Library Progress(International).

Vo/.32(No.2)2012:P.175-183
www.bpas.in

SUSTAINABILITY OF NIGERIA LIBRARY USERS

PATRONAGE IN THE ERA OF COMPETITIVE
INTELLIGENCE

Iyoro, Abiodun Olaide

Ondo State University of Science and Technology,
Okitipupa, Ondo State, Nigeria.
Email: abiyoro@yahoo.com

Amusa Oyintola Isiaka ..

Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta,
Ogun State, Nigeria

and

Alade Victoria Adesola

Ondo State University of Science and Technology,
Okitipupa, Ondo State, Nigeria.
Email: avshola@yahoo.com

Received on 30 July 2012: Accepted on 05 November 2012

ABSTRACT

This paper presents an overview of current and emerging creativity

needed in Nigeria to ensure continued library patronage inspite of
library patron's 'ability to access wider information via other
digitalized sources. Hence, the paper viewed Competitive
Intelligence as a modern means of managing an outfit or
organizations such as libraries towards achieving its set goals by
way of having an edge over other competitors, To achieve this,
certain suggestions that includes provision of users' education,
making library resources accessible, provision of E-Journals, E-
books, internet services and recruitment of qualified personnel
among others were suggested to enable our Jibraries record and
sustain users maximum level of '
patronage of their services.

Keywords: Nigeria, Library Users, Library patronage, Competitive

Intelligence, Library Services

INTiioDUCTION

Ajayi .and Ogunyemi (2011) quoting Andaleeb (2001) sees the library as an
outfit providing numerous services to users, addressing their diverse needs,
characteristics and interest. In other words, a library could said to be a place, where
intellectual materials both those in print and non-print formats are acquire, process
and made available to whom will be user under a conducive atmosphere.
 Iyoro, Abiodun Olaide,Amusa Oyintola Isiaka and Alade Victoria Adesola

Fowowe (1989) notes that a library can fulfill its function best by pursuing a
policy of constant self-evaluation in order to be alert to changing needs of it's users.
Supporting this notion, Adeleke (2005) posited that if the library is to contribute to
the advancement of knowledge, it must provide adequate resources and also ensure
its effective use by the clientele.

However, library services is increasingly becoming more challenging as a

result of information explosion that is now available in diverse mode. With this
development, libraries now try hard to out-wit one another by way of improving
upon their services provision. This is because, it is only when they are able to render
valuable or tangible services to users, that they can retain continuous patronage of
such users. To retain users patronage therefore, libraries now embarked upon what
society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (2009) termed legal and ethical
methods for collecting, developing, analyzing and disseminating actionable
information pertaining to competitors. Hence, with the level of competition
increasingly becoming enormous among libraries, introduction of Competitive
Intelligence become imperative for any library that wishes to remain in business. As
such, sustenance of libraries' level of patronage will be examine viz-a-vlz the
services they rendered to users.

EXPECTED ROLE OF LIBRARIES

Library services are needed to enable the individual develop full potentials
and widening the horizons of perception, interest and skills (Metzger, 1991). This is
because libraries facilitate the developing concept of a learning society in which the
individual has greater leisure time while simultaneously being increasingly
responsible for his or her own education and development.

Reding (2005) summed this up by saying "libraries playa fundamental role in

our society. They are the collectors and stewards of our heritage; they are organizers
of the knowledge in the books they collect - adding value by Cataloguing, Classifying
and describing them; assuring equality of access for all citizens' and they take the
knowledge of the past and present, and lay it down for the future".
In essence, the roles of libraries include:
• Encouraging and promoting reading
• Provlsion of facilities to support a wide range of learning activities
• Support the development of independent learner (Informal self-education)
• The library has the power to strengthen existing groups, networks, voluntary
commitment and business connections within a community by way of playing
important role in documenting and validating local history and identity.
• The library enriches the leisure time of many people.
• A lot is also done by the library in terms of research support via research
collections as well as accessibility of research collections
• Supports educational, civic and cultural activities of groups and organizations.

