Abstract
The school library is an important organ of the educational system, and without it no profitable or rewarding educational programme can go on in the school environment because all the academic activities depend on the school library and its facilities. It is a place where the collections of information materials that are acquired, organized, and stored are kept for use by students and teachers. Umar (2013), defines the school library as that part of the school where a collection of books, periodicals, magazines, records of all types, computers etc. are housed for use by teachers and students for learning, recreational activities, personal interests and interpersonal relationships of children. Akanwa and Mbagwu (2016) also emphasize that the school library is a laboratory where many activities and experiments are carried out, and all these activities and experiments are geared towards the development of the child and the nation. The school library can be seen as an important appendage to any school programme, and without it, no profitable or rewarding educational activity can go on in the school environment.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
- Background of the study
Libraries whether academic, public, school or special are all service institutions. All their activities are geared towards serving the needs of users. Academic libraries play an important role in the institutions they serve. The libraries hold printed materials including books, periodicals, newspapers, reports special collection of government documents and a wide range of electronic resources among others. The core objective of academic libraries is to support the parent institution to achieve its objective. This is partly because the institutions need information and the libraries play such roles. The focal position and the role of the library within the university has been emphasized and echoed by many authors. Effah (1998), for example, emphasizes that the academic support service provided by the library is critical to the attainment of the secondary school central mission of teaching, research and service. Kargbo (2002) on the other hand argues that academic library is the central organ of the secondary school, and this together with good laboratories and faculty are the parameters used to judge a good university. He goes on to posit further that, it is the barometer of learning, the intellectual hub of academia and as a result of its crucial position in the secondary school its primary role is educational. Undoubtedly, the academic library plays a tremendous role in the society and the any secondary school. To put it paradoxically, any secondary school would be incomplete without good libraries. Thus the basic function of an academic library is to provide research support, teaching and learning activities by providing relevant and useful resources in the form of books, serials and electronic resources. It is essential that libraries recognize the needs of their users and try as much as possible to meet their needs. Since academic library users have varying needs, it is the responsibility of the library staff to know the needs and expectations and strive to meet them. Meeting the information needs of users require the provision of the actual information resources and services that will satisfy their needs. Of great importance to them is satisfaction. In the words of Iroha (2001) a school library is a collection of a wide variety of library materials and resources housed in each school centrally organized by staff, professionally prepared to offer services to students and teachers that will enrich and support the educational enterprises. This is to say, a school library assists and supports the educational programme of the school by storing instructional materials for use in teaching and learning. Harold (2000) is of the view that a school library is an organized collection of books placed in a school for use by both the teachers and students. School libraries can also be said to be a miniaturized intellectual powerhouse or information centre found in primary schools, secondary schools and teacher training colleges. That is, it is a stepping stone towards a child’s intellectual development. Perhaps, Onwubiko and Uzoigwe (2004) define a school library as the learning laboratory of the school equipped with books, magazines, newspaper, audio visual materials, aimed at enhancing effective teaching and learning on the part of teachers and students. In order to create an environment full of literature and cultivate the habit of using information materials for necessary teaching tools lead to the establishment of school libraries. The then Eastern Nigeria Ministry of Education recognized school library “as an education institution”. The provision of school libraries to improve standard in education delivery has been well articulated in the National policy of Education (1999). Emphasizing the need for school libraries, the policy states among others. “Libraries are one of the most important education services. Every state ministry of education needs to provide funds for the establishment of libraries in all our educational institutions”. A good library is a sine-qua-non for qualitative education and an instrument for the enhancement and the utilization of the library resources by students. It serves the purpose of inspiration, communication among students and the fulfillment of programme in the curriculum. The proper utilization has enabled students to seek knowledge in books in order that in the process, they may become efficient and enthusiastic readers and also the integration on the use of new media encourage them to become adaptive to the use of audio visuals, thus creating room for relaxation and enjoyment. As the school has a need for students, so far as their mind is concerned, to develop the abilities to think. Contemporary library media programmes have approached this task through concerted and articulated efforts designed not only to provide students with an appreciation of literature, but also to teach them how to locate, retrieve and evaluate the work of information contained in the graphic recorded and printed records in the belief that such skills are essential for survival in a rapidly changing world. The library is not just a reservoir of knowledge, information and human experiences but also has made provision of accessing this treasure. Beswick (1975) sees school libraries as a continuing change in the pattern of school teaching and learning away from instruction and towards exploration. In the opinion of Allen and Allen (1973), Ezewu (1987), the whole essence of libraries are two fold. Service and instruction service which involves provision of whatever materials, equipment, assistance and guidance that are required by the user. One cannot talk of the effective utilization of library resources without considering the role of the teacher-librarians. The teacher-librarian in other words known as the library media specialist promote access to a broad range of information and ideas, in order to assist students in acquiring the knowledge and skills that will equip them to not only to locate but also evaluate and use information effectively and thereby becoming information literate. Their services and tasks contribute directly to the development of these skills. These include collection development, organizations for retrieval of materials and information, information guidance services, material production, student instruction and instructional development services. School libraries are more concentrated on the physical object collected rather than their intellectual contents i.e. (stressing, cover over content). All too often they regrettably also provide instruction in every conceivable skill, and in every form of information sources available. Individual students fundamental mental processes, including their developmental aspects are often neglected and the implication for both teachers and students of helping the young develop the ability to think about how they are using information to solve problem are frequently ignored. These and others are among the militators to effective utilization of library resources by secondary school students
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Libraries are established to provide information resources and services to meet users‟ information needs. The purpose of a library is defeated if its users are not satisfied with the resources and services it provides. This study is set to find out management function and student satisfaction with library services in public secondary school.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.