Involvement of Library Professional Associations in Development of Primary School Libraries in South East Nigeria
Keywords:
school development, teacher librarians, professional associations, Primary school libraryAbstract
This study is on the involvement of library professional associations in the
development of primary school libraries. The aim is to examine the factors
and successes in South East Nigeria. The population of this study comprises
all the library professional associations in South East Nigeria. It uses
structured interview and document analysis schedule to generate data. The
twenty key players in the professional associations purposively sampled
participated in the study. Data are presented using the thematic order of
reporting, which provides the themes for the content analysis. It indicates
that professional associations were very active in the development of primary
school libraries in the 1980’s to early 1990’s. The activities that were in
place were awareness campaigns, training of teacher librarians, placing of
jingles, lobbying of government and collaboration with other agencies. These
activities helped in school library development, but dwindled from 1990 as
a result of creation of new States, retirement of key players in the associations
from civil service. It concludes that selfless and dedicated efforts on the part
of professionals is believed to have the power to rekindle the development of
primary school libraries in South East Nigeria.
References
Anambra State School Library Association (ASSLA) (1982). Refresher course
for teacher librarians 13th – 17th April 1982 organized in collaborations with
Anambra State Library Board and the British Council Enugu.
ASSLA (1984-1990). A report of ASSLA activities 1984/85, 1989 -1990.
ASSLA (1992). Minutes of meetings of Anambra State School library Association
Anambra State 1980-1992.
Dike, V. W. (1991) Nigeria: In School Libraries, International Development (2nd
edition). London: Scarecrow 119-131.
Dike, V. W. (2001). School library facilities required for successful implementation of
the UBE programme. Nigeria school library journal 4(1&2), 5-13.
Elaturoti, D. F. (2002). Abadina Media Resource Centre: Contributions to school
library development in Nigeria 1974-1998.Nigeria school librarianship:
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Ibadan: Nigerian School Library Association.
-228.
Elaturoti, D. F. and Udoh V. W. (2002). 40 years of school library service to the
Nation: past, Present and future. Being a paper presented at the Nigerian library
Association 40th anniversary national conference and annual general meeting,”
Eko 2002" at ASCON, Topo-Badagry, June 16-21.
Elaturoti, D. F. (2010), Programme collaboration among educational agencies: a
panacea for effective school library media programme in Nigerian schools. Nigeria
School Library Journal 9:1
Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) (2004). National Policy on Education. (4th
edition). Lagos: NERDC.
Gaver, M. V. (1989). History of School Library. New book of knowledge.
Connecticut: Grolier.
NSLA (2000). Communique issued at the end of the 16th annual conference of the
association held at the Children’s Center Library University of Nigeria Nsukka
on the 23rd -26th October, 2000.
Oberg, D. and Wright, J. G. (1991). Canada. In School Libraries: International
Development (2nd ed.) London: Scarecrow 339-354.
Obi, D. S. (2002). The Eastern Nigerian School Libraries Association and its successors. The East Central State school libraries Association, the AnambraImo states school libraries Association and the Anambra state School Libraries Association (ASSLA). In Nigeria school Libraries, Yesterday, today and tomorrow. Ibadan: Nigeria school library Association, 31-46.
Ogbonna, S. O. (2006). Language Literacy and Learning in Nigeria primary school in literacy and reading in Nigeria. Journal of Reading Association of Nigeria, 11(1), 157-165.
Tawete F. K. (1991). General Education. Tanzania school libraries international development (2nd edition). London: Scarecrow. 135-148.
