International Journal of Management (IJM)

Volume 11, Issue 7, July 2020, pp. 104-110, Article ID: IJM_11_07_011
Available online at http://iaeme.com/Home/issue/IJM?Volume=11&Issue=7
ISSN Print: 0976-6502 and ISSN Online: 0976-6510
DOI: 10.34218/IJM.11.7.2020.011

© IAEME Publication Scopus Indexed

REINVENTION AND RE-ENGINEERING OF

PUBLIC LIBRARIES AS FACILITATORS FOR
GENERATING SOCIAL CAPITAL: A STUDY OF
NORTHERN NIGERIA
Abubakar Ladan
Department of Library and Information Science,
SRM Institute of Science and Technology Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, India
University Library, Umaru Musa Yar’adua PMB 2218, Katsina, Nigeria

Dr. P. Rajendran
SRM Institute of Science and Technology Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, India

ABSTRACT
Public libraries in Nigeria have been in existence for many years. They provide
information resources and services to meet the needs of the community they serve.
Studies on public libraries in Nigeria have shown that most of the services provided
are traditional library services either due to poor resources and facilities or poor
perception of public libraries and Librarians. The emergence of public libraries as
among the institutions for generating social capital necessitate the libraries to re-
thing and re-invent their services for better institutions for creating social capital.
This paper highlighted the need for public libraries in Nigeria to re-invent their
collections, building and spaces for community meetings and social gatherings,
demographics, and community focusing. The paper also pointed out inadequate fund
and unmotivated workforce, inadequate collections, and dilapidated buildings as the
major constraints in the creation of social capital by public libraries in Nigeria. The
paper concluded with need for public libraries in Nigeria to re-think their purpose
and adopt the changing community needs and expectations.
Key words: Reinvention, Re-engineering, Public Library, Social Capital, Northern
Nigeria, Study
Cite this Article: Abubakar Ladan and Dr. P. Rajendran, Reinvention and
Re-Engineering of Public Libraries as Facilitators for Generating Social Capital: A
Study of Northern Nigeria, International Journal of Management, 11(7), 2020,
pp. 104-110.
http://iaeme.com/Home/issue/IJM?Volume=11&Issue=7

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 Reinvention and Re-Engineering of Public Libraries as Facilitators for Generating Social Capital:
A Study of Northern Nigeria

1. INTRODUCTION
The traditional role of public library involves provision of books and other information
materials available for learning, reading, education, leisure and personal development. Today,
due to advancement of technology, it become necessary for public libraries to reinvent and
redesign their services to meet up with users’ needs in a modern society. Re-engineering
public libraries involve rethinking the needs of users in the digital era, provision of new
services and modern facilities including library building and spaces as they play important
rolein library services provision. IFLA1 Public Library Section posited that library buildings
should be provided to reflect the functions of the library and be sufficiently flexible to
accommodate new and changing services. Today, public libraries are facing challenges of
reinventing spaces and services to reflect changing demographics, public perceptions and
usage. Appraising public library services in Nigeria Salman et al 2 reported that public library
has low owing to limited resources, facilities, spaces and lack of innovations. This calls for
public libraries in Nigeria to rethink the needs of the community and reinvent the services and
provide suitable library facilities to increase user satisfaction and facilitate social capital.

2. PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM AND SERVICES IN NIGERIA

The provision of public library services in Nigeria is the responsibility of states and local
government councils. Each state’s public library functions a three-tier library system:
headquarters located in the state capitals of the states; the divisional and branch libraries
located in urban areas and semi-urban and rural areas Opara3. However, National library of
Nigeria is also regarded as public library because it establishes by federal government to
provide services to public. Report by Librarians’ Registration Council of Nigeria4 establishes
that there are316 public libraries in Nigeria, including 36 state public libraries, 253 branches
of state library and 26 branches of National library across the six geo-political zones of
Nigeria.
In Northern Nigeria there are 157 libraries, out of which 20 are state public libraries, 122
are branches of state public libraries and 15 branches of National libraries. Altogether 157
public libraries are functioning in Northern Nigeria.
Public libraries in Nigeria are government institutions provided to offer services to the
public without any restrictions. Salawu5 identified the services of national Library of Nigeria
which include reference and users’ services, collection and legal deposit items, link between
ISSN/ISBN center and publisher, certification, consultancy services in setting up libraries,
readership promotion campaign, organizing workshops and seminars. Equally, Librarians’
Registration Council of Nigeria4 enumerated core public library services to its community as:
library services to young adults and services to children including story hours, community
information services, mobile library services to schools and special groups, displays and
exhibitions, reprographic services and consultancy services. Emojoho6 viewed that public
libraries in Nigeria are performing poorly in most aspect due to appalling resources and
facilities, many libraries could not provide modern library services including internet services;
social programs such as film shows, spaces for community meetings and social programs.
According to Mohammad and Garaba7 the services provided by public libraries in Northern
Nigeria were predominantly traditional library services. The services were also affected by
lack of ICT facilities, poor resources, lack of modern library facilities including library
buildings and lack of new initiatives.
Public libraries also provide services to support culture and local business. Salman et al8
described the information services rendered by public libraries in Nigeria as information
services to support local business, economic and workforce development, reference materials

