By Daniel Ighakpe
SIR: September 8, of every year is observed as ‘International Literacy Day’. The theme for the 2023 International Literacy Day is: ”Promoting literacy for a world in transition: Building the foundation for sustainable and peaceful societies.” This theme, among others, highlights how developing the ability to read and write, as well as developing numeracy skills, can engender inclusiveness and equity.
One of the most critical forms of social infrastructure that we have, that can be used to promote literacy, is the library. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most undervalued! The public library has also been described as a “welfare centre, which provides useful services to the community by fostering education, promoting culture, recreation and dissemination of information to all sections of the society.”
As gateways to knowledge and culture, libraries play a fundamental role in society. The resources and services they offer create opportunities for learning, support literacy and education, and help shape new ideas and perspectives that are central to a creative and innovative society. They also help ensure an authentic record of knowledge created and accumulated by past generations. Without libraries, it would be difficult to advance research and human knowledge, or preserve knowledge and heritage for future generations.
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What are some of the challenges facing public libraries in Nigeria today? One problem is their scarcity. So, it will be very much appreciated if more public libraries are established across various communities/neighbourhoods.
Related to this is that public libraries are often unattractive and poorly maintained, while in most cases, the infrastructural facilities are inadequate. This is apparently because the library buildings and the systems that sustain them are underfunded, and probably neglected. This problem can be tackled by improving funding for the public library system. More public support – such as through the contributions of philanthropists – can be of much benefit in this regard.
Other problems include that the books in stock at the libraries are usually outdated. It is quite rare to find new and current books or journals. Also, reference materials, where they exist, are usually old and dusty. Audio-visual materials are also usually hard to come by. In addition, the quality of manpower is frequently not up to expectations.
A functional library is expected to stock all kinds of items that add to knowledge – from books to audio and visual materials, internet access, artefacts that advance the cultural and recreational needs of the society, and so on.
Relevant authorities will do well to establish more public libraries, maintain existing ones, and make them more attractive to meet the informational, educational, and recreational needs of the people.