Embracing Change: Rethinking Library Rules and Regulations for Enhanced Resource Utilization

 Azeez Adeoye

Library rules and regulations could be one of the impediments to the use of its resources. Students are concerned about the limitations they experience due to stringent library rules and regulations. In the 21st century, libraries have competitors in ICT tools. It's high time library professionals revisited the archaic rules that prevent users from maximizing the potential benefits offered by libraries.

One such rule is the prohibition of eating and drinking in the library.

Reading is a mental exercise that drains and dehydrates library users during the process of studying. Therefore, users need to stay hydrated to sustain concentration while reading. But in a situation where library users travel the extra mile to drink water, this obstructs the flow of information and truncates comprehension.

Though Western libraries provide water dispensers within the library and sometimes coffee corners and microwaves, among other gadgets to ease light consumption, concentration, mental stability, and constant use of library resources. This is the trend in 21st-century library services, and African libraries need to decolonize themselves and embrace change.

By offering more flexibility in our library rules and regulations, such as allowing food and drink within designated areas, offering extended hours, and implementing more relaxed noise policies, we can create a more comfortable and welcoming environment for our patrons. 

This, in turn, will make our library more attractive compared to our competitors, such as ICT tools. We believe that by meeting the changing needs of our users, we can entice and endear them to use our resources, which will help us to maintain our relevance in the 21st century.

Passion and Purpose: The Essence of Librarianship Beyond Monetary Considerations

 Azeez Adeoye

If money were not a problem, would you still choose to remain a librarian?

Often, we complain about people's attitudes towards librarianship. We lament how the parent institution neglects its role towards the library. We complain about how university management only remembers the library during National Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation. We lament how library apathy grows among users. But have we stopped and asked ourselves how much passion we put into our work?

Librarianship is a caregiver profession where we prioritize the information needs of our clients. We are expected to give our best to satisfy our users. And in extreme cases where the information cannot be met, we refer them to knowledgeable individuals and follow up on it. Do you do all this with your patrons?

How strong is your passion for librarianship? How many books do you complete in a month? Librarians are living polymaths who know something about everything. This is not magic; to achieve this, you have to be a bibliophile and a habitual reader. You cannot go far in the librarianship profession if you are a lazy reader. Librarians read, which is why it's easy for them to remain relevant in their communities, engage in intelligent conversations, and make an impact on their clients within three minutes of discussion.

A compassionate librarian learns, unlearns, stays relevant, and upskills. It has been said many times that the illiterate of this century is not someone without a degree but someone who cannot learn, relearn, and upskill. Every profession evolves due to the emergence of ICT, and librarianship is one of the most affected. Almost every second, new application are invented, software packages are deployed, new search engines are adopted, and OpenAI is updated and upgraded every week. Your passion for librarianship must push you to learn and upskill continuously.

No profession has it all, including librarianship. There will always be a need to acquire resources, purchase gadgets, subscribe to reputable databases, and renew subscriptions on platforms like Ebscohost. But have you done your very best with the limited resources you have? So, the next time you are asked about your contribution to the librarian profession and your organization, tell them about the list of activities you have accomplished with the limited resources provided. This attitude will ensure your success and increase the relevance of our beloved profession.

Therefore, before you complain about neglect as a librarian, reevaluate yourself. If money is not the problem; would you still hold on to this career path? Are you a passionate reader? Do you upskill and learn emerging technologies to ease your work? Do you go the extra mile to meet your client's needs? Do you give your best with the limited resources you have? I assure you, if you do all these, you cannot complain about irrelevance as a librarian.

Azeez ADEOYE

Wizard Librarian

+234(703)0292959

adeoyeazeezphd@gmail.com 

NEED FOR INCLUSION OF LIBRARY PERIOD IN NIGERIAN SCHOOL TIMETABLE

Olabode Olajide (Ph.D.)

I write to appeal to concerned authority and other education stakeholders in the country to introduce, compulsorily, “library period” into timetable of both primary and secondary schools across the country. This is imperative considering the high level of inadequate library skills exhibit by Nigerian undergraduates. It is not uncommon to hear undergraduates complaining about their college, polytechnic or university libraries of inability to provide or satisfy their information needs no matter how equipped the libraries might be. Research has shown that in most cases, it is not as if libraries don’t have what it takes to satisfy the students’ information needs but the skills required of students to effectively utilize the library resources to the fullest are lacking. Though, students are not to be totally blamed for this absurdity but our educational system that allows school to operate without functional library. Imagine a situation where student never stepped into the four walls of library before gaining admission to higher institution. Yet, it happens, and library at that level of education is unavoidable. Students will ever need it for either personal, recreational, assignment, learning or research purpose.

However, it is primary and secondary schools that serve as a basic foundation of education, and it is at this levels the basic skills required to effectively utilize any type of libraries at any level of education can easily be acquired. From personal experience with students during visitation to the University Library where I work, I could say that students spend much time than necessary on shelves searching, via trial and error, for the needed materials. Realizing this, many of the tertiary institutions introduce a course - “Use of Library and Study Skills” to assist the students in finding their footing in library usage. Though, this is somehow belated, as all the library skills cannot be impacted and well grasped by students within a short period of a semester allotted for teaching the course.