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 Abubakar Ladan and Dr. P. Rajendran

on market trends and career development. Anyalebechi and Udo-Anyanwu9 summarized

public library services as, information and referral services, outreach services, current
awareness programs, and children’s services, internet and ICT services, reprographic services
and book deport. Equally, Ebiwolate 10 reported that the public library services to rural areas
of Niger Delta states Nigeria include bookmobile services, information and referral services,
outreach programs, current awareness programs, selective and dissemination of information
and library services to children. Ladan11 believed that public libraries in Northern Nigeria are
active in the Nigerian Library Association. They engage in social and professional activities
such as children story telling competition, readership promotion campaign and hosting annual
meeting of the association). In another study by Mohammed and Garaba 7stated that the
services provided by public libraries in Northern Nigeria were predominantly traditional
library services which include serial services, circulation services, lending services, children
services and reference services. The other services including awareness campaigns on
government issues, organizing workshops and seminars, adult literacy programs, debates and
competitions and extension services. In this situation, there is need for public libraries in
Nigeria to redesign themselves to fit into modern society by providing services for creating
social capital.
The structured planning of services and a periodic review of their effectiveness and
efficiency are necessary elements of the effort to keep library services relevant, up-to-date,
and mindful of user needs.

3. PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND SOCIAL CAPITAL

The idea of public libraries and social capital was started during the American Library
Association Conference in 2001 when Kranich, the president of American Library
Association chided Putnam for missing to mention in his book Bowline Alone libraries as
among the public places for generating social capital. She further said, the provision of public
place is the primary way that public libraries build social capital Kranich 12.
The theory of social capital highlights the public library as one of the universalistic
institutions in modern society for creating social capital. For example, Feguson 13 described
three mechanisms by which public libraries contribute to the generation of social capital
which include provision of meeting places, provision of universal services to the public and
community outreach programs. Similarly, Hillendrand14 distinguished between core library
use (traditional function) and noncore library use (social community functions) as instrument
for implementing strategies to enhance social capital.
Social capital according to Putnam15 refers to links between people in society- “networks,
norms and trust”– which produce positive outcomes for the community as a whole. Social
capital facilitates individual or collective action generated by networks of relationships,
reciprocity, trust and social norms Coleman16.In another view, Woolcock 17 identified three
forms of social capital which include bonding social capital- bringing people together who
already know each other with the goal of strengthening the relationships that already exist.
The second form is bridging social capital- a social relation with more friends that are distant,
associates and colleagues and the third form is linking social capital- a social relation that
involve networks and ties with individuals, groups or corporate actors represented in public
agencies, schools, business interest, religious and political groups.
Accordingly, public libraries are among the public institutions that are considered the
most efficient generators of social capital Varheim18. They provide spaces that facilitate social
activities, for example, spaces where members of the community can meet, interact, discuss
and share ideas. Face-to-face interaction or contact establish trust and generate social capital.

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 Reinvention and Re-Engineering of Public Libraries as Facilitators for Generating Social Capital:
A Study of Northern Nigeria

This paper described how reinvention of public libraries could positively facilitate creating
social capital in Northern Nigeria.

4. REINVENTION AND RE-ENGINEERING OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Libraries across the globe have to re-think their function and adopt changing community
needs and expectations. Libraries are no longer simply storehouse for old collections of
books. Rather they are fundamental mechanism of a community’s social and economic
infrastructure that tie communities and foster creativity and innovation. Field (2015)19
believed that public libraries could promote their services by providing a place for community
meetings; kids play groups; guest speakers; story-time; computer use; family history research;
internet lessons; or a venue to exchange discussions and ideas.
Public libraries in Nigeria are due at least in part, to their willingness to adapt to the
changing demands and expectations of the community. Nowadays libraries are reinventing
and re-engineering themselves as striving, hyperlocal community centers dedicated to
learning, information, social and cultural activities, and informal meetings.
In order to define a new vision of how public libraries in Northern Nigeria fit into modern
world as place for generating social capital, there is need to know:
 To know what will be the major purpose of the library?
 To know what does the community want and need from their library?
 To know how will users access information?
 To know how should the physical space of the library be redesigned?
To answer these questions, it is important to find out new and emerging trends that will
impact libraries and user communities.

5. WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE?

Reinvention and re-engineering of public library involves rethinking of the needs of the
user in the digital age, achieving essential change in our thinking, organization, process,
products and services, management of human resources and finally provision of suitable and
modern facilities to increase user satisfaction, efficiency and effectiveness.

