MOTIVATION AND PRODUCTIVITY IN PUBLIC LIBRARY (A CASE STUDY OF IMO STATE PUBLIC LIBRARY, UNUAHIA)
ABSTRACT
This study is on Motivation and Productivity in Public Libraries, (A case study of Imo State Public Library, Unahia). The study is predicated six objectives and research questions which authored on, to find out whether Imo state public library staff are motivated to identify the motivational techniques adopted by Imo state Public library management to motivate emphasis, to identify the motivational need by employee of Imo State public library, to proffer solution to the identified problems. The data used for research are collected by the use of questionnaire, supplemented by literature search by the staff of Imo state public library were not properly motivated due to poor funding from government, attitude of management towards the staff welfare and non recognition of the importance of librarianship. Finally, it was recommended among other suggestions that the government should provide adequate fund to the management of the library will and also librarianship should be recognized as a profession and by so doing, the library will be seeing as a lonely place to work and staff would be properly motivated.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Libraries act as providers of regular and up to day information providers, managed by persons with different attitudes and perceptions. It is in this respect that public library play a major role by virtue of being public agencies responsible for collecting, organizing and disseminating information resources. This in turn depends on the personnel who are responsible for the effective and efficient delivery of such services. It is therefore suggested that human resources selected and recruited in public libraries, have to be properly, adequately developed, motivated and maintained in order to provide quality services aimed at meeting information needs of the library users.
Therefore, according to Onwubiko (2004) motivation is primarily concerned with what energizes human behavior direct or channels such behavior and how this behavior is maintained or sustained to achieve organizational goals and improved staff production and how turn over.
Library employers here often feel that they are at the button of ladder and that no one above them cares of what they thinks as long as the job is done.
And until management take actions quality of works suffers, and patrons notice this in the quality of services they receive.
Also motivation demand great commitment and the part of both management and employees of the library. All of them are seen as stakeholders in the realization of the goods and standards of the realization of goods of the library by providing adequately the needs the employee and management of the library.
Furthermore, it has also observed that public library employee welfare aim not often taken care of by management. Even at that public libraries, it has been alleged do not have any structural motivation programme to achieve employee and library desire management think that payment of salaries in a motivation programme, there is indeed a general poor management to staff welfare in public libraries.
However, the result and effect being poor productivity and services to the clients all the same all these are mere speculations.
It is therefore, the intent of this study to investigate the motivation programme on grand of the Abia state public library based on identified problem solutions would be proffered
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Public libraries have a far wire range of patrons than other kinds of libraries. These libraries serve all members of the community, children, young adult and adults from all works of life. People use public library for school works, for their jobs and leisure activities. Public libraries must therefore, stock a variety of books and other materials and provide many services for members of the nation.
Public libraries have the objective to provide information services to support the education recreational, economic and political endeavor of their target populations (Echezona 2007).
Knowledge occurs or expands as a result of provide materials which communicate experience and idea from one person to another and makes easily and freely available to all people, the public library is an organization established, supported and founded by the community either through local, regional, or national government or through some other form of community organization.
It provides access to knowledge, information and work of irradiation through a range of resources and services and is equally available to all members of the nations regardless of age, sex, religion, nationality, language, disability, economic employment status and educational attainment (Aboyede,1984). The public library function in contemporary society is to save as sources of knowledge and memory bank foe means recorded through.
When public libraries are well developed information centre for the promotion of educational, cultural, occupational recreational, vocation, economic and social life of the people.
King George V. cited Ozuagwu (2002) one describes the public system as a national university that all may attend and none need ever leave. This is the acknowledgment of the long standing role that a public library plays in personal achievement and continuing education. Public libraries have also been describes as organs of social democracy and instruction of personal realization. (Oduagwu, 2006) they are characterized by their commitment top the goals of promoting and enlightened citizenry providing the opportunity, the material the encouragement inside and outside the library well.
These basic goals distinguished the public from all other types of library and have determined the nature and extend of its programmed.
It is very important to explain that the national question in the topic is defined to means national development. This is based on the premise that nothing else would have been more important as the national question than national development. National development is the critical point of emphasis for both the government and the citizens of the country.
In regard therefore, the very pertinent question is asked what is the place of the public library in this national development. As if preferring answer to this question, Ikoku (1978) appealed to us to examine the library (public) not as institution/entity grappling with the technicalities of its trade, hampered and frustrated by the shoes budget, grudgingly place at its disposal, but as an element in nation building.
In the process of national building or development the acquisition of knowledge is essential. Knowledge in this context includes scientific ideas and method as well as the cultural values upon which a nation way of life is founded.
At this junction, it will right in line to define and explain what national development is; national development is referred to as a transition from a traditional set up to a modern one by way of economic development, change and it is measured by an increase in national output of a country or in the per capital income of its inhabitant. Thus information which is vital resource plays a vital role in the process of national development and so too miss the public library which provides, organizes and disseminates this to those who need them.
According to Aguotu, (1789) rural development is impossible without exposing dwellers to informational or functional literacy to enable them participate in the formulation and solution of their own problems.
Public library are designed to provide information on agricultures, buildings, trade, health care and other aspects of human activities which are required mostly by the lower social groups and illiterates because they lack access to other sources of information.
