Assessment of entrepreneurship opportunities and preferences among library and information science graduates in university libraries in north central states of Nigeria

Abstract

This study assessed Entrepreneurship Opportunities and Preferences Among Library and Information Science Graduates in North Central States of Nigeria. Survey research design was used to, find out the type of entrepreneurial opportunities available to LIS graduates in the University libraries studied, ascertain the type of entrepreneurial opportunities LIS graduates prefer and to determine the extent to which graduates of the LIS satisfied with the entrepreneurial education and training acquired. A proportionate sample was used to collect data in Ten University Libraries from 138 Library and Information science Graduates who constituted the population of the study through the use of close ended questionnaire.The collected copies of the questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics expressed in percentages, frequency distribution and mean scores for the three research questions that guided the study. The findings of the study revealed that the available entrepreneurial opportunities in the University libraries studied included lecturing, research in Library and Information Science, and library automation.LIS graduates prefer entrepreneurship opportunities in lecturing, library networking and digitization. The study amongst other things recommends that Entrepreneurship development centres should be established to promote skills acquisition and there is the need for Library and Information science graduates to translate the entrepreneurial skills they have acquired by establishing small and medium enterprises and make the best use of the available entrepreneurial opportunities in their respective university libraries for effective and efficient service delivery.

Keywords: Entrepreneurship opportunities, Library and information science graduates, University libraries