FUNDING AND RESOURCES PROVISION AS CORRELATES OF SUSTAINABILITY AND USE OF DEPARTMENTAL LIBRARIES IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1        Background to the study

 Universities in Nigeria and the world over are engines of growth and development. They are increasingly recognized to have a broader role in the social, economic, technological and manpower development of a nation. In fact, the universities serve as the main source of supply of skilled manpower needed in the various sectors of the nation. The National Policy on Education (2004) acknowledges that university education shall make optimum contribution to national development by intensifying and diversifying its programme for the development of high level manpower within the context of the needs of the nation.

In view of the foregoing policy, Nigeria has established many universities for the production of the much needed manpower for her economic, political, environmental, technological and socio-cultural development. Nigerian universities, according to Aguolu and Aguolu (2002), have the following main functions:

(i)                 Conservation of knowledge;

(ii)              Pursuit, promotion and dissemination of knowledge through teaching;

(iii)            Advancement of knowledge through research pure, applied and development-oriented;

(iv)             Provision of intellectual leadership;

(v)               Development of human resources for meeting manpower needs;

(vi)             Promotion of social and economic modernization.

 Universities in Nigeria require information to function effectively. Scholars like Buckland(1999), Nwalo (2000), Law(2005), Chukwu(2005), Oyedun(2006), Emerole and Ogugua (2007) and Adetimirin (2007) have adjudged information as a vital tool in any organization. The library has a great role to play in the provision of the right information in the right format to the right user and at the right time. Haruna and Mabawonku (2001), while stressing the importance of information for every profession, affirm that legal practitioners depend fully on a nugget of relevant, precise and timely information for success in their profession. This is why faculties or departments of professional programmes in the university usually require separate libraries apart from the main library. In fact, knowledge of the various programmes in the university and information needs of both students and faculty members are vital to library effectiveness. In any given library, the determination of information needs of users is necessary as it helps in determining the appropriateness of library information resources in meeting the demands of users (Haruna and Mabawonku, 2001).

The central library of a university initially has the sole responsibility of providing needed services to the few members of staff and students in the few established departments. However, with time, more departments were created and resulting in increase in the population of users attended to by the main library. Bozimo (1992), describes libraries in tertiary institutions as the nerve/centre of activities that hold the key resources for department in the teaching and learning process. Since the academic departments will have to patronize the main library for needed information, there is a tendency towards failing to satisfy users, thus the need for departmental or faculty libraries. In a related study, Bassey (2006), reveals that dissatisfaction among users of the library is due largely to inadequate information resources and services or poor attitude of its staff.  With the growth and development of the university, the main library is often not in a position to provide the needed resources and services to users adequately and this calls for supplementary efforts or services which departmental libraries are established for.

The reasons for establishing departmental libraries, according to Unegbu (1989), are similar to factors leading to the establishment of departments in an institution. The most pressing factors among others are:

(a)               General increase in the total population of students admitted;

(b)               Proliferation in the number of departments being created;

(c)               Geographical distances between various schools and departments within an institution due to expansion;

(d)               Struggle towards subject specialized collection for effective accessibility of information. 

Aguolu and Aguolu (2002) are of the opinion that certain donors, especially scholars

prefer to bequeath their private collection to departmental libraries directly associated with their interests rather than to the main library. For instance, a lawyer may prefer to donate certain collection to law faculty and which could be placed in the faculty library. Departmental library, according to Prytherch (2000), is a library in a college or university which is established apart from the main library, and is restricted to one subject or group of subjects. Departmental library is also known as branch library, faculty library and laboratory collection.

The foregoing descriptions of departmental library suggest that information resources that are alike should be assembled and organized in a place. In other words, the organization of a subject based collection for a certain category of users facilitates information accessibility. Obviously, the desire of students and staff embarking on research is for their immediate research materials to be nearer to them and easily retrievable. This is effectively achieved where there is a departmental library service. The need of creating departmental libraries has been on the increase in recent times.

