Local government authorities, traditional rulers should invest in community libraries —Ojedokun

Dr Ayoku Ojedokun has just completed his tenure as the Bowen University Librarian and has served the institution for 10 years in the Library Faculty. He spoke with KEHINDE ADIO on the importance of library services in educational processes, need for community libraries, among other issues. Excerpts:

Can you share your experience as a professional librarian?

I started my library career with the Keneth Dike Library, University of Ibadan in 1992. I later left the country in 1997 to work at the Botswana University Library. I came back to Nigeria in 2007 and I joined the Bowen University library. I started as a deputy librarian and I later became the substantive librarian in 2010. I just completed my tenure to proceed on a one-year sabbatical leave.

What can you say about library services in Botswana?

The Republic of Botswana government annually releases adequate fund for the development of libraries in the country. This makes the libraries to be well-stocked with new books, journals, research materials, soft and hard copies you can imagine of standard universities.

The Botswana library is well-structured and that makes it to be research and users’ friendly. Every section of the library is accessible to users, coupled with necessary information to aid research and knowledge acquisition. The library is an automated library, so the e-library is functioning efficiently.

Do you also agree with the opinion that the emergence of internet will soon disengage librarians from active service?

No, I am not because; the internet facility and library system are two different sources of information. The two exist to complement each other and none can substitute, or override the other. As a matter of fact; it takes the help of a librarian to get useful information from the internet. This is because people post many things on the internet. There are too many junks on the internet, which people download as useful information or materials. In view of this development, it is advisable that people consult the library for authentic information from the internet. It is the duty of a librarian to authenticate the originality of information that can be used.

How much relevance is library to educational development?

We cannot talk about qualitative education without the existence of a good library. A good library provides useful information, teaching and learning materials to both learners and the teachers. Therefore, library education development should start from the primary school level.  If library education is introduced to children at this level, it would go a long way to inculcate the reading culture in them.

At this juncture, I want to suggest that government should ensure that every school has a well-stocked library with competent librarians to manage them. Also, library education, as a subject, should be introduced into the school curriculum.  If students and teachers would take the advantage of the  library education information, teaching and learning would become more effective, as it would also minimise  mass failure, as well as improve academic excellence among the students at their various schools.

What other ways do you think reading culture can be promoted in the society?

Establishment of community libraries in our towns and cities in the country will further promote the ongoing reading campaign among Nigerian students and the entire citizenry at large. I want to use this medium to appeal to our local government authorities to invest in the development of community libraries in our cities. Our royal fathers should also lend their support towards the library project development in their communities.

The royal fathers can use their positions to influence the elites and philanthropists in the community to contribute their quotas in cash and in kind, towards the library project. For example, there are many people in the society, who have a lot of books, newspapers, biographies and other educational materials in their custody, which they can donate to these community libraries.

Also, the history of the town, its mineral resources endowment can be documented and kept in the library. The library will not only serve the students in the community, but researchers from any part of the country or world, who will also find the library relevant as a resource centre.

How will you describe Bowen University Library?

The Bowen University library is 21st century compliant; it is fully automated. It is solid and well- stocked with e-library materials. It contains over 53,000 volumes of hard copy books /journals of recent issues, to serve all the students and lecturers from all the departments of the faculties in the university. The library is well-structured to make it research-friendly, to students, researchers and lecturers at all levels.

What is next, now that you have completed your tenure as a university librarian?

By the special grace of God, I am proceeding on a sabbatical leave and I hope to return in 2018. Right now, the university is coming up with another department in the area of Library and Information Study. We have done all the needful to commence the programme, but the university is waiting for the National University Commission (NUC) accreditation for an approval. I may join the proposed department to continue with the university till my retirement time.