Information and communication Technology/Internet: as people relay on computerized

gadgets and less on the printed page, the most common move for present day libraries will be
to offer information in adaptable arrangements, with an accentuation on electronic
conveyance. Instead of concentrating on sorting out, finding, and loaning books, the present
libraries are accepting the more extensive job of substance keeper and coach, helping clients'
entrance, find and comprehend in an expanding sea of information. This change can provide
users with access to internet facilities for information retrieval, virtual meetings and other
internet services. Feguson 13 stated that libraries can generate social capital through virtual
meeting program.

Building and Spaces: in the past, public libraries focused primarily on providing space for
books and quite nooks for reading but, physical space, modern facilities and lots of work
surface are more likely to have not only row of shelves and quite reading corner but also for
crafts, private networking areas, work spaces that encourage collaboration, conference rooms,
meeting rooms, open spaces for open programs, display and show rooms and vehicle parking
space. Mainka et al. (2013)20 opined that “besides offering spaces for children, the libraries

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 Abubakar Ladan and Dr. P. Rajendran

provide rooms for learning and getting together and, to a lesser degree, modular working
spaces.”

Demographics: instead of catering primarily to young children and adults, modern libraries
can make efforts to attract more twins and teens. By offering dedicated spaces with the latest
technologies, interactive learning opportunities, and comfortable seating, libraries can serve as
safe and engaging places for teens to gather, study, play games and interact after school and
on weekends.

Community Focus: the reinvented facilities are developing as dynamic, flourishing

community points that consolidate writing, innovation, culture, and human expressions.
Public libraries can offer education programs in core areas such as mathematics, reading,
languages and career skills. In this regard library can work with voluntary individual and
associations like multinational companies to help students for doing assignments, projects,
teachings and lectures. They can also offer public awareness programs such as voter
education, farmers’ education, health education programs and awareness on government
activities.Miller21 posited that the intelligent use of volunteers to supplement staff expertise
may provide more opportunities for social capital creation for the whole community, thereby
improving the universality of the library.

6. CHALLENGES IN THE CREATION OF SOCIAL CAPITAL IN

NIGERIAN CONTEXT
Public libraries are sparred with a number of issues concerning their facilities including
building, furniture and ICTs; resources such as information resources, staffing and funding;
and services. The following are challenges hindering Nigerian public libraries in generating
social capital.
 Inadequate Funding: The bane of public libraries in Nigeria is poor funding. Babayi
et al22 affirmed that poor funding had been identified as the major problem of public
libraries in Nigeria.
 Inadequate and Unmotivated Workforce: With the prevailing state of affairs, public
libraries in Nigeria are unlikely to attract and retain quality staff. The existing staffs
generally lack creativity and innovativeness in service delivery. The staffs of most
public libraries in Nigeria are low in morale as a result of inadequate attention given to
them and their institutions.
 Inadequate Collections: Collections in many branches are inadequate to cope up with
the information and research needs of the clientele. While State library headquarters
and some other branches in urban areas are fairly well stocked, information resources
in the rest, especially the newly established ones, are scanty.
 Inadequate and Dilapidated Accommodation: Only few public library buildings in
Nigeria can be said to be reasonably adequate and in good condition. The State
Library Board headquarters of some states do not have their own buildings. Branch
libraries are in either rented or donated accommodation. The deplorable state of some,
public library buildings in Nigeria has impacted negatively, not only on the
productivity of staff, but also on their image and the image of the library as institution.
 Poor perception of Public Library and Librarians: This is perhaps the greatest
challenge facing public libraries in Nigeria today. It is poor perception that is
responsible for the low priority rating of public libraries.

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 Reinvention and Re-Engineering of Public Libraries as Facilitators for Generating Social Capital:
A Study of Northern Nigeria

 Public Library Laws in Nigeria: Public Library low is as old as the public library in
Nigeria. There is hardly and public library in Nigeria today which is not backed up by
law. This has generated agitation by the Nigerian library Association for their review.
Most public library laws in Nigeria are overdue for review. The state governments
concerned have not taken the necessary steps to do this.

7. TASK AHEAD
Librarians need to be proactive in providing new services, and in educating users or
community on library services and how it contributes to their daily life. Library infrastructure
facilities like open places needs to be utilized for community programs such as hosting or
organizing cultural events, festivals, exhibitions, meetings, children activities, and other
community open programs. Equally, public library in some cases could share buildings with
other services such as arts centres, museum arts galleries, community centres and sports
facilities. This can help trigger the increase in interest and attract users to the library.

8. CONCLUSION
The function of public libraries as open place for all have emerged public libraries as
potential places for facilitating social capital. Therefore, libraries have to re-think their
purpose and adopt changing community needs and expectation. Libraries have to redesign
their services from traditional library layout to modern library layout, provider of ICT
facilities, and to provide additional library activities. Traditional library layout perhaps
facilitates less conducive of gathering of casual meeting while modern library layout
facilitates social capital by providing flexible meeting place.

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