Automation in Nigerian University Libraries: Mirage or Reality?

Abstract

The trend in IT in the information society is that library automated systems are geared to function in the digital library environment. With this unprecedented success in library automation we would be able to organize and preserve our knowledge without fear of loss of access and maintain a single or central database for all the library subsystems. This paper has analyses the Nigeria’s ICT environment, current state of automation in Nigerian university libraries with particular reference to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and University of Ibadan Libraries and concludes by proposing a model for achieving automated library system in our universities for effective information access, management and delivery based on enormous benefits accruable to libraries that embraced the system.

Key Words: ICTs, Library Automation, Nigerian Universities, University Libraries