Therefore, I would like to appeal to Federal and State governments as well as other education stakeholders to, as matter of urgency, introduce and enforce “Library Period” in school timetable where pupils could be introduced to library early enough, as this will not only acquaint them with library skills that will be needed in future but also improve their reading culture.

 Dr. Olabode Olajide 

 Librarian/Information Manager

Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria

"Libraries on the Front Line of War": Iryna Kuchma's Narration of Libraries' Inspiring Roles during the Russia Invasion of Ukraine

Iryna Kuchma

Originally posted to EIFL blog

I am just a few kilometres away from Kyiv with my family and every   day I hear another story about how libraries are supporting their  communities. I hugely admire them. 

In times like these everyone is doing much more than they can. The Ukrainian Library Association reports that libraries are providing shelters, facilitating access to information and the internet, launching humanitarian hubs, documenting the war and supporting each other. 

Many libraries have turned their book storage spaces into bomb shelters for local communities - cozy with lots of interesting books around! Tea and support is also offered, so this is already considered a new library service. 

In more or less quiet parts of Ukraine, libraries continue to offer access to information - guides from local authorities, tips from psychologists for coping each day, motivational quotes from literature - and access to the internet. They also serve as hubs to collect goods and humanitarian aid for defence units and hospitals, and to sew medical gowns and knit camouflage nets. 

A national digital library kicks-off, recording the war - photo, video and audio facts that document the Russian aggression and the Ukrainian struggle; posters, memes and jokes showcasing creativity; information showing support from the international library community and drawing attention to fake news and information. 

A librarian self-support network is also being built, offering help and responding to requests for help. 

And planning for rebuilding of  damaged library buildings has started as well - together with the Ukrainian charitable foundation Library Country which is documenting the damage.

About the writer

Iryna Kuchma is a multilingual expert in open access, open data and open science. She works with EIFL as Open Access Programme Manager since 2008 where in collaboration with libraries and library consortia in more than 60 countries in Africa, Asia and Europe, she advocates for open access to research results, facilitates the development and implementation of open science policies and infrastructures, and provides support and training. Iryna is based in Ukraine.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) Africa Chapter Approved

Olufunmilayo Fati

The Board of Directors of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) approved the new ASIS&T Africa Chapter on 17 June 2020.

The purpose of the Chapter is to provide an organization through which members of ASIS&T located within the Chapter area (Africa) may participate in and carry forward the programs and purposes of ASIS&T. The Chapter shall promote the interests of the Association and its programs and shall make every reasonable effort to involve students of information science and related disciplines who are located within its boundaries.

"The Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) is the only professional association that bridges the gap between information science practice and research. For nearly 80 years, ASIS&T has been leading the search for new and better theories, techniques, and technologies to improve access to information.

Our members—thousands of researchers, developers, practitioners, students, and professors in the field of information science and technology from 50 countries around the world—have made ASIS&T an important part of their professional development.

Members share a common interest in improving the ways society stores, retrieves, analyzes, manages, archives and disseminates information."

Elected Founding Africa Chapter Officers

Chair:

Tandi E Lwoga (Tanzania)

Chair-Elect:

Noureddine Elmqaddem (Morocco)

Chapter Assembly Representative:

Andiswa Mfengu (South Africa)

Alternate Chapter Assembly Representative:

Marlene Holmner (South Africa)

Secretary-Treasurer:

Blessing Mawire (South Africa)

Webmaster & Social Media/Communications Manager(2 seats):

Olufunmilayo Fati (Nigeria)

Onan Mulumba (Uganda)

Advisor(5 seats):

Abebe Rorissa (United States of America)

Diane H. Sonnenwald (Ireland)

Daniel Gelaw Alemneh (United States of America)

Nadia Caidi (Canada)

Salah Eddine Bahji (Morocco)

A LIBRARY FOR UWA by Shade Adepoju

A library poem by Shade Adepoju

Uwaila Omozuwa

Those who raped Uwa Omozuwa, leading to her death, must have kept a trail on her. 

They must have known she was headed for the church at that point in time on that fateful day.

They must have known she found the church as an option to a library that was never available for her to study.

Uwa's is a story of failure

The failure of hope, in our desire to return the dying reading culture among young people.

Uwa's community failed her.

Her country failed her.

The lack of a library failed her.

We failed her.

We should have known better to avail Uwa a Library to read.

Her community would have obliged her a library to read

Her country should have obliged her a library to read

Maybe, just may be, she would have still been alive.

If only Uwa had a library in her community. 

She wouldn't have been exposed to the company of her rapists, alone.

If only governments funded libraries.

There would have been several for other Uwas who love to read.

If only governments would do better, virtual libraries will offer benefits to users with remote access.

For every Uwa out there in search of a place to read.

You don't deserve to die in pursuit of it.

It should not be.

Your community owes you a library, if government fails to provide one.

We owe one another a  library.

As everyone deserves one

Just as Uwa did.

#FundLibraries

#SafeSpace

-Shade Adepoju. 

National Library of Nigeria

Abuja

Note:

Uwaila Omozuwa simply known as Uwa, was the first-year Microbiology student of the University of Benin who was raped and brutally murdered while studying in a church in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria on May 27, 2020.