E - Libraries in Nigeria

ISSUES IN CREATING AN E-LIBRARY IN NIGERIA

By

JAMES O. DANIEL

CLN, PhD, MALS (Mich. USA); BLS, (ABU, Nig)

Librarian @ National Mathematical Centre, Abuja, Nigeria

Being a paper presented at the Librarians’ Registration Council of Nigeria (LRCN) in collaboration with US Mission National Workshop on e-library services.  Held at Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja. 17-19 April, 2012.

Introduction

ABSTRACT

Developing, managing and delivery of electronic library services is one of the major current challenges for university libraries and Information services. This article provides a brief overview of some of the key issues facing information professionals starting electronic library systems. It also picks up some of the real-world lessons as regards the issues which have emerged from the Electronic Library programmes in the developed world where e-library has flourished. These lessons are as highlighted in a number of recent reports and feed backs from practitioners of e-Lib, and formal e-lib evaluations.

Definition:

This is a practical view of e-library issues. The term ‘electronic library’ is being used here in broad terms to mean a collection of networked digital information resources and associated technical and managerial infrastructure. The electronic library is assumed to include data and metadata in various formats which are created or assembled in order to provide a service to end users. The terms ‘electronic library’, ‘e-library’, and ‘digital library’ are used as synonyms..

e- Library in the Transformation Agenda & Vision 20:20:20

In 2007, the Federal Government provided Nigerians the opportunity to share their vision for a New Nigeria with a vision and a mission to move Nigeria to greatness by influencing the strategic direction. It was termed vision 20:20:20 and designed to leapfrog Nigeria to the top twenty most economically developed countries of the world by year 2020 following strategies and objectives developed  and based on a comprehensive look across the political, economic, social and cultural spectrum of Nigeria. President Goodluck Jonathan has further put in place a transformation agenda which serves as a road map towards a achieving the 20:20:20 goals and objectives. A quick assessment of where Nigeria stands in the world towards achieving her goal. Year 2020 is the year Nigeria is targeting to occupy the position of the 20th largest economy in the world. The transformation agenda is a major component of our National Planning and Development for achieving this feat. The issue here is about the reality of the vision in the context of the timing of its realisation and sustainability of the transformational strategies, recently adopted by President Jonathan, as the driver of the vision. The issue here is how Nigeria is rated globally in terms of her economy and political stability. 

Nigeria 2011 Ranking

Based on the ranking released in January, 2011, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) ranked Nigeria 41st position with GDP of $217 Billion. World Bank ranked Nigeria 44th position with GDP of $194Billion. The third rating agency, CIA, ranked Nigeria 41st position with GDP of $217 Billion. Our annual GDP growth rate averaged 7 percent. In terms of the target of our vision, Poland, a country in Europe, occupied 20th position in the ranking of IMF, World Bank and CIA with GDP of $469Billion. Nigeria would need to leapfrog over 21 countries, to the 20th position from its 41^st position by doubling her GDP within this next eight years. We will have to increase GDP by more than $252 billion, the wide gap between us and Poland (from $217 billion to $469 billion). If we can grow at double digit, we may be able to make it, In all these, what is the library and information sector contributing to the transformation agenda? This is where the issue of access to Information through the e-library comes into play. Today, Information has become the fourth factor of production. Information is not only power, but the latest currency of the millennium. Information is so basic and fundamental to decision making that no Government can succeed without it and the e-library is the logical panacea for easy access to quality and standard Information system.

The Library Concept

The concept of a library from the very origin of it in the ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia connotes an organized collection of items in various formats which has moved from the original cuneiform clay tablets, goat skins and papyrus leaves to printed books, journals, microforms films strips, videos, CDROM DVD, MP3, etc. Whatever format goes along with the services needed to make them available to users. The library is a place where you can obtain Information and a place where you can be tele-guided to the information you as a user may need.

Today, away from the description, characterisation and format of the traditional library comes the Electronic Library (e-library) which may Synonymously be called digital or virtual library without fuss or much semantic contradictions.  The e-library is a library which collections are stored in digital formats as opposed to print, microforms or other media. It can be accessed only through computers. The stored digital content of the e-library may be stored locally and accessed remotely via computer networks from wherever and at any time.

