Managing ICT-Driven Libraries in Nigeria: Critical Leadership Issues

Abstract

The paper examined the nexus between the application of information and communication technology to library services and leadership. It noted the pervasiveness of ICT across all professions as global best practices. It alerts that the twenty-first century libraries are currently faced with technology savvy clientele and more sophisticated patrons expecting services that can compete favourably with or better organised than Google and other retrieval systems. The paper x-rayed the current state of libraries in Nigeria and averred that innovative leadership is a critical precondition to mainstreaming the Nigerian libraries to an enviable pedestal that approximates to international standards. Other critical leadership issues identified for effective management of ICT- driven libraries in Nigeria include: leaders capacity to facilitate change, demonstrating and justifying returns on investment, ICT capacity building initiatives for librarians, benchmarking practices, understanding back-up and Anti Intrusion systems, adequate power supply and bandwidth as well as ensuring that aggregators of electronic resources indemnify libraries against infringement of copyright.