ABSTRACT
This research work covers the impact
of the public library services to the people of Kaduna State.
It examines the views of the users toward the services rendered by the library,
the type of services offered and also how satisfactory the users are with the
services. The survey design was adopted in this study and methods used
collecting data included questionnaire, observation and interview.
From the analysis, it was revealed
that students are the majority users of the library and they mostly users of
the library and they mostly visit the library to read their lecture notes. The
findings also showed that the library lack current information materials and
operates a closed access service which does not allow users to borrow books.
Other findings were the problems facing the library such as inadequate funding.
Outdated materials and poor infrastructures.
Recommendations were made based on
their findings in order to improve the services of the library. These include
sourcing for finds from public and private organizatio0ns, procurement of
current and relevant information materials and introduction of Information and
Communication Technologies in the library administration.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents Page
Title page - - - - - - - - - i
Declaration - - - - - - - - -
Certification - - - - - - - - -
Dedication - - - - - - - - -
Acknowledgement - - - - - - - -
Abstract - - - - - - - - -
Table of Contents - - - - - - - -
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
1.1 Background
to the Study - - - - - -
1.2 Statement
of the Problem - - - - - -
1.3 Research
Questions - - - - - -
1.4 Objective
of the Study - - - - - -
1.5 Significance
of the Study - - - - - -
1.6 Scope
and Limitation - - - - - -
1.7 Definition
of Terms - - - - - -
Reference - - - - - - - -
CHAPTER TWO
Literature Review
2.1 Introduction - - - - - - - -
2.2 Concept
of Public Libraries - - - - -
2.3 History
of Kaduna State Library Board - - -
2.4 Types
of Public Library Services - - - -
2.5 Role
of Public Libraries - - - - - -
2.6 Problems
of Public Libraries - - - - -
Reference - - - - - - - -
CHAPTER THREE
Research Methodology
3.1 Introduction - - - - - - - -
3.2 Research
Techniques - - - - - -
3.3 Population
of the Study - - - - - -
3.4 Sampling
Techniques - - - - - -
3.5 Research
Instrument - - - - - -
3.6 Data
Analysis - - - - - - -
Reference - - - - - - - -
CHAPTER FOUR
Data Analysis and Presentation of Findings
4.1 Introduction - - - - - - - -
4.2 Response
Rate - - - - - - -
4.3 Analysis
of Data - - - - - - -
Reference - - - - - - - -
CHAPTER FIVE
Summary of Findings
5.1
Summary
of Findings - - - - - -
5.2
Conclusion - - - - - - - -
5.3
Recommendations - - - - - - -
Bibliography - - - - - - -
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background to the Study
The Chambers Universal
Learners Dictionary define a library as a building or room containing a
collection of books or some other collection, for example, gramophone records.
Shair (1963) also defines
a library as an organization of one or more trained people who use carefully
selected or organized books, periodicals and other similar materials as a means
of giving to those who may appropriately use it to the fullest extent of their
need or desires the information, enrichment or delight which is to be heard
from the written word.
The library can be
defined as an institution that is mostly concerned with the methods, skills,
and system for acquisition, storage, preservation and dissemination of recorded
and non-recorded materials. The library is generally grouped into six (6) which
are national, academic, school, private, special and public libraries.
The public library is a
library which carters for the informational needs of everybody in the society.
It is not restricted to anybody or a particular group of people. The
implication of the word ‘PUBLIC’ is that the library is expected to serve
everybody in the community in which it is situated; hence it is also called
“The People’s University”.
According to Gates
(1976), the public library can be defined as a library authorized by state law,
supported from general public funds or special taxes voted for the purpose and
administered for the benefits of the citizens of the country, town, city or
region which maintains it on the basis of equal access to all. Ikokoh (2003)
defines public library as a library provided wholly or partly from public funds
and the use of which is not restricted to any class or person in the community,
but is freely available to all.
The public library
primarily exists to serve the entire members of its locality referred to as the
general public. Nuhu (1994) observed that the public library has the same
universal objective of serving the general public towards the educational
upliftment and awareness of rural and urban persons, to enhance and develop
their potentialities. The public library has the traditional role of acquiring
books and audio-visual materials, and making them available to patrons
regardless to citizenship, age, educational level, economic and social status
or any qualification or condition. It must therefore be a depository of a
variety of books and other informative materials and provide needed services
for the members of the immediate community it serves. The public library has
proved to be of the best means of providing books and non-books materials and
making them available and accessible for its diverse users.
Public libraries are now
acknowledged to be an indispensable part of community wide range of reading
materials for all ages and centres for community information services. The
public library that provides services to the general public, is also
responsible for serving special categories of the public, such as children,
members of the armed forces, hospital, patients, prisoners, workers and
employees. In other words, it is a library established by the state to provide
wide service and supervised by either a ministry or a library board.
