Evolution and Use of School Library Resources in Nigeria

Abstract

Development of library resources in all library environments - schools, public, academic, etc. should not be static, but dynamic, so that they can handle the educational and recreational needs of their clientele as years pass on. This paper discussed the evolution and use of school library resources in Nigeria from 1960s to date. Treatment of this topic took cognizance of the changes in the format of school library resources, their sequence of inclusion in the library and the uses made of them. Resources in the library have evolved over the years and are now made up of three main types of library resources, books, audiovisual materials and Information Communication Technologies (ICT). Though their uses were discussed in this paper as they evolved, the use of a combination of all these resources in learning was demonstrated with unit plans in primary science for elementary school and history for secondary school. Some problem associated with the evolution of school library resources were highlighted as, lack of steady growth of school library resources, lack of government support and high cost of books and other library materials. The paper concluded that, as the school library is the educational resources centre of the child, resources that will contributes to the all round development of the child should be made available in it.

Key Words: Evolution, use, library, school, Resources