INFORMATION NEEDS OF TEACHERS IN SCHOOL LIBRARIES (A CASE STUDY OF FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, OWERRI IMO STATE)
ABSTRACT
This research work investigated the information need of teachers in school libraries: a case study of federal university of technology libraries staff, Owerri. The data collection instrument used for this work were questionnaire, interview schedule and observation methods. The research population composed of the students, lecturers, library staffs and client of the institutions under study. The findings revealed the information needs of teachers in school libraries, the types of ICTs in use in the school library and the examination of their standards. The findings showed the problems in the school libraries. Base on the findings, recommendations were made on ways of solving the outstanding problems by giving an insight on the positive outcome of embarking on ICT for the libraries. The suggestions generally highlighted on the challenges and opportunities of library services in terms of application of information and communication technology services.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
There is generally an accepted opinion about the falling standard of education in Nigeria, most especially at the primary and secondary school levels, and also FUTO staff school. This is because the constant increase in the number of educational institutions and students’ enrolments are not maintained by any substantial improvement in the quality of teachers, equipments and teaching aids in those institutions. In other words, there is a general belief that Nigerian education today is quantitative rather than qualitative.
Quantitative education is an education whose worth or value is assessed only in terms of number of schools, pupils and teachers while qualitative education is an educational programme whose worth or value is assessed in terms of quality or standard.
However, libraries have been termed as one of pillar of availization. It is a known fact that an efficient and effective library represents the foundation in which a strong educational programme is built. Any attempt to teach and learn without the use of a good school library will result to a shallow and restructure type of education which will not be suitable and desirable for the future leaders of any country.
1.1 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF STAFF DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA
Nigeria as a nation is not left out in the global development of children / school library. However, some factors have affected this developments such as: Regeneration with separate administrations, the unbridled political unrests, the numbers of tribal / exanic groups and of course the problems of the absence of the National Lingua Franca. The factors weight heavily on the development. For instance, it has been easier to develop texts and reading materials in English than in any other language and to find qualifies teachers to manage school libraries and consequently literacy filling in this directions. On the other hand, village and rural children find the challenge in language drastic because they have not heard as much English spoken as the city children. There is also the danger and fear of losing contact with one’s indigenous culture, without gaining a real understanding of the new one.
Library services to children, particularly in the school of the eastern region and in the public liberalities of the western region and Lagos expanded at a surprising rate, considering the few resources with which the programme were begun in 1965, the eastern Nigeria school libraries association publish their first bulleting with helpful articles on library problems and review books in English such as handbooks wratter by Allen Joan and Robert Crooked have proved that the availability of guides suited to local patterns are more effective than those imported from other country.
1.2 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE FUTO STAFF SCHOOL
The federal university of technology owerri: stated operating on November 28, 1950 in the premises of the old government technical college secondary school owerri with a complement of ten (10) staff borrowed from the Imo State civil service. Zaria was appointed the first vice-chancellor from squatting at the government technical college, of university moved its operation to ikenegbu and later to its temporary site, the lake Nwaeze Campus. This site was originally intended for the federal government girls college owerri and is situated behind the Imo State civil service and public service commission along SAMEK Road off Okigwe road owerri. Later the institution relocated to their permanent site Ihiagwa.
The institution brought up an idea of having a primary school. This is the staff primary school for Imo State University. It is known by those who grew, attended this school from its inception in 1981 till about 1995 – 6 by its orginal name FUTO primary school
FUTO: federal university of technology owerri) which used to occupy the ground on which Imo State university now stand (K.C.O).
The Futo primary school started on September 1981 and with few students but presently, the school have about four hundred and fifty students (450) with about twenty nine staffs (29) both skilled and unskilled staff.
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
What are the resources available in the school library?
How would you describe the use of library resources in the school library?
What are the contributions of teachers in a school library?
What are the information needs of teachers in school libraries?
What are the problems militating against the effective use of the school library resources?
What are the solutions to the problems identified?
1.4 SCOPE / LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The work covers the evaluative study of the information needs of teachers in a school library more especially in the Futo (Federal University of Technology Owerri staff school).
The study also covered a good number of opinion in the literature review. This was done in the opinion that would form options in the questionnaire.
1.5 SIGNIFICANT OF THE STUDY
This study will make us know the importance of teacher librarian in every school library. The following are the significant of the study: instructional strategies, Research studies. Information intermediary, to train students etc. after going through this research work etc. after going through this research work we will see other significant of this study and also their explanations.
1.6 DEFINITION OF FINDINGS
This aspect of research projects gives different definition of terms.
Information: The meaning a human being assigns to data by means of the conventions applied to that data (Drubbu, 2003).
It can also be explained as any kind of understanding or knowledge that can be exchanged with people. It can be exchanged with people. It can be about facts, things, concepts or anything relevant to the topic concerned. Colofin Babatunde Bayodele et al. 2012). The Oxford Dictionary simple gives the meaning of information as facts or details about something.
School Libraries: These are libraries found in different primary and secondary schools. Ekweozoh, (1991), Defines a school library as “a collection of books, audio visuals aids and other printed materials properly organized and used by students and teachers staff”.
INFORMATION NEEDS OF TEACHERS IN SCHOOL LIBRARIES (A CASE STUDY OF FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, OWERRI IMO STATE)