping the vertical files and writing of captions, it operates
between .
However, there are some accommodation problems being experienced in this
sector.
SERVICES: The role played by the Nigerian
section of the Imo Central library is separates from the purpose for which it
was set up. The offer direct services which include personnel assistance given
to readers in pursuit of information, the department and the character of such
services very with the type of user it is designed to serve. They supply
information based in bibliographic search.
It also provides indirect services,
this makes it possible for user to have access to information. In this kind of
services bibliographic are preferred which help the user in searching and
retracing of the document which they use.