Parliamentarians access to information: a case of Dodoma Parliamentary Library in Tanzania

Abstract

The study investigated the current status of the Dodoma Parliamentary Library with regard to performance and effectiveness in providing relevant information to members of parliament. A case study was employed as the studywas based on one specific library. In gathering data, the triangulation method was used including questionnaires, interview schedule, and personal observation as data gathering instruments. Findings of the study established that generally the status of the library in providing information to Parliamentarians was not good. The library provided weak information services grouped in three sections namely; technical, reference, and circulation and lending services. In order to effect their duties parliamentarians mainly need political and policy related information, general news and scientific and technological information. The performance of the Dodoma Parliamentary Library was mainly affected by inadequate facilities such as computers, inadequate funds, few trained staff, few collections and inadequate information sources in different media and formats. Other factors include lack of information literacy skills and low morale of reading culture among parliamentarians. Consequently, several recommendations were made: increasing library space, recruiting more well trained library staff, automating library, improving and diversifying library collection, conducting information literacy and information technology training to the parliamentarians, requesting the government to allocate more resources to that library, giving library staff time to conduct research to improve their services, and requiring the library to have a policy for effective planning of activities.


University of Dar es Salaam Library Journal Vol.6(1) 2004:44-55