CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1Background of the study

Library and information science (LIS) training and education play a significant role in the

production of high-quality LIS students who occupy a unique position in national development.

LIS students are gatekeepers and brokers of information which is essential for knowledge

acquisition decision-making and national development. The success of library archives and

information centres in effectively meeting their obligation of information provision is hinged in

part on the development of skilled manpower.

Trained personnel according to Korsah (1996) are a key requirement in library and information

work. In this respect LIS education plays a vital role (Edegbo 2011). Although early LIS

students particularly librarians did not undergo any formal training (Wikipedia nd.) the

modern-day challenges of library and information work require that personnel should be well-

trained and educated to make for effectiveness.

Melvin Dewey the famous proponent of the Dewey Decimal Classification System was said to

have established the first library school in the United States in 1887 at Columbia University

(Wikipedia n.d.). In Europe the library School established in Barcelona in 1915 is reputed to be

the oldest library school in that continent. Many other library schools were said to have been

established during the Second World War. In Africa however South Africa is credited with the

longest history of LIS in the continent dating from 1938 (Ocholla 2007).

In West Africa the earliest formal training in librarianship consisted of short courses organized

by practicing librarians and these were aimed solely at preparing the participants for the British

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Library Association examinations (Ojo-Igbinoba 1995) which then constituted the only gateway

for aspiring librarians (Aguolu and Aguolu 2002). One of such courses took place in Achimota

College Gold Coast (now Ghana) in 1944 and it drew participants from various West African

countries including Nigeria. This appears to be the earliest evidence of the strong historical link

between Ghana and Nigeria in the education and training of LIS students. Hence this study tends

to study the challenges in the training and education of library and information science students.

Library and information science is a discipline encompassing knowledge management

knowledge economy and knowledge dissemination. Library and information science education

is a joint concept that consists of library education and information science education. Library

education is the specialised formal training for would-be librarians for the acquisition of skills

and competences necessary for both library services and transfer of knowledge. In the same vein

information science education is a field of study that equips learners with information collection

classification manipulation storage analysis interpretation and dissemination skills as well as

competencies in transferring information literacy skills to learners. Through the study of library

and information science a person acquires approved skills for maximum utilization and

management of information resources (Abdulrazaq&Ladi 2017). Library reserves constitute one

of the essential tools for carrying out information science activities. Library is a holding of

diverse kinds of information materials and tools for disseminating relevant information.

However one of the most rapidly emerging inventions in today’s world are technologies used in

collecting storing and disseminating information which is one of the significant characteristics

of a functional library. The emerging technologies have advanced the role of a functional library

in service delivery and operations. The change dynamics according to Adeogun (2003) has

changed and enveloped librarianship where “dissemination” is being replaced by

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“communication” “repository” replaced by “database” literature by “knowledge” search by

“navigation” The phenomenal changes are inevitable in the present time and era. It is pertinent to

state that library services and operations in developed countries are long entrenched in ICT using

all the software’s artificial intelligence (AI) for both teaching and service delivery. The

continuous advancement in the information society is pushing to re-evaluation of all the

institutions which work with information data and knowledge - indirectly also with culture

(Mirja 1999). In the modern epoch a library is said to be functional and effective in its delivery

service when it compromise with growing trend of digital innovations (Sun & Yuan 2012).

In spite of these global changes the teaching and learning of library and information science in

Nigeria has not witnessed much evolution with time because great constraints exist in the

utilization of emerging information technologies for library services delivery teaching and

learning process (Abdulrazaq&Ladi 2017). Surprisingly various library services such as

resource acquisitions management dissemination teaching and learning are not yet free

frommanual delivery in most university libraries in Nigeria. However Diso and Njoku (2007)

had earlier noted that unstable political culture poor infrastructure illiteracy insecurity poor

reading culture poor policy formulation and implementation are constraints that have

undermined the involvement of ICT in Nigerian Libraries.

In the present perspective education in Africa may continue to be stagnated if necessary steps

arenot taken Okojie (2008) stressed that for reforms in the library and information science sector

especially in the library schools ICT in LISE curriculum and standard facilities should be a top

priority to bridge the gap. However the key issues are to embrace technology in its entirety

review the LISE curriculum and incorporate emerging technologies in LIS education for broad

learning. The fact remains that technology today has modernised the methods of teaching and

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learning broadened the curriculum which is now dynamic and basically learner-centred making

learners more involved in the experience that brings changes in behaviour and makes teaching

simpler for teachers through utilisation of projectors smart boards various technologies like

video conferencing andwhatsapp to communicate. To this Hargreaves in Adeogun (2003)

describes education systems now as “mere porous and permeable” because time and distance has

been eliminated thereby making the traditional classrooms wall collapsed into a super highway

where students and teachers now need new skills to navigate the world wide web for

information. Aina (2007) reiterated that most library schools in Nigeria have not departed from

the traditional library courses and methods of teaching even in the wake of new technologies.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The study of the challenges in the training and education of library and information science

students is psychological. It is against this that the researcher sees the subject matter worthy of

investigation to examine how the challenges pose a threat on the effective training of students of

library and information science.

The need for education arose as early as man evolved in a society of fellow beings. Educators

and educational philosophers social reformers and political pace-setters have propounded many

theories on what is the purpose of education (Orji 1982). Education is the most important

ingredient through which a nation can attain development (Kalisu 2007). Since the early 1960’s

many countries have tried to relate education to the need of the child his community and his

world (Fafunwa 1991). There has been rising commitment to strengthening the delivery system

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of education in Nigeria. In the process of getting to the root of the educational problems of

Nigeria government since 1977 began searching for alternative models to the traditional system

which was restricted and limited in space. Based on this the need to create opportunities for

those who have some form of formal education to update their knowledge and ultimately

improve their productive capacity became more apparent. According to Nkanu and Usang

(2007) Nigerians have absolute confidence in education as the spring-board for change and

development.

Many students arrive the various LIS schools with high expectations hoping to be well trained

and prepared for the work life after graduation but it seems these expectations were not be met as

the various LIS schools seems to battling with a lot of challenges such as inadequacies in the

education and training provision of ICTs and lack of ICTs skilled faculty.

1.3Objectives of the study

The main objective of the study is to examine the challenges in the training and education of

library and information science students in Nigeria.

1. To determine students’ perception of the curriculum in use.

2. To determine the students’ satisfaction of the quality of faculty available.

3. To determine the students’ access and utilization of ICTs in their LIS schools.

4. To identify challenges encountered in the course of their studies in the LIS schools.

5. To seek solutions in confronting the challenges of LIS training and education in Nigeria.

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1.4Research questions

1. What is the students’ perception of the curriculum in use?

2. What is the level of students’ satisfaction of the quality of faculty available?

3. What is the level of students’ access and utilization of ICTs in their LIS schools?

4. What are the challenges encountered in the course of their studies in the LIS schools?

5. What are the solutions to the challenges of LIS training and education in Nigeria?

1.5Significance of the study

A critical study of various literatures reveals that efforts have been made in the past to train and

educate the library and information science students therefore this research is thus an

improvement on earlier ones as it focuses on the challenges in training and education of library

and information science students.

However this study will be of immense value to undergraduate students librarians and

researchers in their research on challenges in training and education of library and information

science students.

1.6Scope and limitation of the study

The project covers the challenges of training and education of library and information science

students using the department of library and information science the Ibarapa Polytechnic Eruwa

as a comparative study.

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