1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
A library is a collection of books and books material organized for use in addition to begin an organized collection. It is an agency that put us touch with sources of information whether the happen to exist in book or not.
Public library according to Harrods (1977) is the library wholly or partly from public fund and use which is not restricted to any class of reasons in the community but is freely available to all public library that has it's branches that provide library service to various communities that are located within the state and they can be found in the rural communities like Okigwe etc. It is a major agency of enlightenment for adult and it provide for children the experience of other which will help them to grow into useful adult.
Despite there are problems militating against the survival of libraries like finance, library service etc. it when considered and solved the libraries will survive even in a depressed economy and some of the survival strategies for libraries to survive in a depressed economy are advertising and exhibiting, inter-library loan charges, assistance and co-operation from other libraries.
Library publication etc. because of the importance of libraries which serve as a place where book and non books material are organized for use, the above survival strategies must be implemented for it to survive in a depressed economy.
1.2 Background to the Study
The historical background of the case of this research is Imo State Library Board Owerri from the year 1976-2014.
Imo State library board came out from the eastern central library on the 3rd of February 1976, more state were later created in Nigeria and Imo State one of them. It was carved out of the former eastern central state as a result of this creation the east library board.
However, it was only in September 1976 that the indigenous Imo staff in Enugu was transferred to Owerri to establish the administrative head quarters of Imo State library board. The mobility was in part because printing, building and reprography staff were the last to move by the end of September 1976. The Anambra State library board retained the building and fitted asset while fiscal cash and information resource were shared.
Consequently Owerri divisional library which was under completion was horridly finished and used as the headquarter. The new library was opened to the public of the 12th of November1976 by then military Governor Commander Godwin Ndubuisi Kanu. The building was designed to accommodate 85,000 volumes, the sum of N35,909.84 was said to be spent on the building at that time of its opening. Apart from additional building have been added. There are handicapped building which were later taken over by the N.T.A.
The history will also be incomplete without the mentioning the carryout of Abia State from Imo State. In September 1991 The resistance effect of this is the emergence of Abia State library board. This led to the sharing of the assets and liabilities between the new Imo State library board and Abia State out of 17 divisional. Imo State library board then inherited only seven (7) branches, but now Imo State has ten (10) branches libraries.
The first director of Imo State library was appointed on the 10th November 1976 in the person of Prof. A.O. Anya and the present director of Imo State library service is Dr. Mrs. Ngozi Amadi and the new site is located at No. 3 Assumption Avenue/Bank road.
1.3 Statement of the Problem
The public library has been describe as peoples university the local passage of knowledge, providing opportunities for life long learning, independent decision making and cultural development of the people.
The major problem hindering the development of libraries in Niger include law, paginate, lack of adequate number of trained personnel and above all inadequate funding.
1.4 Objectives of the Study
The purpose of this research is to find out the following:
- To know if Imo State library board is in existence
- To identify the survival strategies of library in a depressed economy.
- To find out the problem militating against the survival of Imo State library board.
- To identify the solution to the problem of the depressed economy.
1.5 Research Questions
The following questions were draw and structured by the researcher as follows:
- Are there libraries existing in Owerri, Imo State?
- Are there survival strategies for libraries in a depressed economy?
- What are the problem militating against the survival of the Imo State library board?
- What are the solutions to the problem of depressed economy?
1.6 Scope of the Study
This work on the Survival Strategies of Libraries in a Depressed Economy with Imo State as a case study. In other words, the research work is on the survival strategies and the study was restricted to Imo State library board Owerri.
1.7 Significance of the Study
The study will enable us to know the problem facing libraries in Nigeria and how they survive. It will help the researcher or any other person who is interested in findings out the researcher to appreciate library as an agent of political, social and religious development of a judgment and taking the right decision that affect their existence.
1.8 Definition of the Terms
Assets:
Free Merriam Webster dictionary define assets as a property of a deceased person subjected by law to payment of his/her debt and legacies liabilities: According to Business Dictionary, it is a claim against the assets or legal obligation of a person or organization arising out of past or current transaction.
Judicious:
Learners Dictionary defines it as having or showing good judgment.
Xerography:
According to learner Dictionary, it is an act of reproviding and duplicating of document written material etc. by the use of certain equipment and machine.
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