From School Libraries to Multimedia Resource Centres: The Anambra State Experience

Abstract

School libraries have remained a necessary adjunct of academic excellence. The Nigerian education system has recorded a steady decline over the years and this could be closely linked to the state of the school libraries. However, the term school library has globally given way to a broader term - Multimedia Resource Centres. This study recounted the intervention of the government of Anambra State in the revamping of school libraries by the provision of computers and internet services. In the survey, cluster and proportionate sampling techniques were employed to select 30 schools in the six educational zones in Anambra State. It studied principals and the teacher-librarians in these schools. The instruments for data collection were questionnaire, interview and observation. Self-designed questionnaires were distributed to the respondents. Obtained data were collated and analysed using frequency counts and percentages. The result shows that in spite of the intervention of government, most of the schools are still operating as school libraries housing only printed materials. It was also revealed that in some schools, the computers and Internet facilities provided by the government were packed away in rooms and were not being made use of Furthermore, there was a dearth of professionals to man the school libraries. The study therefore recommends that the State government should involve librarians in such interventions to ensure a smooth transition from school libraries to multimedia centres.

Keywords - Multimedia resource centre, School' libraries, Information communication technologies