The establishment of departmental libraries in universities, therefore, is a response to certain conditions and more particularly, the need to ameliorate users’ inconveniences in information access. For the effectiveness of professional programmes, a separate library is essential in universities apart from the central library. It is in recognition of this, perhaps, that the National Universities Commission (1999) directed that every Law Faculty should have a law library which is separate and distinct from any other the university may have because such a library is a lawyer’s laboratory and should be seen as such by the nation and policy makers. Perhaps, it is in this regard that Aina (2007) enjoins any department to have a resource centre that would serve as her laboratory. Indeed, the NUC requires all academic departments offering professional courses to keep a library. As such, just like law, other departments or faculties offering professional courses including medicine also provide for departmental libraries. This is seen as an important step towards an effective information service delivery for educational excellence.

Establishing departmental libraries in universities has become a norm especially for some departments running professional programmes. However, the use of the libraries and their sustainability are causes of concern to all stakeholders. The quality of departmental library services has a direct relationship with availability or lack of essential resources. The most significant factor that can facilitate or mar resources provision for the sustainability and use of departmental libraries is finance. Kumar (1987) while describing finance as an essential factor for running a library, notes that the amount of funds made available towards library resources would determine to a large extent the quality of the resources and services provided by it.

Provision of resources for a departmental library like any other library is subject to adequate fund. This implies that no resource can be provided without finance. Indeed, the value of a university library rests largely on the librarian’s ability to obtain money for stock, staff and accommodation (Kolo, 1999). To Akinnigbagbe and Haruna (2005) funds are required for infrastructure, superstructures, personnel, equipment, books, journals, media and electronic resources. Effective library and information service require provision of resources for study and research, competent staff at all levels, generous space provision, functional building, furniture and equipment. For without adequate financial support, there can be no resources for teaching and research, good staff cannot be recruited; space cannot be provided to house the resources, staff, readers, furniture and equipment and other physical facilities cannot be acquired ( Ifidon ,2007).

It is evident that financial provision is an essential instrument to the required human, materials and equipment resources in university libraries. However, many studies have shown that there is inadequacy of funding of libraries and this has also affected provision of other resources. Anyanwu and Akanwa (2001) report that Nigerian libraries are faced with a myriad of problems associated with inadequate funding. For instance, the situation of collection development has been adjudged bad because most of the current materials, according to Adedibu (2001), cannot be found in the libraries due to inadequate funding to purchase the materials. Ifidon (2006) observes that the inadequate financial support has been a major problem confronting heads of libraries in developing countries especially in the area of collection development. Formerly, about 60% of library budget was for books and journals while 40% was for goods and services, but this for some years now is no longer obtainable (Oyedun,2006). The ten percent (10%) of recurrent expenditure recommended by the National Universities Commission for the running of university libraries, according to Salisu (2001) has not been adequately implemented and thus, a set back on the activities of such libraries. This could even be worse at present when universities as indeed other public institutions are underfunded due the worldwide economic meltdown.

In this condition, no doubt, services of departmental libraries in the universities can be adversely affected. If so, how can the resources be sustained? Sustainability in this context refers to the act of taking appropriate steps to ensure that university libraries, including departmental libraries are functioning optimally at all times. Specifically, it entails continuous provision of information resources and services backed up with adequate funding at all times.

It is pertinent to note that the policy of establishing a departmental / faculty library is not an end in itself but means to an end. To Kumar (1987), once a library has been established, then, funds would be required on recurring basis to sustain it in proper order and shape. In view of the fact that the Federal Government of Nigeria could not fund the university libraries adequately, there is a strong need according to Adedibu (2001) to find ways of sustaining them before total collapse. This measure to her resulted to the birth of the World Bank Project in 1990 which came as a relief package to the Nigerian universities through the National Universities Commission.      

            From the literature, it has been identified that government subvention constitutes the major sources of funds to libraries in Nigeria. Ifidon and Ifidon (2007) realize the implications for over-reliance on government for financial support and therefore enjoin every library to source for funds and have a clear strategy as to how to finance its operation. For the sustainability of libraries and particularly departmental libraries, some scholars have discovered the followings as other sources of funding: National donor agencies, (like ETF), International Donor Agencies (Book Aid International Book Bank, Book for Africa etc), Endowments, International General Fund (like library development levy, library Registration fee, Reprographic and bindery services), consultancy services, etc. (Anyanwu and Akanwa, 2001; Akinnigbagbe and Haruna, 2005; Ifidon 2006 and Ifidon and Ifidon, 2007).

