The Library and Information Science (LIS) Profession and the Cameroon Development Vision 2035: A Perception Study

摘要

The world faces immense challenges which range from people living in poverty and denied dignity, rising inequalities, unemployment, global health threats, natural disasters, spiraling conflicts, violent extremism, terrorism and related humanitarian crises leading to force displacement of people, the depletion of natural resources and environmental degradation and the resultant climate change problem, just to name these. Fortunately, there are recognized human rights in the context of the United Nations (UN) Universal Declaration of Human Right in Article 19 and the Africa Chatter. These problems have thus challenged the world’s organizations to think and reflect on the way forward and some of these ways are developmental plans which include the UN Post 2015 Sustainable Development Agenda, the African Union (AU) 2063 Development Agenda with 17 aspirations, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Strategy Plan and key initiative and the Cameroon Development Vision 2035 emergence programme. These agendas require a number of stakeholders to intervene if these challenges must be reduced for the benefit of humanity. One of such stakeholders is the Library and Information Science (LIS) Profession. The question that comes up with respect to the Cameroon context is, “Is the LIS profession in Cameroon able to meet its information role?” In line with this, three research questions were coined to guide data collection for this paper. The survey method was adopted with document analysis and interview schedule constituting the main data collecting instruments. The simple descriptive statistical method was used for data analysis. The information profession is critical in the development agenda, because it provides the platform for access to various information that enhance the progress of all human activities. The LIS profession drives the knowledge economy. Thus it is well placed to roll the information literacy programmes of any nation to help people have access to quality information, enhance community education, social, health and economic needs thereby improving lives and development. There is equally the shift from a print to a digital information environment as supported by the advent of new Internet technology such as mobile or broadband. This is changing the means and mechanisms of information delivery in libraries which have the potential to lead, improve and provide more relevant services and programmes for users. This profession has proven to be the most suitable with skills and mandate to pull together, organize and make available and accessible information in all forms and formats to all irrespective of their social, educational and physical status. From the study it is clear that the LIS profession in Cameroon is not able to play its role of collector and steward of human heritage, is not able to play its fundamental role in enhancing education through the different libraries and information services, is not able to enhance and ensure inclusive, equitable, quality education and promote lifelong learning and is unable to increase access to information and knowledge assisted by ICTs to support sustainable development to help Cameroon in its development agenda. The recommendation is that it will be unfortunate for a nation like Cameroon not to afford to accord an appropriate attention to the LIS profession which is a suitable developmental tool. The government needs therefore to provide the needed status for this sector and put it on its agenda and this will usher in a new spirit of information professionalism in Cameroon that will go a long way to enhance literacy that is needed if Cameroon must develop.