A Bibliographic Survey on Types of Libraries in Nigeria (2004 – 2010)

A Bibliographic Survey on Types of Libraries in Nigeria (2004 – 2010)

INTRODUCTION

The Roget’s thesaurus has listed the following as related to the library.

1. Book depository
2. Information centre
3. Country library
4. Lending library
5. National library
6. Circuiting library
7. Municipal library
8. Public library
9. Special library
10. Rental library
11. Private library
12. Learning centre
13. State library

LIBRARY: is defined as the collection of written printed or other graphic or visual material organized and maintained for reading, studying and consultation.

It is also defined as a collection of books, pamphlets, etc. Kept for reading and consultation; especially, such a collection and to facilitate reference by classification and indexing.

You can also say that a library is a place where books are professionally organized, the centre of information and knowledge

A library is a place where every human went for their own to research on topics and also to educate their brains.

The library is concerned with the provision of reading and learning facilities irrespective of age or discipline and administration. The role of the library has changed over the years, consequently. Some definitions do not suit the concept and role of modern libraries.

This modern definition of a library is defined as the collection of books and non-book materials housed, organized and interpreted to meet the broad and varying needs for people for information, knowledge, recreation and cultural enjoyment.

TYPES OF LIBRARIES

There are different types of libraries.

1. SCHOOL LIBRARY
2. ACADEMIC LIBRARY
3. SPECIAL LIBRARY
4. PUBLIC LIBRARY
5. PRIMATE LIBRARY
6. MOBILE LIBRARY

SCHOOL LIBRARY

A school library can be defined as an organized collection of print and non-print materials kept in a school for the use of both pupils and teachers but mainly for pupils. These types of libraries are established in primary and secondary schools whose collections are mainly for the young.

ACADEMIC LIBRARIES

These are libraries established in institutions of higher learning, which include universities, Polytechnics College of education, college of technologies and other related institutions. An academic library is established as an integral part of the institution aimed as an agent for the transmission of the scholarship of the society it also tries to satisfy the basic information and bibliographic needs of students and lecturers in their general and special intellectual field.

SPECIAL LIBRARIES

A special library is a library set up by an organization to promote the organizational objectives with collections limited to the subjects covered by the organization.

It is assigned the mission of acquiring, organizing and providing access to information and knowledge to further the objectives are aspirations of the parent organization.

It is expected to select, procure, store, retrieve and disseminate information relating to the special field of the parent organization. Special libraries are special in their users, users who can be professionally oriented and research-based.

PUBLIC LIBRARIES

A public library can be defined as a library established in a town or city which is maintained by public funds and is generally available free of charge to the public. Its collection tends to spend all fields of knowledge include a good provision for children.

The public library may serve the general public or special categories of the public which as children, members of armed forces, hospitals, patients, prisoners workers and so on.

It aims to serve the general public.

NATIONAL LIBRARIES

These are libraries owned and financed by the national government of a country, charged with the function of acquiring, assembling and preserving for use material of knowledge previously recorded in whatever form for the present and future generations.

The National Library of any country is the mother library, the apex library and a peacemaker in library development and services.

It is the library of the highest standing and the symbol of the intellectual resources of the nation. It is the legal deposit library, which performed the function of publication of the National Bibliography of the country it serves. It assigns the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) and International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) to the country publishers. It also adopts international rules for bibliographic description and disseminates to sum-some to other. Libraries in the country via conferences and seminars which it organizes.

PRIVATE LIBRARIES

These are libraries that are privately owned, and not open for public use.

Also, that can be used by an individual at his/her home.

MOBILE LIBRARY

These are movable libraries that can serve the people or public located in remote areas where there are no plans of establishing a library, usually, it is being set up in trucks with open space at the back so that its clientele who are mostly villagers, will find it easy to retrieve the materials of their choice, this library, usually moves from one village to the other. 

HISTORY OF LIBRARIES IN NIGERIA

Like the art of writing originated in the tropical and sub-tropical land of Africa and Asia.

It is known that the art of writing was first started in what is now western Pakistan and in the valley of River Indus approximately 7,00 years ago. From there it was probably carried to Samaria and Egypt. It was in Samaria (modern Iraq) that the first libraries were established.

A library containing over 50,000 clay tablets existed in Subpara about six thousand years ago. There was in this city at the time a temple dedicated to the sun – God and school facing the temple and there were libraries in each of the buildings.

However, in Nigeria, during the Second World War reading rooms were set up all over northern Nigeria to serve as public information centres.

Finally, in 1852, a Regional library was established in Kaduna as a Division of the ministry of education to help the Native authorities develop the reading rooms into public library became a division of the ministry of information.

IMPORTANCE OF LIBRARIES

To inform citizens: There is no gain doubting that democracy and libraries have a symbiotic relationship. Libraries make democracy work by providing access to information so that citizens can make the decisions necessary to give themselves. Also library, especially the public ones make knowledge and ideas available to all irrespective of age, race, creed, sex and economic status. Break down boundaries. Library got rid of the fence that obstructs our visions and abilities of inter-communication, association and self-education. Public libraries provide free, family literacy programmes for low literate, illiterate and non-English-speaking people. However, in the value of individuals, library doors are open for independent thinking without prejudgment. Collection in libraries gives access to historical, cultural and political facts that are necessary to foster a spirit of exploration.

Finally, another important library is that it preserves the past. The library keeps records as a ready reference for all humanity of the past.

PROBLEMS OF LIBRARIES IN NIGERIA

Lack of planning at the national level: The federal government has had on several occasions expert advice on setting up a national library in Lagos. Lack of backing from an energetic viable professional body. Since its inauguration in 1962, the Nigeria Library Association appears to have achieved very few professionals.

Lack of suitable reading materials geared to the taste of people and commensurate with their level of education state poverty which hinders library expansion.

Though poor world standard, one is safe in saying that library provision in the country at present is not good enough, other things remaining equal.

SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEMS

Lack of planning as one of the problems militating against Nigeria library development: The federal government should be able to establish national library headquarters in all the states. Lack of backing from an energetic viable professional body is the problem of Nigeria library development.

Government should employ qualified professional librarians that will carry out libraries routines effectively and simultaneously and also motivate librarians to make other people have an interest in the discipline of librarianship. However, problems of the institution of all different types of libraries should try as much as possible to provide an adequate fund that will be used in purchasing needed reading materials in the library which will make the library client-tel to meet up with their information need.

In conclusion, a modern is a social institution that anticipates the needs of its users and makes adequate provision towards their fulfilment in terms of availability of materials and unreserved and unrestrained services. So, the modern library is a social institution whose goal is to maximize the social utility of documents. It aims to put the motto: “Books are for use” into practice.

ABBREVIATION AND MEANING

ASSO      –      Association

BLS        –      Bachelor Library Science

CET        –      Central Education Technology

COMM     –      Community

ed           –      Edited

edu.        –      Education

IFLA        –      International Federal of Library Association

Inform     –      Information

Jour        –      Journal

Lang        –      Language

Lib          –      Library

MLS        –      Master in Library Science

Nig          –      Nigeria

NLA        –      National Library Association

P           –      Page

Pub         –      Public

Res         –      Research

SC          –      Science

Sch         –      School

T.V.        –      Television

U.B.E.     –      Universal Basic Education