            The sustainability efforts for departmental libraries through other sources of funding will make a significant impact on the use of the libraries. In other words, a regular funding has a direct relationship with the sustenance of departmental libraries and which could further promote their patronage. In fact, provision of relevant and current materials, length of opening and loaning hours, size of library building and seating capacity are important variables that can facilitate effective use of departmental libraries.

Specifically, funding is a sine qua-non to staffing of departmental libraries in Nigerian universities. Once a library is opened, its development is to a large extent subject to the ability and enthusiasm of its staff (Harrison and Beenham, 1989).In a departmental library, like the central library, staffing occupies an indispensable position in the achievement of set objectives. Thompson and Carr (1987) remark that, “…library is a service institution, and the quality of its service depends primarily on the quantity of its staff. Thus if a university librarian can attract, select and retrain good staff, he has gone most of the way towards achieving an effective library service…” In this regard, Ologbonsaiye (2002) avers that the human resources of any library constitute an important component of its organization. To him, a well trained and competent staff is an asset to any organization. However, if the library is inadequately staffed, relevant materials may not be stocked nor well organized. Quite often, the materials are uncatalogued and unclassified. This creates problems of bibliographic and physical accessibility to the library resources (Aguolu and Aguolu,2002).

One of the major responsibilities of a library to its parent body is the supply of information resources for effective utilization by its clientele. This responsibility cannot be effectively carried out and sustained except with availability and adequacy of fund. Haruna and Mabawonku (2001) posit that for information to be meaningful and useful, it must be available at the time it is needed. Availability and adequate resource, especially print, non-print and electronic materials are sine qua-non for the existence of every academic library. Consequently, acquisition and organization of relevant printed and non-print materials for the benefit of the user community are a continuous exercise in the academic library (Yusuf, 2001).

A departmental library is meant to bring information services to the door steps of the users. It is therefore expected to enjoy high patronage especially if it is well equipped and adequately staffed. In an academic community, students, lecturers and researchers will always be encouraged to visit the library frequently if materials that can satisfy their information needs are available and the library staff are user friendly.. To Abubakar (2007), the adequacy of information will normally prompt a reaction to its use particularly by the academia. This will stimulate progress and development in the overall system. For effective learning, teaching and research in the university, the library information resources should be relevant, current and in a variety of formats such as text books, journals, magazines, indexes and abstracts, encyclopedia, government publications, publications of international organizations, theses and dissertations, research and technical reports, microforms and electronic databases. Inadequacy and or unavailability of information resources, according to Oluwatoyin (2003), however, affects the academic performance negatively.

From the foregoing, it is glaring that availability of information resources can influence the use of a library. It is, however, possible that materials available may sometimes be inaccessible. The impact of a library in essence, can be significantly felt by users if only the materials are accessible to them. Availability of information resources does not necessarily guarantee their accessibility and use. Aguolu and Aguolu (2002) posit that books may be available in the library but at the same time inaccessible to users. The predicament in accessing needed information resources can lead to users’ frustration.

 Towards assuring quality of education, the National Universities Commission introduced accreditation as a means of evaluating the quality of each academic programme  in the universities. The World Bank Study (2001) lent credence to the declining quality of Nigerian university degrees. This can however be addressed through quality control like accreditation.

The National Universities Commission(2008) reports the following as criteria for the evaluation and scoring during accreditation of universities in Nigeria: staffing 32%, academic content 23%, physical facilities 25%, library 12%, funding 5%, and employers’ rating 3% totaling 100%.Though, the 12% allotted to library may not be substantial, but the fact that it is given recognition during the accreditation exercise is instructive. Consequently, the findings of Ogunrombi (2003)  revealed the deplorable state of Nigerian university libraries, a situation that can be addressed by a periodic accreditation by the National Universities Commission. Most universities failed accreditation because of inadequacy of their libraries. In addition, a number of programmes in some Nigerian universities are known to have failed in the 2007 accreditation exercise especially because of the inadequacy of their libraries. It has been revealed from the “Results of the November 2007 Accreditation Exercise” in Nigerian universities  by NUC (2008) that a full accreditation status requires a total overall score of 70% and above, in addition to scoring, at least, 70% in each of the core areas of staffing, academic content, physical facilities and library.

