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Utilization Of School Library Resources By Secondary School Students In Nigeria
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CHAPTER ONE
1.1 INTRODUCTION
A library, according to Jonathan Crowther (2000), is a storehouse of knowledge. It is the repository of information and information source. A library collects, organizes, stores and disseminates information. Thus, it is a resource centre for students, teachers, researchers and others. The library provides answers to specific and general information queries and problems. The major, purpose of the library is to provide information, thus it is a repository of human experience not subject to the barriers of space and time. According to Lawal and Udofia (1994) the library meets the information needs of the users in four categories namely: i. Education to develop society, adults, children and to fill gap in memory. ii. Information to develop executive activities such as economics, social and commercial development. iii. Aesthetic appreciation for culture, art, truth and judgement. iv. Recreation to provide amusement, hobbies. The function of the library therefore is to implement, to enrich, to vitalize and humanize the educational programmes, as it strives to attain excellence in content, process and product. Being a carrier of knowledge, the library is a vital partner in knowledge, management and shares with all other instructional agents their responsibility for systematically designing, carrying out and evaluating the total process of learning and teaching (Davies, 1994). There are different types of libraries, which represents different categories of people professions and shades of opinion. We have the public library, academic library, National library, school library and special library. A school library is an indispensable unit in any school, regardless of its educational philosophy. Thus an organized collection of book (reference books and for home reading) placed in a school under the care of a teacher-librarian for teachers and students. In the words of Iroha (2001) a school library is a collection of a wide variety of library materials and resources housed in each school centrally organized by staff, professionally prepared to offer services to students and teachers that will enrich and support the educational enterprises. This is to say, a school library assists and supports the educational programme of the school by storing instructional materials for use in teaching and learning. Harold (2000) is of the view that a school library is an organized collection of books placed in a school for use by both the teachers and students. School libraries can also be said to be a miniaturized intellectual powerhouse or information centre found in primary schools, secondary schools and teacher training colleges. That is, it is a stepping stone towards a child’s intellectual development. Perhaps, Onwubiko and Uzoigwe (2004) define a school library as the learning laboratory of the school equipped with books, magazines, newspaper, audio visual materials, aimed at enhancing effective teaching and learning on the part of teachers and students. In order to create an environment full of literature and cultivate the habit of using information materials for necessary teaching tools lead to the establishment of school libraries. The then Eastern Nigeria Ministry of Education recognized school library “as an education institutionâ€. The provision of school libraries to improve standard in education delivery has been well articulated in the National policy of Education (1999). Emphasizing the need for school libraries, the policy states among others. “Libraries are one of the most important education services. Every state ministry of education needs to provide funds for the establishment of libraries in all our educational institutionsâ€. A good library is a sine-qua-non for qualitative education and an instrument for the enhancement and the utilization of the library resources by students. It serves the purpose of inspiration, communication among students and the fulfillment of programme in the curriculum. The proper utilization has enabled students to seek knowledge in books in order that in the process, they may become efficient and enthusiastic readers and also the integration on the use of new media encourage them to become adaptive to the use of audio visuals, thus creating room for relaxation and enjoyment. As the school has a need for students, so far as their mind is concerned, to develop the abilities to think. Contemporary library media programmes have approached this task through concerted and articulated efforts designed not only to provide students with an appreciation of literature, but also to teach them how to locate, retrieve and evaluate the work of information contained in the graphic recorded and printed records in the belief that such skills are essential for survival in a rapidly changing world.
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