Information is the poet around which development resolves and for government to achieve meaningful and purposeful result, becomes a vital ingredient to be used in carrying the people along with its programmes and activities in all social life. Besides, dwellers not only live up to their responsibilities but to be aware of their noble roles, to the society they belong. If the information needs of rural areas is met, there will be a different turn of events in their lives resulting in development.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Public libraries in the country lack of motivation and resulted in poor performance of their duties to the society.
Some public libraries in the country are frequent on strike because of non-payment of workers’ salaries. They are also derived incentive that tends to motivate workers.
Also lack of motivation in most public libraries is as a result of government share allocation to the public library and also a result of application of poor management techniques.
Other establishment knowing the impact of motivation to the achievement of the organizational goals is making conscious efforts at making greater investment to improve the human resources but the reverse is the case in public libraries. Poor motivation in public libraries has resulted in vices like insufficiency indolence low productivity, poor management unsatisfactory patrons services and about all hoe development in the organization.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The following objectives are formulated to guide the study.
To identify whether Imo state public library staff are motivated.
To identify the motivational need by employees of Imo state public library.
To ascertain Imo state public library management attitude to staff welfare.
To ascertain the problems of staff motivation at the Imo state public library.
To proffer solution to identified problems
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Are the staffs of Imo state public library motivated?
What are the motivational techniques adopted by Imo state public library management to motivate employees.
What are the motivational needs of employees of Imo state public library
What is the attitude of Imo state public library o staff welfare.
What are the problems of staff motivation at the Imo state public library.
1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
Using Imo State library as a case study. It shows how the public libraries would obtain total personnel effectiveness of library employees through structural motivation programmes.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Study work will help the general public to know why public libraries are not discharging duties expected of them.
It will also help workers of the public library, to know government and management responsibilities to them. It will go a long way in equipping the organization set goal because by the study they will know that motivation led to effective performance. The work will also add in the specialized area of human resources management in public libraries.
It will basically act as a reference tool to information managers and even management consultants on the specific area of motivation.
The findings of the realized would make the library manager top realize that when planned for and implemented strategically that motivation achieve a great deal for the library.
Finally, the study would act as variable sources of the information to those to replicate the work as to improve it
1.7 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE CASE STUDY
Imo state library from the year 1976 – 2011. Imo state library board came out from eastern regional board.
It was later part of eastern central library on 3rd February 1976, more state were created in Nigeria and Imo state was tone of those state. It was carried out of the former eastern central state.
As a result of this creation. The east central library board broke into Anambra and Imo state library board.
However, it was only in September 1976, that the indigenous Imo state staff in Enugu transferred to Owerri to established the administrative headquarters of Imo state library board. The mobility was in part because printing, binding and reprography staff was the last to move by the end of September, 1976 prior to the movement, the assets and liabilities of the former east central state library board were shared. The Anambra state library board retained the buildings and fixed asset whole fiscal cash and information resources were shared consequently, Owerri divisional library which was under completion was hurriedly finished and used as the headquarter.
The new library was opened to the public on 12th on November, 1976 by the military governor commander Godwin Ndubuisi Kanu.
The building is also designed to house on the ground floor the children library, the acquisition and cataloguing departments, the information consultancy unit the staff reading room and the reprographic unit as well as the auditoria housing.
There is also the handicap section which was opened by the military governor of Imo state commander Amadi Ibekweghe on 1st November 1989 and the exhibition which was taken over by the NTA.
The first floor contains one references, circulation and adult lending section. The library began its operation with a financial provision of N564, $37-66 for the financial year 1976/1977.
The sum was made up of N246, 832.66 being financial inheritance from the east central state library board and N360,000 as financial addition, a sum of 500, 000 was to cover its capital expenditure for the year 1877.trhe library started its operations with a total of 150 staffs and a stock of 1,350 volume. At present the total staff is 108 December, 2006 and June 2007, the staff is strength is 112.
The history will be incomplete without mentioning the carving out of Abia state from Imo state, in September 1991. The resultant effect of this emergence of Abia state library board. This sharing was completed in November 1991. It is worthy of the note that most of the divisional libraries want to Abia state out of 17 divisional and branch libraries, Imo state library board inherited only 7.
Finally the Imo state public library is made up of the following section. Namely:
Acquisition section
Technical section
Reader’s services section
Reference section
Circulation section
Children’s section and reprographic section
1.8 DEFINITION OF OPERATION BASIC CONCEPT
MOTIVATION
Is concerned with what energizes human behavior direct or channels such behavior and how this behavior is maintained or sustained to achieve organizational goals improved staff, production and low turnover (Onwubiko, 2004).
PERSONNEL
Is a staff or employees of an organization (Nwachukwu, 2005).
PUBLIC LIBRARIES
These are institutions that are set up by government through an enabling law funded and maintained at public expense. Public libraries are expected to meet the educational, informational and recreational need of its community (Okparaku, 2004).
MOTIVATION AND PRODUCTIVITY IN PUBLIC LIBRARY (A CASE STUDY OF IMO STATE PUBLIC LIBRARY, UNUAHIA)