NAN-H-89
E-libraries
By Suleiman Shehu
Ibadan, Nov. 22, 2016 (NAN) Prof. Michael Afolabi, Registrar, Librarian’s Registration Council of Nigeria (LRCN), has called on the Federal Government to establish e-libraries in government’s institutions in the country.
Afolabi made the call on Tuesday during the opening ceremony of national workshop on e-Library for Library and Information Science Professionals at the University of Ibadan.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the workshop was “E-library Services: A Redefinition of Library and Information Services in an Era of Change’’.
The registrar noted that quality change was required in every aspect of Nigerian economy for the nation to achieve meaningful development.
He said that e-library would open the widow of opportunities to Nigerians to have seamless access to deluge of information that would provide them life-long learning skills to improve their quality of life in an information age.
“E-libraries will help societies to make information more available, raise its quality and increase its diversity.
“It will also make research easier for scholars and ease the budget pressure on libraries and solve the urgent preservation problems.
“We are determined to raise the stakes of librarianship higher than it is now and we are looking at taking advantages of the social media to provide effective library services to our clients,’’ Afolabi said.
He said that the council as an agency of the Federal Government had been living up to its mandate.
According to him, within the last seven years the council has continued to offer its stewardship to the profession to ensure quality service delivery and to re-position the library sector for national development.
Afolabi said that the workshop would equip librarians with the necessary skills to set up and manage electronic libraries, saying that modern library practices involved infusion of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).
He urged corporate organisations to consider donating standard e-libraries to communities and schools as an attempt to bridge the digital divide in the country.
Prof. Idowu Olayinka, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, called for synergy between the library profession and other professions.
Olayinka, who was represented by Prof. Emilolorun Aiyelari, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, University of Ibadan, said that e-library was essential in this era for effective development. (NAN)
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Edited by Shittu Obassa/Grace Yussuf