Entrepreneurial Librarianship for Self-Employment Opportunities in Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the entrepreneurial librarianship (courses) for self-employment opportunities in Nigeria using university-based library schools established between 2001 and 2009 in the Northern part of Nigeria. Four research questions guided the study, they include: type of entrepreneurship courses available, level of adequacy, professional areas of self-employment opportunities and inhibiting factors affecting teaching and learning of entrepreneurial librarianship courses in the LIS schools. Lecturers and students drawn from eight new generation university based library schools in Northern Nigeria constituted the population of the study. Out of the eight library schools five were purposively selected for the study with 72 lecturers and 600 undergraduates randomly selected. The schools include: Federal University of Technology, Minna; University of Abuja; AbubakarTafawaBalewa University, Bauchi; AdamaModibbo University, Yola and University of Ilorin. Questionnaire was used for data collection. Copies of questionnaire were administered by the ressearchers and research assistants. Descriptive statistic was used in the analysis of data. Result showed that majority of respondents (lecturers) indicated information broker, publishing/book trade, public relations and information business as entrepreneurial courses available in the curriculum of library schools. The findings revealed the inadequacy of the entrepreneurial courses. Majority of the respondents (undergraduates) indicated information business and consultancy services as professional areas for self-employment opportunities for LIS products. Funding was the major factor affecting the teaching and learning of entrepreneurial courses in library schools in Northern Nigeria. The study recommended among other things the re-structuring of curriculum to include more entrepreneurial –related courses such as building design, SIWES, consultancy services and archives.