ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICES ON THE LITERACY LEVEL OF NIGERIANS

ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICES ON THE LITERACY LEVEL OF NIGERIANS

INTRODUCTION

Libraries in general, and public libraries in particular, play an important role in all aspects of societal development, particularly when viewed in relation to their users, who represent all socioeconomic groups. The term “public library” has been defined in a variety of ways. Many people think of it as a place built for the collection of books and other printed resources, as well as the personnel to provide and interpret such resources as needed to meet the information, research, educational, recreational, cultural, and aesthetic needs of the diverse users, and it is typically funded with public funds. According to Gates (1976), a public library is “that authorized by law, supported from general public funds or special taxes voted for the purpose of administration, for the benefit of the public.”

citizens of the country, town, city, or region that upholds it on the principle of equal access for all.” The Native Authority (N.A.) Reading Rooms pioneered the concept of a public library system in Northern Nigeria in the late 1940s. Prior to this period, however, a collection of Islamic scriptures and manuscripts can be found with individual clerics scattered throughout the Region, particularly in Sokoto, Borno, and Kano, which are regarded as centers of commerce and Islamic civilization due to their contact with the Arab world via the Trans-Saharan Trade Routes. (1984, Aguolu). These “libraries” lacked everything a public library has in terms of policies, organization, personnel, and services.

The first significant focus on public libraries was the

The Northern Region government, led by the late Premier Sir Ahmadu Bello, commissioned a study on library services in the region in 1963. F. A. Sharr conducted the study as part of the Special Commonwealth African Assistance Plan, and the report became widely known in the

Nigerian Library Literature, such as “The Sharr Report,” praised the government’s “foresight in seeking, at this early stage, to rationalize the development of all.”

types of libraries, as well as to avoid the waste and inefficiency that results from uncoordinated effort” (Sharr 1963). Following his recommendation, the existing structures were reviewed, and the Public Library system evolved. The Kaduna Lending Library, which also served as a public library, was the first to be operational. Regional Public Library. The Library system was organized around a Director and was divided into departments based on the various functions of the Library. While a public library system is gradually taking shape, the Northern Region experienced a major political upheaval in 1967. The formerly famous “giant North” has been divided into six (6) states. As a result of this development, the Regional Library System was decentralized, and the former Regional Library Headquarter in Kaduna was forced to divide its resources and assets equally among the new States. Another watershed moment in the history of library development in Northern Nigeria was Rober’s commissioning of yet another study.