From Traditional to Electronic Library

The shift from traditional libraries to the digital is not merely a technological evolution, but a required change of paradigm brought about by the advent of the Internet and the way by which people access, interact and use Information today. The availability and applications of telecommunication technologies to e-library has enhanced access to Information beyond anyone’s expectations, especially given the myriads and the quantum of publications and other formats of Information being rolled out in nano seconds 24/7 by governments, corporate organisations and individuals. The two revolutions in the last decade of the Internet and the Mobile phone justify the creation of e-library to take advantage of the ethos and benefits of these inventions to provide access to Information.                                                                                                                                                                  

 The Issue of Staff: The Right Staff

Staffing and getting the right staff is a major issue in e library in Nigeria just as it was in the developed world when they stepped into electronic library system. Information professionals are now required to take on a wider variety of roles requiring a broader range of skills than ever before and far more than their exposures at the Library Schools. A number of e-Lib projects have helped to successfully highlight these issues in recent years, (Stephen Pinfield) 2001. These issues include how e library staff are obtained, trained and retained in order to carry out this work. E-library projects in Nigeria are most likely to have problems recruiting and retaining staff with the right skills across the sector because the Library Schools do not offer relevant courses at the moment. Thought also needs to be given to staffing structures which are currently biased in favour of traditional library roles. There may be a need in many organisations to review the fundamental organisational structure to see whether it is best able to deliver the wide range of services required by e library.

The Issue of E-Librarian New and Required Roles

Issues of the e-library services involve library staff assuming more definitive and specialised roles (Daniel, James O.) 2009 namely:

• Innovator – not just following the routine but also looking at improved ways to deliver the service
• Fund-raiser – working for greater income from the institution and beyond
• Metadata producer – creating records of information sources in a variety of schemas
• Communicator – formally and informally liaising with users
• Team player – working with colleagues in library, IT services and academics 
•  Multi-media user – comfortable with a wide range of formats
• Intermediary – with a good knowledge of sources and user requirements
• Enabler – proactively connecting users with information they require
• Trainer / educator – taking on a formal role to teach information skills and information literacy
• Evaluator – sifting free and paid for resources on behalf of users
• Negotiator – dealing with publishers and suppliers
• Project manager – leading on development projects to enhance the service

The Issue of Skills

And these roles require a wide range of new or enhanced skills, including:

• Technical and IT skills
• Ability to learn quickly
• Analytical and evaluative skills
• Subject skills
• Project management skills
• Vision
• Communication skills
• Negotiating skills
• Ability to work under pressure
• Professional skills
• Flexibility
• People skills
• Presentation skills
• Teaching skills
• Team working skills
• Customer service skills

Some of these are hard skills (such as technical knowledge) others are soft skills (such as vision). All are important to have in the organisation.

The Issue of Collection development Policies

Creating an integrated collection development policy which covers all media is an important issue in e-library. Electronic acquisitions have to fit into the overall provision. One major issue here is the balance between print and electronic services. There needs to be clear criteria for selection and there must be a group to make acquisition decisions.

Acquisition Issue

The selection and acquisition process itself is often far more complex for electronic materials and includes liaising with suppliers, organising trials and demonstrations, and formal evaluation. It is ironic that the acquisition of e-resources can often take longer than the print. It can however sometimes frustrate the expectations of users.

Licensing

The relationship between publishers and libraries is changing because of the e-resources. In broad terms, there is a movement from the use of resources being determined by public law (copyright and fair dealing) to private agreement (licences). License agreements are private arrangements between two parties. They place the provider in a much stronger position to specify how the information is used and who uses it. There is a need to maintain a robust stance with publishers on issues like multi campuses, off campus access etc.

The Issue of Pricing

The e-library pricing models have not yet stabilised and the variation e-journals is a typical example. The criteria on which pricing models should be based for all electronic products is still very unclear. Should price be based on use? If so, how is use determined? Should it be based on size of user community? If so, how is size calculated? While there is need for caution here, there is also need for more work by e-librarians in creating alternative formulae.

The e-library is Expensive

It is clear from the UK e-library surveys that developing the electronic library is currently not an easy way to save money. one of the lessons of e-Lib as a whole in the UK is that electronic media do not save money or library space and are not likely to in the near future.” As far as prices are concerned, a few examples illustrate the point. E-journal deals often cost seven or eight per cent on top of existing paper subscriptions, and often prevent cancellation of the paper. There is also the added problem of VAT which is chargeable for electronic resources whereas printed publications are exempt.  

Institutional funding Issues

The institution must be ready to fund the e-library. All users in the institution can usefully be kept informed about pricing issues in order to gain their support for investment in resources.  Many products come as cross-disciplinary packages of material and working out which subject pays (or part pays) for a particular resource can be unnecessarily complex. Library funding allocation models need to be constructed to ensure that libraries have the flexibility to respond to the available deals on behalf of all of their users.

