EVALUATION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS IN THE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION IN PLATEAU STATE POLYTECHNIC LIBRARY: AN ASSESSMENT OF STATE POLYTECHNIC LIBRARIES IN NORTH CENTRAL NIGERIA

EVALUATION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS IN THE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION IN PLATEAU STATE POLYTECHNIC LIBRARY: AN ASSESSMENT OF STATE POLYTECHNIC LIBRARIES IN NORTH CENTRAL NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The functionality of any organization or institution depends on how it is able to adjust to charging situation, ideas, knowledge and outline which are archaic or outdated needs to be reviewed constantly or discarded and new ones that meet up the present day realities. Academic library like any other institution is a passing through sense of reformation over the years “The demand for increased accessibility and more timely delivery of results have made librarians look for more effective ways to serving their  clients or users. Library derives its name from the Latin word “LIBER” meaning “BOOK” the library actually precede the book as collection of clay tablets, papyruses and scrolls housed in libraries long before the concept of the book emerged. Library can also be defined as collection of books and other library materials kept for reading, study, and consultation. It is a place, building, rooms set apart for the keeping and use of a collection on organized books. The collection is made up of book materials and non-book- materials such as films, photographs and other visual materials, plastic or metal tapes and disk computer, tapes and programs. All these materials as well as printed and manuscript documents may be provided in the department of one large library to serve the community, institution and society. Library services entails the duties, function, task etc. discharged by a library for the use of books and other services like dissemination of information.” Evaluation of library services” being the topic of the study implies the analysis of the services rendered by the Academic library “Barkin- Ladi”. Evaluation itself can be said to be the determination of the value of library service in Plateau State Polytechnic “Barkin-Ladi” to the clients and users. Once, what a potential library needs of the users have been identified, it is necessary to its services from time to time to know how well they are currently being met. The maintenance of an academic library services is therefore as important to the institution as large and to each of its members. Failure to provide these services is wasteful to the institution on parent institution.

1.1    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Libraries over the year have undergone stages of historical developments. During these periods of historical sojourn, different kinds of definition to reflect their original aim or purpose for the preservation of recorded materials made up of written history of ancient culture and knowledge of humanity at various lines libraries were then regarded as mere depositions and store houses of knowledge. They were the prerogative of the cream of the society Ode and Omokaro,(2007), libraries are most important agent in information  transfer called repository of information accumulated by men and women living or dead accumulated for posterity to harnessed at will. According to Attata (2011), the custodian role of the libraries has been that of acquiring processing, presentation and information dissemination to numerous clienteles. Libraries especially academic libraries plays indispensable role in educational development in Nigeria and indeed the relationship between reading and libraries has a subject of considerable theoretical interest and practical important among libraries and teachers. Basically libraries exist to provide information service offered by libraries in different grouped into types mainly on the basis of similarity of the functions. The various types include national, academic, school, public and special libraries. Edoka , (  2000). But for the purpose of these study, the focus will be mainly on academic libraries using state polytechnic plateau, “Barkin-Ladi’. In Nigeria context, all libraries attached to university, Polytechnic, college of agriculture, college of education, Military institutions like Nigerian Defense Academy, the wan college and Nigeria institute of strategies studies and to any other post-secondary institution are academic libraries. Broadly speaking however, academic libraries can be grouped into two: University and college libraries. Any library attached to a university is called university Library and any other tertiary institutions is called university library. Ekere, (2006). He further states that the main purpose of a university (academic) library is to support the objectives of the university which is to promote teaching, learning and research. Thus, the university academic library is meant to serve the users.  Academic libraries also used many ways of imparting knowledge some of these are reader’s instruction, users, instructions, library orientation, library instruction and used of library and information skills,Users and staff education.  The term “user’s education has been defined severally by different authors: Akawmbe (2011) defined user education as an academic progamme that is designed by university and other higher institution to educate library users on how to effectively utilize library resources and services. It can also a process that concerned with whole information and communication process. It can also be seen as an instruction given to reader to help them make the best use of the library. Aina, (2004) opined that users education is to help users get any information he/she desires as well as developing the skills to use the resources of the library independently.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

These researches was made to know the challenges posted by the information acquisition processing, storage and retrieval and dissemination is very enormous. Has the plateau state polytechnic library “BarkinLardi” able to meet up providing library services to its users effectively? Have the library users able to get the rightful information using the library services? These constituted some problem of the emphiried inquiry

1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. Who are the library users?
2. Which department is mostly used by the user?
3. Is the library services adequate?
4. How often do the users visit the library?
5. Does the library have current materials?
6. Are the library users stratified with the services provided?
7. What are the challenges in effective library?

1.4 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

1. To identify various users of the library
2. To identify the department that is mostly used by users.
3. to identify the various library services provided
4. To determine the purpose of the users visit to the library.
5. To check if the library have current materials
6. To know if the library users are satisfied with services rendered by the references librarian.
7. To identify challenges of the provision of effective services in the library.

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study will be useful to the state polytechnic library in North central zone.

1. The study will help to improve library service within the north central zone.
2. Help to identify the needs of the users.
3. Help to improve library services in the institution.
4. Help to provide framework that can be used to improve library services in the institution
5. Help to identify areas the library or staffs needs to improve on.
6. Help to meet up the challenges of the library services.

1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This study was principally concerned on the assessment of library services in the dissemination of information in the north central zone at Barkin Ladi, state polytechnic library Plateau.

However in the course of this investigation the researcher’s effort was constrained by the need to be focus. The study emphasized on the library services provided in the library.

1.7 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

From the research topic the following were extracted for definition according to the study: 

1. Evaluation: is an assessment used as a basis for a summary of a particular

situation.

2. Dissemination: is the process of spreading or distributing information.

 3. Information: information can be seen as facts or details about a field of

 knowledge.

 4. Library materials: these are library resources which can be inform of books

 and non-books.

 5. Library services: these are references services given by a librarian to the users  in the library.