The public library first
started in the early 19th Century in Europe and America. In England for instance, industrial cities like Manchester, Russia
and Detroit in the United States had public libraries
so as to meet the informational needs of the industries. Boman (1989) in
addition said that the growth of education and printing encouraged the use of
books. For that reasons, the first public library Act in England was promulgated in 1850. It
empowered that any town council with a population of 10, 000 (later 5, 000)
people was entitled to one public library.
Emmanuel (2006) asserts
that public libraries in Nigeria
were modeled after the Bristish. They started about fifty years before
independence with the establishment of libraries in Lagos. The Modern public library movement in Nigeria can be said to have started from the
foundation in 1910 and 1920 with the Tom Jones Library in Lagos. He further added that the Tom Jones
Library had acquired the character of a public subscription library in which
the public can subscribe to membership and get books for a particular period of
time. The Lagos Library which was established in 1932 was also on public
subscription.
Baba (2007) also added
that the Lagos book club established its rules
of operation at a general meeting on 3rd June, 1932 with Sir Allan
Burns, the Chief Secretary of Nigeria
being largely responsible for the establishment of the Lagos book club. He was also one of the
foundation members of that library. He prepared a forward to the rule that will
guide the use of the library at that time. He further said that the genesis of
the present day public library services in Nigeria, is traceable to reading
rooms which were established by British Colonial administration between
1938-1945. The functions of the reading rooms were merely to disseminate
information that were tailored to solicit the support of the British
inhabitant. The reading rooms were very instrumental in propagating the British
Interest during the Second World War. These reading rooms were spread in many
crannies of Nigerian and acted as catalyst of the colonial masters.
After the collapse of the
reading rooms, it was decided that each region should have its own independent
library services. This was one of the resolutions of the Ibadan
seminar on the development of public library in Africa
which was held in 1953. This seminar was organized jointly by the Nigerian
Government and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO). The resolution further recommended that the regional
libraries be run by library boards beginning with Eastern
Nigeria.
1.2
Statement of the Problem
The role of libraries
cannot be overemphasized in a developing country like Nigeria. The public library
especially is an agency for continuing education for the young and the old. The
improved social status of an individual or the community obviously depends
largely upon knowledge and hence reading is one of the most important means for
the acquisition of knowledge. To this end, therefore, the public library is the
only ‘free’ agency that provides a variety of reading services for every
individual no matter his status, educational background and age.
A close examination of
the public libraries in Kaduna
State has revealed that
the services provided to the users are poor and inadequate, most of the
collections found in these libraries are outdated and inadequate. In other
words, they are not actually serving the entire information needs of the
people. Access to information post to be a big problem. Therefore, one tends to
ponder if these inadequacies are due to lack of sufficient funds to purchase
current materials for its vast users, or poor services due to insufficient
staff, or because of the reading habit of the users etc.
These questions and more
are intended to be answered by oral interviews of staff and patrons of the
public libraries in Kaduna
state through the use of questionnaire, observation and personal experience.
The answer given could be useful in the improvement of public library services
in Kaduna State and could also serve as a
contribution to knowledge.
1.3
Research Questions
The study seeks to
provide answers to the following questions.
§ Who are the users of the public
libraries in Kaduna
State?
§ Why do they use these libraries?
§ What are the services rendered in the
Public libraries in Kaduna
State?
§ Are the services adequate for the
information needs of users?
1.4
Objectives of the Study
The main objectives of
the study is:
§ To appraise the use of the public
library.
§ To apprise the services in the public
libraries in Kaduna
State.
§ The study is also to examine the
impact of these library services on the educational and political development
of the people of the state.
1.5
Significance of the Study
The research work has
been designed to establish the effectiveness and efficiency of the public
library services in Kaduna
State. It will also
reveal the justification for the establishment of these libraries.
The recommendations made
in this work will be helpful to the state government in improving the services
of the public libraries in the state.
1.6
Scope and Limitations
The study covered the
public libraries supretended by Kaduna State Library Board. Their services were
also appraised.
The limitations encountered
during this research work included funding and time constraints. Due to lack of
funds, I was unable to cover the situations in other state public libraries.
The time given for this
study was short to get data from users of all the public libraries in the
state.
1.7
Definition of Terms
Public Libraries: These are libraries established by the state and local
governments for the entire members of their communities.
Library Services: These are services offered by the libraries to their
patrons, for example, reference services, current awareness services,
circulation services etc.
Library Board: It is an autonomous statutory body that is responsible for
the overseeing of public libraries in a state.
Impact: This is a strong effect or impression on users of the libraries.
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