ABSTRACT
This study was undertaken to document problems of school libraries in Nasarawa town. The first chapter of this work companies of the introduction, background of the study, statement of the problems, objectives of (he study significance of the study, scope and limitations of the study and definition of term& The second chapter Is basically on the literature review of the author in relations to the study, while the chapter three is focused on research methodology and some data collection. The chapter four deals with data presentation analysis and discussion of the study, the chapter five is all about summary, conclusion, recommendations and bibliography.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
School libraries are those libraries in nursery, primary and secondary schools, they are associated with early life education. School libraries are organized collection of print and non-print materials in school, for use of both students and teachers. The school library can be defined as that library that is found at primary and secondary schools.
School libraries in developing countries it would seem appropriate that library service for children should receive the highest priority, for the development of efficient school library services, since this is likely to have the greatest impact. However, the general situation in this field is not at present satisfactory. By and large, the most serious obstacle facing schools in providing adequate libraries is not financial but lack of staff with sufficient authority and time to the take charge of setting up and organizing the school library.
If primary and secondary schools are regarded as the most important stage in the education system, when most of the skilled manpower of a nation is trained and the quality of the future university student is determined, where character-building and the qualities of leadership can best be developed, then it is at this stage that children should be taught and trained how best to use libraries. Library is a place were literary and artistic materials such as books, periodicals, newspaper, pamphlets, print media, records, and tapes are kept for reading, reference or lending. School libraries are learning laboratories where information, technology and inquiry come together in a dynamic that resonates with 21st century learners.
A school library is one of the most important agencies in the school it plays and important roles in the teaching and learning process for both teachers and students. This would support students’ performance, specifically in the areas of literary technology skills and access to resources. School libraries must be assisted by proper funding to acquire relevant and varied materials for this purpose. Books and non-book materials must be provided. They must be well organized, and the right caliber of staff must be put in place to disseminate information directly or give assistance to those seeking information on their own. School libraries provide information and ideas that are fundamental to functioning successfully in today’s information and knowledge based society. The school library equips students with life-long learning skills and develop the imagination, enabling them to the live as responsible citizens.
Several scholars addressed the problem facing students in using school libraries. The study conducted in Nigeria found that avidity of school library resources, scarcity of current reading and research materials were the challenges facing students in using school libraries Adeyemi (2009). In the same vein it was observed that poor library accommodation, poor library orientation and restricted library hours were problems militating against the use of school libraries.
Study conduct in south Africa, revealed that the problem facing school libraries include the lack of a national policy. School library information resources, computer as a result of the lack of security as well as the lack of understanding by teachers of the role the library in teaching and learning Patron-Ash (2012).
Furthermore, reading rooms restrictions, restrictions on numbers of books, references materials, lack of computer and internet connectivity are the problems or challenges that hinder students in use of school libraries.
The study conducted by the world bank in sub-Saharan African countries on problems facing school libraries the result of the study reviled that, critically inadequate funding, with little or no government financial support and only occasional donor support, which leaves most of the burden of library financial support on parents who are already overstretched with the other costs of secondary education lack of sufficient library problems which are usually just converted classrooms with insufficient space, shelving, furniture, equipment or security. And also the result of the study found that, where library collection exists it is generally old and often irrelevant to current curricula and teacher/student interests. More often than not there is virtually no appropriate collection available at all and there are rarely budgets for stock upgrading or replenishment. And also result reviled that, lack of understanding by both teachers and students of the role and function of a school library and thus an increasing inability to use libraries property even if they are well established. Untrained school librarians, poor library management systems, for overstretched and poorly paid teachers the work load involved in selecting, ordering receiving, cataloguing, managing loans and returns, re-shelving, repairs and so forth is simply too much and every when funds are available basic management systems are often not up to standard (world bank 2008).
There was numerical research done in different countries that showed the mere existence library in a given school has direct effect on student test performance. School library services help to support the school curriculum by providing up-date information to keep teachers and students abreast of new development. The library also promotes one development of reading skills and encouraged long term planning habits through reading listening to and viewing a range of learning materials. The use of library resources by students found that most of the students use library resources and services to supplement their class notes, assignments and helped them in examination preparation. (Agyekum and Fiso, 2013). School library remains the power house of educational institution and that an education institution without a library is like a motor car without an engine and a body without a soul. (Daniel, 2004)School library information resources are seen as all inputs which are utilized in the library in order to provide good learning environment for students so as to be able to achieve educational goals. Variety of library information resources is essential to facilitate the school library fulfill its information resources necessary for the school’s educational programmes and to help in improving and rising the reading skills and learning habits of students. (Aruaa and Chinaka, 2011)School library is not only serving students, it also provides teachers with access to relevant curriculum information and professional development within and outside the school environment availability of both a print rich environment and digital resources leads to more free voluntary reading that improves students potential for comprehensive knowledge language ability and grammatical and spelling competence (Krashen 2005).
According to Unesco (2009) manifesto in other word the school libraries can be regarded as that part of the school with the responsibility of gathering information as well as translating it into knowledge as a learning resources center.
The library assists in accomplishing the objectives of the institution by providing the necessary information to staff and students. Therefore, the role the library stands to play is enable the college achieve its set objectives. To achieve the goals of the college, the library has to play the following roles:
1. Provision of research materials for both staff and students.
2. Collection of books, periodical and other publications.
3. Provision of readers services to the users.
4. Dissemination of current published information.
5. Provision of inter-library service to user.
6. Organization of reports for easy retrieval by users.
The library, is to support teaching, learning and research work of both the staff and the students of the college with the large volume of information materials available in the library which are needed by users to assist them in learning and resent was narrow. As organization grew in size and scope the traditional apprenticeship system gave way to the institutionalized and modern training system called formal training. It is very important for the library to offer quality service. Efficient and prompt dissemination of information enables users to maximize the use of their resources and services. The success of one’s library may be determined by the strength of its library collections, services and the extent of use made by its users and the score of educational by its users and the score of educational performance. Adequate knowledge of library service, information access and need of users and usage pattern of users are the vital things for developing library collections services and facilities within schools to meet user’s information needs.
