FUNDING OF PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICES

FUNDING OF PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICES (A CASE STUDY OF ANAMBRA STATE LIBRARY BOARD)

ABSTRACT

The study is on funding of public library services, a case study of Anambra State Library Board. The study was presented based on nine objective and research question as follows to determine the sources of revenue to the Anambra state public library system. To determine the adequacy or otherwise of the sources of revenue to the funding of the library, to ascertain whether the public library is properly automated and computerized to provide in-and-out clear fee base services, to know if the public library system is properly organized and staffed to provide SDI fee-based services to find out if there is the existence of library tax fund in aid of public library funding in Anambra State, to ascertain whether local government councils contribute to library funding in Anambra State, to highlight the importance of endowments, grants, gifts and donations to library funding, to determine and highlight the importance of the payment of library development fee by secondary school students in aid of public library funding and to identify and proffer solutions to other inhibiting factors to public library funding in Anambra State. The survey method of investigation was adopted in which questionnaire where used as instrument for data collection. Frequency/percentages table were used for data presentation and analysis. Analysis of data collection shows that the library under study is funded majorly by state government, the sources of revenue to the library were not adequate, the library is not automated and computerized, the library is not well organized and staffed to provide SDI fee base services, the library has no tax fund to support its funding, the library receives much of its fund from the local government and that the secondary school students in Anambra State do pay their library development fund. Premised on the above findings, the study made the following recommendations, that the state government should ensure adequate funding of the library and the government should change its negative attitude towards libraries and the people of the state should be made to understand that the library is there own and as such should help in financing the library. The study hopes that the implementation of the above recommendations would bring some positive results to the library development.