            From the foregoing, it is evident that the importance of sustainability and use of departmental libraries in Nigerian universities cannot be over emphasized. In view of the fact that the established departmental/ faculty libraries need to be sustained, availability and adequacy of funds are very essential for appropriate provision of human and material resources for effective use of such libraries. In essence, effective operation and sustenance of departmental library system will depend on adequacy of funds and resources provision.

            It is however not certain whether or not the financial support to departmental libraries had any relationship with the resources provided in terms of their sustainability and use. The concern of this study is to establish the degree of relationship, if any, between funding as well as resources provision and sustainability and use of departmental libraries in Nigeria universities. The relationship which exists between funding as well as resources provision and sustainability and use of departmental libraries is worth investigating. Specifically, this study attempts to show the relationship which exists between funding as well as resources provision, sustainability and use of departmental libraries in Nigerian universities.

1.2     Statement of the problem

            Libraries in institutions of higher learning are central to the attainment of the goals of their parent institutions. The effectiveness of any library depends to a great extent on the quality and quantity of the resources at its disposal. In fact, effective library services cannot be carried out nor sustained without sufficient funds. Like any other library, a departmental library in a Nigerian university requires adequate funding for the provision of information, human and physical resources. The resources, if adequately provided can also facilitate the sustainability and use of the departmental libraries.

            The government is the major source of funding of public university libraries in Nigeria through the parent institutions. This major source of funding has been reported to be not forthcoming or grossly inadequate and has adversely affected resources provision that can enhance the sustainability and use of departmental libraries in Nigerian universities. Where departmental libraries are not adequately provided for, their use is likely to be affected. Departmental libraries are supposed to bring information services closer to students and faculty. But where such services and resources are deficient, the users are likely to look elsewhere to satisfy their information needs. In the light of the foregoing, the study investigates funding and resources provision as correlates of sustainability and use of departmental libraries in Nigerian universities.   

1.3       Objectives of the study

            The general objective of the study is to investigate the degree to which funding and resources provision relate to sustainability and use of departmental libraries in Nigerian universities. The specific objectives of the study are to:

1)                  find out the sources of funding of departmental libraries in Nigerian universities;

2)                  identify the available resources in departmental libraries in Nigerian universities;

3)                  determine the relationship between funding and resources provision in the departmental libraries of Nigerian universities;

4)                  assess the adequacy of information resources in the departmental libraries;

5)                  determine the relationship between funding and sustainability of departmental libraries in Nigerian universities;

6)                  determine the relationship between resources provision and use of departmental libraries in Nigerian universities:

7)                  find out the relationship between the services of the departmental libraries and the users’ satisfaction;

8)                  assess the relationship among funding, resources provision and sustainability of  departmental libraries in Nigerian universities.

1.4       Research questions

To achieve the objectives of the study, the following research questions were raised:

1.                  What are the sources of funding of departmental libraries in Nigerian universities?

2.                  What are the available resources in the departmental libraries?

3.                  How adequate is the funding of departmental libraries in Nigerian universities?

4.                  What is the relationship between funding and sustainability of departmental libraries in Nigerian universities?

5.                  How adequate are the resources and services provided in departmental libraries?

6.         What are the factors that affect the use of departmental libraries in Nigerian universities?

1.5       Hypotheses

            The following null hypotheses will be tested in the study at 0.05 level of significance:

1.                  There is no significant relationship between funding and resources provision in departmental libraries in Nigerian universities.

2.                  There is no significant relationship between funding and use of departmental libraries in Nigeria universities.

3.                  There is no significant relationship between information resource provision and sustainability of departmental libraries in Nigerian universities.

4.                  There is no significant relationship between staffing and use of departmental libraries in Nigerian universities.

5.                  There is no significant joint effect of funding and resources provision on sustainability of departmental libraries in Nigerian universities.

6.         There is no significant joint effect of funding and resources provision on use of departmental libraries in Nigerian universities.          .

