2005 Conference of Nigeria Library Association: Delta State Chapter
| Date | 01 July 2006 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/07419050610692235 |
| Pages | 3-5 |
| Published date | 01 July 2006 |
| Author | Sylvester Ozioma Anie,O.N. Alakpodia |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
2005 Conference of Nigeria Library Association:
Delta State Chapter
Sylvester Ozioma Anie and O.N. Alakpodia
LIBRARY HITECH NEWS Number 6 2006, pp. 3-5, #Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 0741-9058, DOI 10.1108/07419050610692235 3
Library literacy and sustainable
educational development in Delta
State
The Nigeria Library Association
(Delta State Chapter) has been known to
be ``The information family'' with the
objective ofpromoting the virtual library
concept, not only in DeltaState, but also
throughout Nigeria. The Library
Association has been organising annual
conferencessince 1991 when Delta State
was created out of the defunct Bendel
State, but never has it made the stride in
achievements accomplished in this
year's conference. This conference has
undoubtedly moved to the forefront of
the major gatherings of the library and
information community, due to the
number of its professional meetings,
presented papers and the large turn out
accomplished participants including
librarians, information technologists,
information specialists, politicians,
publishers, representatives of
educational and scientific organisations,
scientific researchers, members of the
legislative and executive bodies. The
presence of the Honourable
Commissioner of Education, Dr (Mrs)
Ogbuagu Veronica and Her Excellency,
Chief (Mrs) Nkoyo Ibori (wife of the
Delta State Governor) who were duly
represented by their personal assistants,
added more colourto the conference.
The opening remarks by the
representative of the Honourable
Commissioner of Education were
focused on the need for virtual libraries
in all schools and institutions. Her
discussion was based on the changing
patterns of development including
efforts of privatization, commercialization,
community involvement, selfreliance
and empowerment. She proposes the
establishment of community based
rental libraries and information centers
as a way of helping the government to
spread information for development to
every nook and cranny of the society. It
is also a way of making librarians self-
reliant, self-employed and self-
empowering. She concluded that
looking at other community based
initiatives, such as rental libraries
would also be viable, and that no other
professionals are qualified to handle the
project except the librarians
themselves.
Special remarks
The year 2005 is especially
significant to all librarians in Nigeria,
and Delta State in particular. It is the
year we attained our goal of legal
recognition as being chartered among
the professions. This was achieved via
the promulgation of the librarians
Registration Council Degree of Nigeria
in June 1995, the inauguration of the
Librarian's Council by the Federal
Government in May 2002, and the
eventual swearing in of the first set of
chartered librarians in July 2005 with
the conferment, authority that librarians
can sue and be sued, resist impostors in
the profession, maintain standards of
practice and above all, take appropriate
seats in the World Congress of Library
and Information, the International
Federation of Library Associations,
known as IFLA.
The theme of this conference
``Library literacy and sustainable
educational development in Delta
State'' was carefully chosen to depict
the totality for what this profession
stands. No other time was more suitable
to conduct an x-ray of the educational
system of our dear state, diagnose its
ailments and provide sustainability in a
way that is enduring and befitting of
education.
This year's conference served as an
eye opener to all the participants,
especially in the areas of information
services and information technologies.
``Library literacy and sustainable
educational development in Delta
State'' as the theme implies in no doubt
has much to do with the future of library
and information services in our society.
Actually, the future of library and
information services in Delta State and
the country as a whole is bound up
closely with the development of
information technology (IT), as many
of their activities and services can be
enhanced and many new services
developed using suitable IT
appropriately. A survey of libraries in
Delta State has shown that libraries use
computers to automate technical
services, provide efficient reference and
information services network operations,
such as cataloguing, interlibrary loan,
and international bibliographic
projects. So, the application of
computers to library and information
activities in Delta State today has been
in the areas of personal computer
application to library functions, CD-
ROM services, Library Networks,
ElectroCopying, Electronic Mail and
Internet Connectivity.
Her Excellency, Chief (Mrs) Nkoyo
Ibori, the wife of DeltaState's Governor,
who was duly represented by her
personal assistant, in her speech, threw
more light on the need to sustain
educational development in Delta State.
It was made clear to all participants that
the Government of Delta State has
invested huge amounts of money on
educationaldevelopment by establishing
four higher institutions (three
polytechnics and onecollege of physical
and health education), with facilities to
meet the present standard of education,
especially in the areas of information
and communication te chnologies. Her
remarks highlighted those aspects of
ICT dominating electronic libraries,
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