STUDY OF THE PROBLEMS OF PRIVATE LIBRARIES IN NIGERIAN

STUDY OF THE PROBLEMS OF PRIVATE LIBRARIES IN NIGERIAN

ABSTRACT

This research study exposes the problems encountered in running private libraries.
The library chosen as the case study is a private subscription library. The faith foundation library Aba.
The instrument used in this study for data gathering, are interview, questionnaire, observational method and existing data in the library.
The findings show that the problems encountered in the running of private libraries are inadequate accommodation, inadequate fund, inadequate staff, lack of written objective for the library and lack of proper management.
However, the researcher does not believe that the problems are insurmountable. The concluding chapter therefore, recommends on how the problems so identified can be solved.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
1.1 INTRODUCTION
This survey is a critical investigation into the problems of faith foundation library Aba. Private libraries are libraries owned and maintained from the private pulse of the owners and the collection is mostly based on the area of interest of the owner.
Basically, there are five types of libraries which help to provide knowledge and information to the populace of any nation. They are public libraries, National libraries, Academic libraries, Special libraries and Private libraries.
Public libraries are established to cater for the interest of all irrespective of age, race, religion, and culture-in education, information and recreation.
National libraries on the other hand are set up by the central government of a country to provide comprehensive reference; lending, bibliographic and related services on a national scale.
Academic libraries on their part cater for the educational and research need of higher institution and their communities. They provide materials not only for the undergraduates to use in their study but also for research student and academic teaching staff.
Special libraries exist to serve limited number of users because they are attached to institutions.
The fifth and most important in this study is the private libraries. Private libraries are owned and maintained by the private individuals but they serve the needs of interested members of the general public. Private individuals have established private libraries to meet their personal needs. For example, Henry Clay Folger collected no fewer than seventy copies of one book-the first collected edition of Shakespeare’s plays. In 1932 he opened the folger Shakespeare library in Washington DC which has been built to house his collection. As a result of his collection, he added greatly to the sum of knowledge about the printing of Shakespeare plays and about 17th century printing in general.
Collectors if private libraries have sometimes benefited posterity by leaving their collections to the public or founding a library. Example in the United States includes Henry E. Huntington, John Carter Brown, William L. Clements and J.P. Morgan. The tradition has long been established in Europe where many important libraries have been built up around the nucleus of private collection.
Other reasons why private individuals established private libraries include “Impossibility of the general libraries to supply adequate to coverage of available information on the specific topics to the individuals, a need for on the spot service, the obvious advantages of personally directed dissemination, and in many cases a desire for exclusive information.
The main interest of private libraries rests on the demand and the interest of the owner.

STUDY OF THE PROBLEMS OF PRIVATE LIBRARIES IN NIGERIAN