Constraints on the Development of Public Library Service in Nigeria

摘要

Despite much development since its introduction into Nigeria in 1946, public library service is used today by less than 1 percent of the population. This article,udbased on a review of the literature and on eight years of library experience in Nigeria, attempts to explain why. The main constraints have been the irrelevance of the service offered to the illiterate, who compose up to two-thirds of the adult population, and the fact that those who are literate and have access to libraries rarely use them for other than educational purposes and stop using them when their educational goals are achieved or given up. Other constraints include the redivision of Nigeria into smaller internal units; lack of professional leadership, government legislation, backing, and financial support in certainudstates; staffing problems; and the difficulty of extending service outside the urban areas.