Re-Positioning Librarianship Education And Practice For ICT Challenges In Nigerian University Libraries

Abstract

This paper examined issues concerning the need to reposition librarianship to enable university libraries in Nigeria cope with challenges that Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) may pose. Two hundred Librarians who attended the 2006 annual conference of the Nigerian Library Association in Abuja participated in the study. Researchers’- designed ICT Awareness Questionnaire of 22 questions was used to obtain information from the respondents. Means score and Standard Deviation statistic was used to analyse the data. The study revealed that: many library staff lacked ICT skills required for effective performance of jobs; librarianship curriculum was not comprehensive enough to facilitate the acquisition of ICT skills by Library Science students; adequate/appropriate ICT facilities were not available in many Nigerian libraries. The paper thus recommended the inclusion of more ICT courses in Library Science curriculum; library personnel should be trained and re-trained regularly on ICT skills; ICT learning infrastructural facilities including guided tour of ICT installations and application should be adequately provided for Library Science students.