1.0 Introduction
1.1.Background of the Study
Libraries are established either by the government, individuals or corporate organizations for the use of the populace. According to the International Federation of Library Association and Institution, IFLA (2001), the public library is an organization established, supported and funded by the community, either through local, regional or national government or through some other form of community organization. It provides access to knowledge, information and works of imagination through a range of resources (financial, human and material resources) and services. Library users are usually made of people of different age range and educational qualifications — men, women, young adults and children.
Staffing in a library system is made up of the director of library services, followed by the assistant chief librarian or deputy director. Their subordinates include all categories of librarians, library officers, library assistants, attendants, technicians and gardeners. These fall under the professionals, para-professionals and non-professionals all of whom should be qualified in terms of training and certification according to their levels. Training is a very important device in personnel management.
Worker training and development as Adeniji (2011) said is an important programme that promotes the worker in an industrial set up. Considering the fact that information provision to every user is the mission of libraries, the need for training in this regard cannot be over emphasized. Just as Achebe (2005) said that libraries are local centres for information, a library worker whose work is to provide information for users in any way needs to be competent enough in any area he finds himself in the library. Tella and Popoola (2007) asserted that training is an essential strategy for motivating workers in the library as a service organization. For the librarians or information professionals as well as other workers develop themselvesto serve the public efficiently, there is dire need for them to acquire the needed skills suitable for the work at hand.
In the words of Chadan (2000), training is a short term process utilizing a systematic and organized procedure by which non-managerial personnel learn technical knowledge and skills for a definite process. This definition is found lacking because training should be for managerial and nonmanagerial staff. A personnel training scheme, (PTS) as Abba &Dawha (2009) called it is one that seeks to improve work performance. They cited Slee (1997) who saw this as a systematic approach to staff development and continuing education that is usually in form of a programme of learning opportunities aimed at ensuring that workers continue to acquire and adapt their skills and knowledge to a changing environment. They stressed that a well-trained worker knows the scope and expectations of their jobs and will be able to add building blocks to his/her expertise as he/she progresses.
Everybody needs self-development professionally. By attending seminars and conferences, the managerial staff can improve professionally. Training is a public or private education programmes directly applicable to work situation. When there are lapses or loopholes in work efficiency and expected productivity, it means that the workers involved need more and better skills and knowledge to be gained through training. According to the report of the University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries Staff Development working group (1998), libraries need a staff that is well versed in all facets of work in order to provide their users with excellent services
1.2. Statement of the General Problem
Training has been observed to be a very important device in personnel management in public as well as other libraries. In spite of the fact that no organization can grow in its services without continuous training of their staff, it has been observed that most workers of this library as well as other public libraries around them may not have been adequately exposed to training programmes. This probably affectsworkers' efficiency adversely and as such it is certain that the public/users' needs are not always satisfied.
1.3 Aim and Objectives of the study
The aim of the study is to examine the Impact of Staff Training on Library Development. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To examine the impact of staff training on library development in Nigeria.
- To know is a relationship exists between staff training and library development in Nigeria.
- To examine the state of library in Nigeria.
- To know if library staff are adequately trained.
1.4 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- Does staff training impact on library development in Nigeria?
- Is there a relationship between staff training and library development in Nigeria?
- What is the true state of libraries in Nigeria?
- Are libraries in Nigeria well equipped?
- How adequately trained are library staff in Nigeria?
1.5. Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
Hypothesis One
- H0: staff training does not influence library development in Nigeria
- H1: staff training influences library development in Nigeria
1.6 Significance of the Study
The findings and outcome of this study will always help in sensitizing the management board of this and other public libraries on the training programmes that should be provided for their workers. It will also help researchers in librarianship, planners of library training programmes and the workers themselves by providing them with useful information.
1.7 Scope of the Study
This study is restricted to the impact of staff training on library development having a case study of the university of jos library.
1.8 Limitations of the Study
Financial Constraint
Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
Time Constraint
The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.
1.9. Definition of Terms
Library:
A building or room containing collections of books, periodicals, and sometimes films and recorded music for use or borrowing by the public or the members of an institution.
Staff:
All the people employed by a particular organization.
Training:
The action of teaching a person or animal a particular skill or type of behaviour.
