September 8th of every year is observed as ‘International Literacy Day’. The theme for the 2023 International Literacy Day is: “Promoting literacy for a world in transition: Building the foundation for sustainable and peaceful societies.” This theme will, among other things, highlight how developing the ability to read and write, as well as developing numeracy skills, can engender inclusiveness and equity.
One of the most critical forms of social infrastructure that we have, that can be used to promote literacy, is the Library. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most undervalued! A public library is a non-profit library that is accessible by the general public, and is usually funded by the government or from public sources, such as taxes. The public library has also been described as a “welfare centre, which provides useful services to the community by fostering education, promoting culture, recreation and dissemination of information to all sections of the society.”
As gateways to knowledge and culture, libraries play a fundamental role in society. The resources and services they offer create opportunities for learning, support literacy and education, and help shape new ideas and perspectives that are central to a creative and innovative society. They also help ensure an authentic record of knowledge created and accumulated by past generations. Without libraries, it would be difficult to advance research and human knowledge, or preserve knowledge and heritage for future generations.
One significant role of public libraries is education. Public libraries provide books and other materials for people to read and use. These materials are educational and lead to self-improvement. The educative role of public libraries also expands to include supporting both formal and informal education.
Another important function of public libraries is promoting literacy. Literacy refers to the ability to read and write. Public libraries continue to play a major role in fostering literacy in communities and societies, particularly among people that need special assistance in developing literacy skills. Public libraries also help to promote lifelong learning. Lifelong learning is the process of continuous and ongoing learning throughout a person’s life in order to enhance continuous development and improvement of an individual’s knowledge and skills. Due to the complex and rapidly changing environment, people need to acquire a variety of skills and knowledge, irrespective of their age, or social or economic status.
Public libraries do not only have educational roles and functions. They can also contribute to the country’s economic development. For example, public libraries can have a significant impact on economic productivity when they get involved in providing effective business services, resources and literacy programs to their business communities. Such businesses and organizations that use public libraries as a resource become more successful, thereby contributing to economic development in their communities.
Libraries are essential not only for community vitality but also for buffering all variety of personal problems – including isolation and loneliness. This is especially true, as the rate of unemployment and poverty in the country continues to rise, leading to idleness, among other ills.
One of the most important functions of the library is the preservation of our cultural heritage. Perhaps the most deep-rooted of our human instincts is the desire to preserve our culture for future generations. Libraries help to accomplish this objective. Libraries are rich repositories of historically and culturally significant collections, many of which are not available anywhere else. Without the services of a library, many works that are reflections of our cultural heritage would be lost to future generations.
What are some of the challenges facing public libraries in Nigeria today? One problem is their scarcity. For instance, someone who lives somewhere in Festac Town, Lagos would have to travel a long distance to somewhere around Mile 2/Amuwo Odofin, in order to access the services of a public library. This library (The Borno House Library, which functions under the Lagos State Library Board), seems to be the only functioning library in the entire Festac/Amuwo-Odofin area. So, it will be very much appreciated if more public libraries are established across various communities/neighbourhoods.
Another problem is that many public libraries need renovations. These libraries are often unattractive and poorly maintained, while in most cases, the infrastructural facilities are inadequate. This is apparently because the library buildings and the systems that sustain them are underfunded, and neglected. This problem can be tackled by improving funding for the public library system. More public support – such as through the contributions of philanthropists – can be of much benefit in this regard.
Daniel Ighakpe,
FESTAC Town, Lagos
