NATIONAL LIBRARY OF NIGERIA: LOOKING AHEAD

The immediate aspirations and future direction for the National Library of Nigeria has been expressed in different rolling plans and budgets.

The National Library intends to consolidate its achievements in the realization of the objectives prescribed on it by the law - National Library decree no. 29, 1970, these objectives are:

1.      The provision of necessary support for the intellectual efforts in all activities directed at progress and development.

2.      Ensuring the availability of comprehensive and as near complete a collection of resources as possible of materials of knowledge in existence in the world, and ensuring full access to such resources both within and outside the Nations boundaries.

3.      Ensuring a free flow of knowledge between this nation and others, thereby securing a place for the nation in the community of nations that depend on recorded knowledge information survival in a world of rapid advantages competition of ideas.

In other to achieve these objectives the national library evolved specific targets which include the following:

1.      Providing a functional building complex which would serve both as the headquarters as well as hold a national collection of materials. The target is to collect and preserve in one place over 10,000,000 items within the next 25 years.

2.      Developing a collection of reference books, general monographs and serials which would support and assist in national programs targeted towards nation building. The collection should also include those Nigeria deposited by the provisions of the law and those deposited by virtue of the National Library’s status as the nation depository of such documents e.g. United Nations publications.

3.      Ensuring access to this collection by all Nigerians without discrimination and as near to where they live as possible.

4.      Provide essential equipment and facilities which would ensure efficient and effective performance e.g. computers, transportation etc.

5.      Develop capacity to co-ordinate library resources nation-wide.

6.      Provide staff accommodation which would attract the best librarians and other professionals into the system.

In concrete terms, the rolling plan has translated these targets into three capital projects, five projects under special programs.

It is envisaged that with careful implementation of these projects the National Library will emerge from near total collapse to a virile institution ready for its responsibilities.

The target conceived by the National Library Board as its share of national goals and aspiration under the National Rolling include the following:

1.      Attainment to full-fledged Library Documentation and Information Services in a permanent building centrally located in the cultural spines at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja

2.      Full-fledged service in II prototype state branches 3 of which are already functional as of today, while all those abandoned (i.e. 3 of such branches would be constructed and commissioned on each year of the rolling plan) was completed and commissioned.

3.      With the confirmation of allocation of a plot of land in Abuja, construction of the first phase of staff residential accommodation or top management staff who will man the service points in Abuja plus II state capitals where the aforementioned prototype branches would be located was completed in 1993. The 80% completed staff accommodation in Enugu will also be completed.

4.      In view of the overall general economic constraints, great use of other libraries can be enhanced nation-wide. Towards this end, coordinating mechanisms within the National Library systems have been proposed under Special program. Readership promotion would be a priority in support of the two national programs in Education- Education for all by the 2000 and the Mass literacy program.