Global Warming: Implications for Library and Information Professionals

Abstract

Global warming began to constitute an issue in the mid-twentieth century. It is phenomenon that expands human potential and human freedom: it is about people developing the capacities that empower them to make choices and lead lives that they value. Paradoxically, it threatens to erode human freedom and to limit choice. In this paper, the authors examine its impactions for library and information professionals. The emphasis is on the Nigerian situation. The consequences of global warming are discussed. This is followed by the mitigation of the effects. The major finding is that global warming is an issue that cannot be resolved overnight or with any one policy. It is an intergenerational problem which needs to be addressed by ensuring that how people live on this planet takes climate change seriously into account. The major recommendation is that library buildings should be constructed using modern technology with excellent systems to cope with the benefit of preserving library collections, equipment and personnel.

KEYWORDS: Climate Change; Global Warming; Global Warming – Library and Information; Global Warming – Nigeria