Accessing Indigenous Knowledge Resources in Libraries and the Problems Encountered by Librarians Managing IK in Oyo State, Nigeria
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Date
2013-10
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Digital commons (UNL)
Abstract
In this era of knowledge economy, a time where it is difficult to ignore any type of knowledge
system, it is incumbent on librarians and libraries to reduce the gap between the use of
indigenous knowledge owned by local people and the western scientific knowledge. The library
for users is a democracy, and there is no reason it should enhance apartheid among knowledge
systems and/or resources. LIS professionals all over the world have demonstrated commendable
initiatives managing IK though not without attendant challenges. This paper reports the study of
how libraries in Oyo State, Nigeria provide access to IK resources and the problems encountered
managing them. The descriptive survey was employed. Data was collected using self-designed
questionnaire for the project; and analysed using SPSS. It was found that IK resources were not
adequately represented in libraries in Oyo State. The study discovered that special, academic and
public libraries have differing means by which they provide access to IK resources. While
special and academic libraries catalogue and organize their resources, have a separate section
created for them within the library public libraries do not. Also, while public libraries network
with institutions to share IK resources, special and academic libraries do not. It was moreover
found that none of the libraries provide access to IK using public access database nor own a
digital library for borderless access to IK resources. Librarians however encounter challenges
managing IK. It is however recommended that libraries should up the game in providing access
to IK resources.
Description
Keywords
Indigenous knowledge, Indigenous knowledge resources, Academic Library, public library, Special library, Nigeria
Citation
Adeniyi, A. I., & Roselyn, E. (2013). Accessing Indigenous Knowledge Resources in Libraries and the Problems Encountered by Librarians Managing IK in Oyo State, Nigeria.