Joseph O. Aina and N.P. Obokoh

 Abstract

Analysis of six newspapers from 1898–1993 discovered considerable attention to libraries. There were 644 stories or notices, and there has been a yearly increase in library coverage. The stories include accounts of new buildings and services, as well as exhortations for the development of school libraries and public libraries. The Daily Times had the greatest number of library-related entries.

Newspapers are concerned with instant information and they provide this to the citizen of every nation. Since they give knowledge, they can confer status on various issues. The press can thereby shape public opinion and also influence society. The first Nigerian newspaper was Iwe Irohin, meaning “Newspaper,” published in 1859 by Rev. Henry Townsend in Abeokuta. In 1863 Robert Campbell founded the Anglo–African, which published until 1868. Since then, several newspapers have appeared and disappeared from the newsstands all over the country, among them Lagos Times, Lagos Observer, The Eagle, Lagos Critic, Nigerian Pioneer, Nigerian Times and Nigerian Spectator. The Nigerian Daily Times was established on June 1, 1926, with Ernest Ikoli as editor.

At present all the national newspapers are edited and managed by Nigerians. Some of these papers circulate to all parts of Nigeria, neighboring African countries, and overseas. They have correspondents in all the big cities and towns in the country. Some trade unions are associated with the Nigerian Press. Nigerian journalists, for example, organized themselves in 1954 into a body named the Nigerian Union of Journalists. There is also the Newspaper Proprietor’s Association which represents the interest of newspaper owners. Another body is the Guild of Editors which looks after common and peculiar editorial problems. The guild has a code of conduct for journalists in Nigeria.

The focus of this essay is on newspaper coverage of librarianship in Nigeria, specifically to find out which newspapers covered by this study had the highest number of items published on librarianship, which subject areas were covered, and the types of library cited. The study was limited to six national dailies which were published in English from 1989 to 1993: Daily Times, The Guardian, The Punch, National Concord, New Nigerian, and Nigerian Tribune.

Table 1 shows that a total of 644 entries relating to librarianship were published in the six dailies during the five-year period covered by this study. The highest number 134 (20.81%) was published in the Daily Times followed by Nigerian Tribune with 112 (17.39%) entries. The least number, 96 (14.91%) was published in the Punch. The fact that the Daily Times, the forerunner of them all, had the highest number of entries on librarianship might be attributed to its greater number of pages and its wide circulation which calls for more readers and more contributors. While other papers are about 20 pages per issue the Daily Times is over 30 pages per issue. The table further reveals that the year 1993 has the highest number of publications on librarianship and decreased steadily to 1989.

For the purpose of this study eight subject areas were delineated as indicated in Table 2. A total of 661 entries were recorded for this part of the study and this increase was due to the fact that some entries covered more than one subject area. Considering the entire elements in this group, library service topped the list with 125 entries, that is 18.91%. This was followed by library resources with 120 entries representing 18.15%. The subject with the fewest entries was library automation with 32 entries representing 4.84%. The fact that library services has the highest number of entries suggests that there has been an increased awareness of the use of libraries. Library automation is a new dimension in the developing countries and this is indicated by its low rating in this group. That this is a new phenomenon in Nigeria has also been asserted by Alabi [1]. It is interesting to note some of the viewpoints on library services. “Give Us Prisons, Not Only Libraries” was the title of one article [2]. This was in reaction [to] the frequent breaking of library rules and regulations without punishment. The writer suggested that prisons and police posts be built near the country’s academic institutions so that culprits could be apprehended immediately with evidence and be sent to the prison. Another writer agreed that delinquent readers deserved heavy penalties [3].

Of the 686 entries public library has the highest number of articles, followed by academic library, and school library. Private library has the least number of entries. Some entries covered more than one type of library. The articles that appear in the dailies frequently exhort the need for libraries of one type or another and delineate their ideal roles. They voice the place that libraries should have as integral parts of the country’s educational system. Not many articles are actual descriptions of libraries at work. One thing that bothers educators in Nigeria is the inadequacy or complete absence of libraries in elementary and secondary schools. What serves as a school library is often a dilapidated building sometimes shared with offices, with a handful of old story books by foreign authors. Recently there have been some improvements, but there remains a need — as expressed in the articles — for sound library services to attain the desired goals of the country’s education policy. A number of the articles in the dailies argued for a professional librarian in each school on a full–time basis. The tabulation of the data indicated that articles on school library represented 19.53% of the total number of the articles in the dailies. That was a third position in the ranked order.