The quality of materials and services has a long lasting effect on the students learning habits and attitude. These study habits becomes the ladder for higher education success in future (JagannathPreveen, 2007).
A school library is therefore expected to equip students with like long learning skills and developed their imagination to enable them leave as responsible citizens, the.: schools libraries has the mission to provide learning service, books and oilier resources that enable all the members of school community to become critical thinkers and effective users of information in all format and media. In other words, the school libraries can be regarded as that part of the school saddled with the responsibility of gathering information as well as translating it into knowledge as a learning resources centre. It can be regarded as that facilities administered as a unit of individuals school where resources are made available to student and schools.
Indeed the school libraries like any other library come into being when the arose for the need for its resources and services. The collection of school are to be done by professional librarians or teacher librarian. Users from the school libraries are made up of pupils and teachers.
School libraries are part of school community and integrating factors in the networks of the school system. It contains materials other than books i.e. non book materials and all those required in the educational program of the school and direct towards indefinitely educational goals of respected schools. Schools libraries support the educational work and their parent education. School libraries are truly functional in the developing countries including Nigeria. Government recognise the importance of libraries at this level and these explain why government usually time-out with policy which favours the development of school libraries.
The importance of school libraries was realized when the National Policy on education 2004 emphasized that “libraries are one of the most important education services. Every school needs to provide funds for the establishment of the library in all educational institutions”.
Information has always played a significant role in recorded history. From communication has always formed the basis of human existence. This fact has made man a relentlessly seek ways to improve the processing of information and communicating such information to one irrespective of distance and on a timely base. But the restraints to these are the place, time, to whom what kind of information and how effective this information is disseminated to meet the needs of the users.
As such, for one to be fully armed with relevant information and varying ones too, constant use of the library is just the answer. Information which is an assemblage of data in a comprehensive form capable of communication has no doubt played a leading role in the development and modernization of human society. Information abounds in various fields of human endeavour, amongst which are academics, scientists even semi and obliterates need information for current awareness, retrospective searches factual information, improving existing services acquiring new ideas, research and to produce information.
Webster’s 3rd New International Dictionary (1961) defines information as “knowledge of a particular event or situation” or as the “knowledge communicated by others or obtained through investigation” .Information need reflects a desire for increased and accuracy in the solution of a problem. The need should not be viewed in a negative sense as it should be seen positively as that Which increases decision making accuracy, because they feel that the information might be of some use in the future. Information users are persons that use information and they include government functionaries, housewives amongst others needs are matters of priority, what we need if an overriding reason. With these, we can see that libraries can be designed to meet the demands of students. The more the society grows and becomes more complex, so does the library responds to it by growing and becoming more complex to meet the needs of the students. Gates (2000) noted that this is more pronounced in the 19th nineteenth century when in the United States of America, the elitist status of the library from the earliest time to the 19th eighteenth century began to crumble because of the great upsurge of interest in self-education and of the desire for universal public education. As the society aggregates into different sectors, libraries were established in these sectors of the society.
1.1 THE BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Nasarawa state was created from Plateau State on 1stOct. 2006 by the former head of Nigeria, General Sani Abacha (GCON).
Nasarawa local government town schools of which the government should provide them with library and materials such as books and non-books and other items so that both secondary and primary schools can run their programmes effectively and to enable the students to learn fast.
1.2 THE STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The primary school is the bed rock of education. Therefore, there is need for library services. It has been accepted by the federal government, that library should be established in primary school. However, it has been observed that they are not usually available. That is why it is necessary to study and investigate the reasons for this. This is also to document the reasons of this poor view of school library in Nasarawa .
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTION
1. Are school libraries available in Nasarawa?
2. Are the materials available in school libraries in Nasarawa?
3. What are the problems faced by school libraries in Nasarawa?
1.4 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
1. To ascertain if school libraries are available in Nasarawa LGA
2. To examine the availability of materials in school libraries in Nasarawa
3. To find out problem of school libraries in Nasarawa
4. To proffer solution to the problems of school library in Nasarawa
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this project is to show the problems of school libraries in Nasarawa town. The federal government maintained that libraries are one of the most important educational services which every state should have. This is contained in the following:
Every state ministry of education need to provide funds for the establishment of libraries in educational institutions and to train librarian for these services.
J.O. Fadero also stressed that “school libraries in particular enrich curriculum and remain the common laboratory of a school for those in guest of knowledge but laments that it is only at higher institution of learning that one can find libraries being given their pride of place which they deserve, this poor attitudes to school libraries should be reverted.
Library is a medium of education which plays a similar role in our school curriculum as our science or language laboratories. It is also the fact that a well-equipped school library could broaden the knowledge of students and increase their cultural awareness.
1.6 THE SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY.
The scope of the study is a study of the problems of school libraries in Nasarawa town.
1.7 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS
i. Education
ii. Library
iii. School
A. EDUCATION: Is the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits.
B. LIBRARY: Is describe as a learned institutions equipped with treasures of knowledge maintained, organized, and managed by trained personnel to educate the children, men and women continuously and assists in their self-improvement through an effective and prompt dissemination of information embodied in the resources (ISLAM, 2004).
C. SCHOOL: Is an institution designed to provide learning space and learning environments for the teaching of students (or pupils) under the direction of teachers.
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Format: MS-Word
Pages: 41
Chapters: 1-5 (Complete)
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