1.6       Scope of the study

            This study covers to establish the degree of relationship between funding as well as resources provision, sustainability and use of departmental libraries in Nigerian universities. The libraries to be studied are those in the departments or faculties running professional undergraduate programmes. The funding consists of annual budgetary provisions and internally generated revenue like library registration fee and library intervention (internal and external sources).  

Six federal conventional universities are selected for the study which cut across the six geo-political zones in Nigeria. They include: University of Ibadan, University of Benin, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, University of Ilorin, and University of Maiduguri. However, state and private owned universities as well as federal universities of technology are not included in the study because they do not run a departmental/faculty library system.

1.7       Significance of the study

            Library literature shows that not much has been done in respect of the relationship between sustainability and use of departmental libraries in Nigerian universities and the variables such as funding and resources provision. As such, the policy on the establishment  of departmental libraries in Nigerian universities at a cost  has no empirical basis. The study is, therefore, expected to be significant in the following ways:

1.         The findings of the study will afford the National Universities Commission the opportunity to know the actual financial situation about departmental libraries and the level of their use for policy formulation and implementation.

2.         The study is expected to encourage the university administrators in Nigeria, including heads of department to improve on the sources of funding, resources provision for the sustainability of departmental libraries in Nigerian universities.

3.         It is expected to provide empirical evidence on the financial support to departmental libraries in Nigeria universities in relation to resources provision, sustainability and use.

4.         It could stimulate the preparation of a policy document to the Nigerian universities, the National Universities Commission (NUC) and other stakeholders in the universities on the provision of library resources for effective teaching, learning and research.

1.9       Operational definition of terms

            The following recurrent terms in the study are hereby operationally defined:

Accessibility: In this study, it refers to the level at which library users have a close contact with an information resource for optimal utilization. In departmental / faculty libraries, users are likely to use the available information materials if necessary provisions are made for the retrieval.

Accreditation:  A quality assurance programme of the National Universities Commission (NUC) as a means of assessing available resources and their effectiveness on teaching, learning and research in Nigerian universities with specific reference to the library.

Assessment: This is a process of determining the value of a library activity or series of activities within a given period.

Central libraries: A set of libraries that are primarily responsible for the supply of relevant and adequate information to the entire community of their parent bodies. They are the main libraries that either or not over see the departmental / branch libraries in the Nigerian universities.

Departmental libraries: Libraries or information resource centres established to support the academic activities and for the use of departments or faculties in the universities. In this study, libraries established separately from the main university libraries and situated at faculties or departments which are either or not controlled by the central libraries.

Funding: This is a monetary provision to the library at a given period for its activities. In this study, it encapsulates all the monetary resources available for the procurement of information materials, recruitment and development of staff and provision of physical facilities that can facilitate effective departmental library services. This include government allocation, library development fee, library registration fee, ETF intervention, donations and gifts.

Human resources: it refers to the skilled labour force which has received educational and or professional training. In this study it is used to mean professional and Para – professional library staff that are working in the faculty or departmental libraries of the Nigerian universities.

Information resources:  Carriers of information that are in different formats (books, journal, magazines, audio-visual and other information and communication technology gadgets) that are required to be available and accessible for the benefit of users.

Resources: These can be described as essential assets required for a library or any establishment to attain its target goals. Specifically, they include human, information and physical resources needed in departmental libraries.

Resource provision: This is the supply of fundamental assets that can enhance the activities or services of any given establishment. In this study, it encapsulates adequate supply of skilled personnel, information materials and physical facilities which can influence the use of the departmental/ faculty libraries as well as user satisfaction.

Sustainability:  This is an effort toward ensuring adequate maintenance of the library resources and services for an effective and continued operation. It involves adequate provision and use of finance relevant and current information, human and physical resources for the continuity of departmental/ faculty library services in Nigerian universities.

Use:   It is the extent to which undergraduates and faculty members patronize and benefit from the available resources and services in departmental/ faculty libraries of Nigerian universities. In this study, use is meant to describe the extent to which the departmental/ faculty library resources facilities and services are exploited or utilized by the patrons. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GET FULL MATERIAL

Pages: 27

Format: MS-Word

Chapters: 1-5 (Complete)