THE BASIC UNIT OF COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE IN RELATION TO

THE LIBRARY SETTING
Basically, the Competitive Cycle comprises of four parts namely:
• Planning and Direction
• Collection
• Analysis
• Dissemination

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INTELLIGENCE

Collection

Dissemination

Fig-l: Intelligence Cycle

Planning and Direction - This is the stage at which the Library Management
sample the opinion of its users to determine how best to serve them as well as put in
place necessary facilities that can guarantee effective patronage.

Collection on the other hand has to do with the process of gathering the necessary
resources towards meeting the demand of the library users.

Analysis - This is the level at which the Library Professionals are expected to
examine the processing of resources i.e Cataloguing, Classification etc to ensure it is
in line with best practices which the library users can easlly comprehend.

Dissemination - This is the last step and involves making the library resources
available to ones users under a conducive atmosphere.

LIBRARY AND USERS PATRONAGE

The library in the view of Oyelude (2003) is a vital part of. the world's system
of education and information storage and retrieval that makes books films,
recordings and other media of knowledge available to people in an organized
manner. Wali (1993) on the other hand. sees it as a "repository of knowledge or an
intellectual storehouse serving as a giant memory to mankind.

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 Iyoro, Abiodun Olaide,Amusa Oyintola Isiaka and Alade Victoria Adesola

One of the major role expected of a library as pointed out by Lynch (1987) is
to promote and facilitate effective use of recorded information in all formats by all
library's clientele. Onye (1998) while supporting this assertion believe that
librarianship's main purpose was to promote effective academic action through
making knowledge available through efficient bibliographic control and through a
rapid and effective dissemination of information.

A library according to Adeoye and Popoola (2011) provides resources for

knowledge acquisition, recreation, personal interest and inter-personal relationship
for all categories of users. These resource are those reffered to by Popoola and
Haliso (2009) as those information bearing materials that are in both printed and
electronic formats such as textbooks, journals, indexes, abstracts, newspapers and
magazines, reports, CD-ROM databases, internetfE-mail, video tapes/ cassettes,
diskettes magnetic disk, computers, microforms etc.

Obajemu (2001) is of the opinion that libraries clientele get satisfaction when
information materials which are of greater value are delivered without much delay.
Corroborating this submission, ALA (2006) stipulates that the library should provide
varied authoritative and up to date resources that supports its mission. Osundina
(1973) quoted by Ogunsola (2011) believes that the library of today should not
merely store documents and preserve them, it must also device means by which the
contents of such documents can be rapidly and effectively transmitted for use while
Ogunmodede and Emeahara (2010) also argues that the user of a library is very
critical to the services of a library. Hence, the user of a library must be constantly
asked to assess the services and resources provided, as this will help the library to
improve upon its services. No matter how large the stock of a library is, if the
services and its resources are not fuily utilized, such a library will end up as a waste
of resources.

To encourage library patronage, Akinade (2000) affirms that usage of

electronic database aids easy access and reduces the time spent while searching for
materials compared to traditional service method. Ukodie (2004) while alighning
himself with the above submission, asserts that it has been commonly accepted and
proven that ICT is the engine of the 21st century and beyond.

However, Adeya and Oyelara(2003) warned library and information

professionals, by pointing out that mere exposure to technology does not guarantee
usage, and as such the existence of information within the society does not assure it
use and concomitant acquisition of knowledge.

In order for library and information professionals to render effective services

so as to remain relevant, Kigongo-Bukanya (1999) advised them to be "contingent"
That is with their training, they should be able to measure up with tl.e challenges
involved in information provision. '

COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE

Competitive Intelligence is the purposeful and coordinated monitoring of your

competitors wherever and whoever they may be, within a specific environment.
Competitors are those firms which you consider as rivals in business and with whom
you compete for market share.

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 Iyoro, Abiodun Olaide,Amusa Oyintola Isiaka and Alade Victoria Adesola

strong Competitive Intelligence practice to enable organizational leaders make better

strategic operational and tactical decisions and maintain a vision for the future. She
opined further that organizational leaders must understand where to find new
opportunities for growth, how to structure their business to attract patronage of their
products and services by their clientele. In view of this, Nwoka and Ondukwu (2009)
also suggested that organizations in Nigeria should always create a Competitive
Intelligence unit to regularly monitor the activities of competitors and to evaluate the
organizations actions in line with that of competitors.

CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROVISION OF EFFECTIVE

LIBRARY SERVICES TO USERS

The essence of promoting the library services is to ensure adequate

patronage of such libraries. When this objective could not be met however, the level
of patronage decline and this defeat the purpose for which the library was
established.
• The unavailability of certain ICT resources such as internet, fax machines, e-
mail computer conferencing, digital cameras, digital scanner etc is one of the
major challenges confronting our libraries today and this has not allow them
to compete favourably under this era of Competitive Intelligence.
• Insufficient fund is another constraint. This factor to a greater extent
contributes to the inability of most libraries to render efficient services to their
users. Even with the decline in the prices of information resources, many
libraries can still not afford to buy them due to paucity of fund.
• High cost of materials equally posed it challenges. This is because, cost of
sourcing for information resources from foreign countries attracts high import
duties while the locally produced materials are poorly researched as well as
possessing poor finishing
• In addition, restricted accessibility posed a problem as many resources that
could have been useful to users are under closed access due to such libraries
inability to make available reasonable copies of such resources
• Lack of skilled personnel competent to cope with new challenges also
continued to affects library growth in this part of the globe.

THE NEED FOR COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE IN ADDRESSING

LIBRARIES' CHALLENGES.

• It will enable libraries with smaller resources have an edge over those with
superior resources.
• It allows a library to know what a rival library will do before they do it by way
of having foreknowledge of your competitors' plans and to plan ones strategy
to countervail their plans.
• Competitive Intelligence pave way for libraries to have clearer mission
statement as well as objectives
• Furthermore, Competitive Intelligence affords libraries the opportunity to
adopt successful strategies which could be sustained.
• With the adoption of Competitive Intelligence, libraries are able to provide
suitable services that will attract larger percentage of users to their libraries.
• Competitive Intelligence clearly spelt out the competitive strategy as
required by libraries and how to get it implemented.

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INTELLIGENCE

RECOMMENDATIONS

Competitive Intelligence has been discovered to be an innovative way through

which an organization can easily have an edge over others. Hence, the under listed
recommendations will go a long way to assist libraries maintain high level of
patronage at all times.
• Providing users with adequate knowledge on how to make use of the library is
very important. This is because it is only then that the library services can
better be utilized.
• Adequate accessibility to library stock should be encouraged just as Iyoro
(2004) identified accessibility as one of the pre-requisite of information use.
• Academic Libraries Management should assist in repackaging information by
way of analyzing and reformatting such data for instant use which would save
your users the stress of going through downloaded materials that requires
substantial time and effort.
• The use of OPAC, E-journals, E-books as well as networked information
services should be encouraged.
• Nock (1998) suggested that learning environment" must have a good lighting,
temperature and humidity control necessary for the comfort of the users.
• There is need for assessment of one's services from time to time in
comparison with that of other competitors, as it only then a library can
increase its contribution and value as an information provider within certain
environment.
• To render effective services by libraries, Iyoro (2005) noted, depends on the
human source whose job satisfaction will affect the quality of services
rendered. In view of this therefore, management should put a Competitive
performance standard in place to make the job more attractive to
professionals by way of given priority to their welfare which will motivate
them into putting their best to work.
• Nigeria is a country with high rate of unemployment; vacancies as advertised
in different newspapers can be culled and made available for the library users.
• Introduction of awards to users so as to serve as motivation i.e a user can be
given an unlimited access to materials.
• Government should give priority to library in terms of its annual budget
considering the fact that information resources are nowadays costly and
library are not meant to make money
• Provision of uninterrupted power supply to ensure effective services provision
• Each library management should seek alternative ways of generating funds to
address some of its challenges instead of relying solely on government or
funding body of such library.
• Qualified personnel recruitment should be encouraged.

CONCLUSION

A library may keep information about competitors' services especially those

that compete with it. The information will assist such library to evaluate its service
and make enhanced decision that can better its lots. By so doing, staff moral will
also be up knowing fully that the public or users perception of their library is great.

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 Iyoro, Abiodun Olaide,Amusa Oyintola Isiaka and Alade Victoria Adesola

It is in view of this fact, that it becomes imperative for libraries to seek for
adequate funds toward putting their services in good shape so that, they can
maintain users high level of patronage.

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