Training Needs of Librarians for Digital Library Projects in Federal University Libraries
Chapter One
Objective of the Study
The general purpose of this study is to ascertain the training needs of librarians for digital library projects in federal university libraries in South -South zone of Nigeria. However, the specific objectives of the study are:
(1) To ascertain the skills required by librarians for building digital library projects as well as rendering digital library services in the federal university libraries in South-South zone Nigeria.
(2) To ascertain the technological skills possessed by librarians for digital library projects in the federal university libraries in South-South zone Nigeria.
(3) To find out the available methods of training librarians for digital library projects in the federal university libraries in the South-South zone Nigeria.
(4) To ascertain the benefits of training librarians for digital library projects in the federal university libraries in South- South Nigeria.
(5) To ascertain challenges faced in training librarians for digital library projects in the federal university libraries in South-South zone Nigeria.
(6) To proffer strategies for enhancing the training of librarians in the federal university libraries in South- South zone Nigeria.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
This chapter deals with the review of studies, related to the present study. The review was done under the following headlines.
Conceptual Framework
Theoretical Framework
Empirical Studies
Conceptual and Theoretical Framework
The theoretical framework of this study is built on Holland (1959) typology theory of vocational behaviour. This theory focuses on occupational environments which are believed to exist. Holland (1959), the author of this theory classifies the environments into realistic, intellectual, social, conventional, enterprising and artistic environments. He believes that the way in which each individual adjusts to these working environments and how he develops skills relevant to each environment determines how well he will fit into each of the work environments.
The above theory has to do with this study in the sense that employees in Anambra are not expected to be stagnant if they must be relevant in the organization. They should be able to readjust themselves to innovations or technologies through training which leads to increased productivity and the attainment of organizational goals (Ezeji, 2001).
Human behaviour theory concentrates on interpersonal relationship that exists between management and the workers. The relationship will aid management in realizing the organization goals. Taking a close look at these, it will be seen that the focus is generally on productivity and efficiency. The theory is related to this study because when there is an effective human relations (cordial relationship) between the employees and the management there will be increase in productivity and achievement of the organizational goals. (African Business School, 2009).
Scientific management theory was propounded by Fredrick Wilson Taylor. He was concerned during the late 1800s and early 1900s with emphasis that organizations placed on production. Taylor believed that any major problem confronting an industrial organization could be resolved if management would determine the expected level of output of employees and then communicate to these expectations to the employees. Scientific management, as conceived by Taylor, was designed to increase output of the employees and to improve the operating efficiency of the management. Taylor believed that workers have to overcome the fear of being replaced by machine or by an automated process. Taylor, therefore, advocated complete education of employees which help then to be more effective and efficient which leads to increased output and the achievement of organizational goals. This theory is related to this study because its focus is on how employees can be effective and efficient which leads to increased productivity and the attainment of organizational goals. This means that librarians needs to be retrained and developed so that they can make maximum contributions to the achievement of organizational goals (Osuala, 1986).
Wandell French model (1978) views personnel functions as an operational process and a facilitating system within the organization. The model brings to light the interdependence of the various human resource management processes in organizations, with human resource management being presented as “diagnosis of planning and coordinating and controlling of a network of organization – wide process and facilitating systems pertaining to leadership, staffing, training and development, compensation and reward and organizational development”. This model is applied to this study (training needs of librarians in Anambra) because it views training and development as a process involving “a complex amalgamation of many sub-processes” aimed at increasing the capability of individuals and groups to contribute to organizational goal attainment. It also informs us that the level of training and development attained by employees directly affects organizational development. This is to say that if librarians in Anambra are retrained and developed professionally, it will lead to development of the career growth potential of employees job performance and career advancement opportunities and the promotion of the organizational development which makes for the realization of organization’s objectives possible (Onah, 2003).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried out to examine The Training Needs Of librarians In Tertiary Institutions In South-South zone of Nigeria. Selected Tertiary Institutions In South-South zone of Nigeria form the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
This chapter presents the result of the data analysis for the study. The presentations were organized according to the research questions of the study.
Research Question 1: What are the Information and Communication Technology skills needed for training of the librarians in tertiary institutions in South-South zone of Nigeria.
librarians in tertiary institutions were required to respond to this question. The responses obtained are presented in table 1.
Table 2
Mean and standard deviation ratings on the training needed by librarians in Information and Communication Technology skills
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter presents the summary and major findings of the study. Also presented in the chapter are conclusions, recommendations based on the findings of the study.
Summary of the Study
The study was a survey research design, questionnaire was the instrument used to collect data for assessing the training needs of librarians in South-South zone of Nigeria. A set of 55 structured questionnaire items was used to gather information from 150 respondents made of both librarians and Deputy librarians. The questionnaire was validated by three experts from the Department of Vocational Teacher Education, University of Abuja, and its reliability was established using Cronbach alpha formula for determining the internal consistency. Reliability result of 0.99 was calculated for the instrument after its trial test on 20 librarians from Imo State.
The data was collected with the assistance of two trained research assistants (RA’s) and analyzed with the aid of computer using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 16.0 version using mean, standard deviation. The mean and standard deviation were used to answer the five research questions.
Conclusions
The study concludes that there are training needed by librarians in tertiary institutions in South-South zone of Nigeria which provides better performance in their office procedures and operations. The study is also of the view that training needed by the librarians in up-dating their skills, attitudes and knowledge should be adequately provided which will enable them to contribute to the realization of organizational goals and objectives. It is evident in the study that when librarians in tertiary institutions are given opportunities for training in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), their job performance in their office procedures and operations are bound to improve considerably as such they are motivated to carry out their office routines cheerfully and remarkably.
Recommendations
The following recommendations were made based on the findings of the study and the implications:
- The administrator in tertiary institutions should endeavour to afford their librarians training opportunities through which they could be retrained in emergent innovations and techniques in the world of work.
- The administrators in those pubic establishments should endeavour to properly organize and coordinate the policy (training) as to create enabling environment for librarians to update their knowledge and skills in this dispensation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
- The government who owned, managed and controlled those tertiary institutions should be ready to sponsor the librarians to attend both local and national conferences, workshops seminars and refresher courses in Universities, Colleges of Education and Polytechnics so as to help them build up their knowledge and keep abreast of new happenings in their career and also to remain relevant in their office procedures and operations especially in this era of automated offices.
- Promotion of these librarians should be based on merit and frequent submission for training programme for upgrading of knowledge and skills and not on the basis of years of experience.
- librarians should at any time be ready to go for training not minding the inconveniences it might caused them.
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