Effective Library Services for Good Governance in Nigeria: A Case Study of Selected Libraries in Kwara State

Abstract

This study investigates the effective library services on the promotion of good governance in Nigeria. It employed descriptive survey research design for data collection. A total of thirty eight (38) librarians from both academic and public library services of Kwara state was included in the study. A purposive sampling technique was used to select the University of Ilorin library, Federal Polytechnic Offa library, College of Education Oro library and Kwara State library board for this study. Questionnaire and interview were used extensively for data collection and data analysis was on Average Weighted Response (Arithmetic Mean) while Chi-Square test was used to test the null hypotheses formulated at 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that effective library services engender good governance in Nigeria. Challenges such as inadequate funding, insufficient qualified manpower, inadequate support from parent institutions and lack of interest by the library users hindered effective library services. The study recommended that increase in funding, recruitment of qualified personnel was considered as the panacea for libraries to play their roles in providing relevant information to policy makers, political office holders and those charged with positions of leadership in Nigeria.

Keywords: Effective library services, Information, Good governance, Nigeria.