Assessment of Academic Library Collections in Enugu State and its Implications to the Achievement of the Millenium Development Goals (Mdg) in Nigeria
Assessment of Academic Library Collections in Enugu State and its Implications to the Achievement of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) in Nigeria.
ABSTRACT
This study was designed to assess the Academic Library Collections in Enugu State and its implications for the achievement of MDGs in Nigeria. To carry out this study, four research questions were formulated to serve as guides. This study adopted a descriptive survey design.
The population of the study involves all the lecturers in the faculty of Social Sciences and Agriculture in the University of Nigeria Nsukka, School of Health Technology, Nsukka, and the University librarians in University libraries in Enugu State.
The Sample Size was 180 drawn from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Food Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Nigeria Nsukka, lecturers in School of Health Technology Nsukka, and all the University Librarians in University Libraries in Enugu State.
The data for the study was gathered through a questionnaire, distributed and collected by the researcher, and was validated by experts in the faculty and department.
The data were analyzed using frequency, simple percentage, and mean score. The result of the finding from the study indicated that library collections in University Libraries in Enugu State are vital to the achievement of the MDGs in Nigeria.
It was observed in the study that, library collections have been extensively utilized in teaching and research on issues related to reducing extreme poverty and hunger, child mortality, and improve maternal health in the University.
The findings of the study show that Audio-visual resources and ICTs facilitate faster dissemination of information on the MDGs in various forms, formats, and dialects, to literate and illiterate society. Inclusive in the findings of the study was that poor funding, inarticulate collection development, etc,
militate against the building of relevant collections that could help achieve the MDGs in Nigeria. Based on the findings of the study and its implications, some useful recommendations were made.
They include implementing the statutory percentage of the university budget as a matter of policy for developing collections that could help achieve the MDGs, procurement of storage facilities that could help preserve the relevant collections that are used to facilitate the achievement of MDGs from damage,
Emphasis should also be made on the need for regular community analysis and evaluation of library collections to ensure their effectiveness in contributing to the achievement of MDGs in Nigeria by the year 2015 among others.
INTRODUCTION
Background to the study Millennium Development Goals (MDG represent a global agreement to improve the quality of life of mankind throughout the world, especially the third world countries including Nigeria,
by reducing extreme poverty and hunger and other forms of human deprivation by the year 2015 through collaborative efforts of the United Nations and her agencies.
It is the United Nations declaration as part of an effort aimed at achieving a qualitative transformation of a whole society and a shift to new ways of thinking, relationship, and production.
According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (2011), the Millennium Development Goals consist of eight goals and eighteen targets to be achieved by 2015.
These were agreed upon by twenty- three international organizations and one hundred and ninety- two countries as a response to the alarming rate of human degradation manifested in the form of extreme poverty, hunger and disease, high infant and child Mortality, maternal ill health, etc.
It is against this background, that Orji (2002) noted that the federal government of Nigeria has made a frantic effort to embellish the life of her citizens before the declaration of the millennium goals in the year 2000.
It was also observed that higher institutions of learning in Nigeria can have a significant effect on the achievement of MDGs in Nigeria by the year 2015 through teaching and research.
He noted that through the teaching and research activities, the universities and other higher institutions might help achieve the national objectives aimed at improving the life of Nigerian citizens which of late came under the MDGs such as eradicating extreme poverty and hunger,
reduce child mortality and improve maternal health. However, it has been argued that these objectives cannot be achieved successfully without the support of the Academic library.
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