Issue of Priorities

Libraries may need to reappraise their overall budgeting priorities and expectations in the context of the e-library. As we moved from the ‘traditional library’ model to the ‘automated library’ model (where traditional library processes, such as cataloguing and circulation, were automated), librarians became used to spending large amounts of money on library management systems (LMSs) and on the staff to maintain them. He goes on to say that “the cataloguing of ‘toll-gated’ electronic information – e-journals and e-books – should now be the highest priority for our cataloguing departments (or metadata units

Systems and technical issues of Integration

Again from the UK survey compiled by Stephen Pinfield (2002) systems and technical issues are major challenges. The fundamental issue is integration – bringing the different components of the library together as a coherent whole.

Integration is also fast becoming a bigger problem. Libraries are no longer just dealing with digital textual resources but a wide range of different types of data. These include statistical, mapping, graphical, sound, and moving image materials to name a few. The challenge of creating a navigable online library environment which allows users to move between and around key resources continues to be a big one.

Cross searching and linking

The issue of designing ways of navigating the wide range of resources is a major challenge. The use of various cross-searching and linking technologies is now high on the agenda. Z39.50 is a major facility in this area. As a protocol designed for the exchange of bibliographic data, it is often seen as the most likely solution to the problem of integration.

The Issue of Authentication, Authorisation & Personalisation

Authentication, authorization and personalization issues are big technical challenges for e-library. Each has major service implications for security and integrity of the whole system and must be carefully formulated to be flexible enough serve internal institutional needs. The related issue of personalisation is also an ongoing challenge. One key issue, as with personalisation for e-library services, is the extent to which user intervention is required. Issues of security and data protection need of course to be considered here, especially for personalized SDI services

Issue of Management

Management applies to parts of e-library because once a material has been acquired it needs must be managed. The management of e-journals is, for example, a particular problem. For every e-journal package, there is always an ongoing maintenance problem. Packages seem to add and subtract titles on a regular basis. Perhaps there is a role here for subscription agents. Libraries will certainly welcome opportunities to hand over some of the laborious administration associated with e-journals to a reliable third party.

The Issue of Digital Preservation

Another important aspect of the management of e-materials is preservation. In the main, electronic resources have been acquired by libraries to satisfy immediate need. The issue of preservation of electronic materials has been side-stepped. In many areas, libraries have continued to acquire paper in parallel with e-versions. However, as the prospect of e-only versions of material becomes more immediate, the preservation issue becomes more pressing. However, the preservation question remains a key one for all libraries. It will have an impact on the whole direction of local e-collection development policies. Until the issue is nearer resolution, library managers will not have the confidence to move decisively from paper to electronic-only resources.

Issue of Content creation

Electronic resources are not only being acquired by libraries, but also created by them. Libraries are increasingly active in digitising materials both to preserve the originals and to add value to them. Library staff are also increasingly involved in creating content for learning and teaching purposes. Such activity needs to be built into general collection development policies of libraries. Its importance needs to be recognised by library managers and academic staff.

User issues: Marketing, Training and Liaison

Given the near existence of e-library in Nigeria, one main issue may be market penetration of e-resources . To what extent would they used actually? Who will use them? Who will not use them? In order to help to ensure that quality resources are used widely and effectively, it is important to have marketing strategies in place and also Information skills training opportunities. It is also essential to have good formal and informal liaison mechanisms set up to ensure that the resources purchased are the right ones and once they are purchased that they are used.

The complexity of the current information environment means that users more than ever need assistance in navigating the resources. In particular, users need assistance in identifying high quality resources. There is a crucial role to play here for information professionals in guiding and training users to help them find and use high quality (both free and paid for) e-resources.

Organisational issues

Information services and convergence Issues

Many issues associated with the delivery of electronic library resources do not involve the library alone. Libraries now more than ever deliver their e-services in the context of a wider ICT-based provision. Electronic library delivery relies on the infrastructure, hardware and expertise provided by computing services in universities. It is then essential that the library as an organisation works in close partnership with the computing service. This partnership of these organisations can take a variety of forms ranging from organisational merger to strategic alliance. It will vary from institution to institution. But whatever form it takes it must be ‘an ever closer union’ if users are to be properly served

Conclusions

Nigeria has the potential to harvest the enormous change in library and information services across the world, especially the initiatives from e-Library which can help to facilitate rapid national development. In the Changes expected to set in the next decade, libraries are going to be more relevant than ever as, innovative organisations for stable services. Achieving this will involve energetic technical and content development and also involve developing libraries with the right staff, with the right skills, working in the right structures. It is in this way that we will be better able to support the transformation agenda and vision 20:20:20..

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Acknowledgements:

This paper is based on a presentation first given to a CALIM (Consortium of Academic Libraries in Manchester) seminar in March 2001 as compiled with feedbacks by Steven Pinfield