The history of public library development in Nigeria began in the late 1920s when the Lagos book club was formed. Apart from Alan Burns’ subscription library in 1932, the first library that was available to the public in Nigeria was the Lagos Public Library, opened in 1946 by K.D. Ferguson of the British Council [4]. Public library development in Nigeria has not matched the pace of other social services. However, it is important to note that some local government headquarters have branches of state public library system. While academic libraries have been established on a firm footing, public library services are yet to take off in many parts of rural areas of the federation. As already stated above, 192 articles were recorded in respect to the public library. That was 27.99% of the total entries for this part of the study. The articles are pleas for better libraries, and descriptions of plans and efforts towards the provision of library services. For example, a mobile library service was inaugurated in June 1974 to take library services to those living in rural areas of the former Bendel State [5]. A boat library, “Knowledge 1,” was also launched in March 1978 to serve the shore areas of Rivers State [6].

The National Library of Nigeria was set up in 1962, and the National Library Board in Nigeria was established by an Act of Parliament on November 6, 1964. Most of the articles about it discussed the headquarters in Lagos. (There are a few branches in the state capitals.) One hundred and eight articles were recorded in the dailies for this library which was 15.74% of the total entries for all the types of libraries under consideration for this investigation.

In many of the developing countries, establishment of university libraries received top priority at government levels to sustain teaching and research. As indicated in Table 3 above, there were 145 entries recorded for this type of library. That is 21.14% and this was second in the ranked order. They deal with problems rapid growth of enrollments, staffing, faculty, and programmes in the universities.

The development of private libraries in Nigeria is relatively recent, and there are only a few of them today. Two of the entries in the dailies were on one of the finest private libraries in the country. It belonged to the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo (1909–1987). It was known as Sopolu Library. Chief Awolowo bequeathed it to Ogun State University before he died. Other entries mainly described the importance of private libraries. Private library was the last in the ranked order as indicated in Table 3 above.

Special library had 72 entries representing 10.5%. The importance of the special library was the single most important theme in the articles. A general description of a special library was given in a few entries. Provision of library services in prisons, hospitals, and corporations was also commented upon by a few writers.

This investigation has provided a general overview of newspaper coverage of librarianship in Nigeria. It is significant to note that the number of items published increased from 1989 to 1993. A growth of interest in the profession of librarianship is also of interest. While the Daily Times had the highest number of articles on libraries and librarianship, library services topped the distribution list of entries by subject and the type of library that was most cited was found to be the public library.

 References

[1]. G.A. Alabi, “Information Technology: Wither Nigerian Libraries and Documentation Centres.” Leading Libraries and Information Centres 1–2 (1993): 27–35.

[2]. Omowumi Segun, “Give Us Prisons, Not Only Libraries.” The Guardian 5–4099 (April 5, 1989): 9.

[3]. B.O. Alafiatayo, “Delinquent Readers: A Problem for University Libraries in Nigeria.” Nigerbiblios 8–2 (1983): 51–52.

[4]. E.A. Apeji, “Library and Information Services to Rural Communities in Nigeria.” Nigerbiblios 11–1 (1986): 12.

[5]. Ngozi Ene, “The Operation of the Mobile Library Services, Bendel State Library.” Bendel Library Journal 1–1 (1978): 14.

[6]. Simon Yobe, “Rivers State Launches a Boat Library” Nigerbiblios 3–3 (1978): 17–18.

Citation

Aina, Joseph O. and N.P. Obokoh “Libraries and Librarianship as Reflected in the Nigerian Daily Newspapers,” World Libraries, Volume 5, Number 1 (Fall 1994).

About the Authors

Joseph Aina is Principal Librarian, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria. He has an M.L.S. from Ibadan University.

N. P. Obokoh is Deputy University Librarian, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Port Harcourt. Dr. Obokoh is Chairman of the Nigerian Library Association, River States.

© 1994 Joseph O. Aina and N.P. Obokoh.