Preparing our learners for the challenges of the 21st century: the role of the school library media centres in Nigerian secondary schools

Abstract

The 21^st Century has ushered in the knowledge economy where information, access to it and the ability to use it to create new knowledge becomes the most important skill that students need to acquire in order to succeed. The field of education has been affected by ICTs which have greatly impacted on teaching and learning in schools. The paper describes the current situation in school library media centres in Nigerian Secondary Schools where available data indicate that the computer is not part of the classroom technology, in 90 percent of Nigerian Public Schools. The article highlights the role of the school library media centre in preparing learners for the challenges of the 21^st century to include, acting as instructional partners or consultants in supporting and expanding existing curriculum; collaborating with classroom teachers to teach and integrate literature and information skills into the curriculum; partnering with classroom teachers on projects that will help students use a variety of resources and present their findings; and assisting students to search out their information needs and use technological means to synthesize their findings into new knowledge. Recommendations were made to facilitate the integration of ICT into curricula delivery in schools.

Keywords: School library media centre, Learners, ICT project