Mortenson Center Blog

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has given a three-year grant for the Center to continue working with four university libraries in Nigeria … “the Mortenson Center proposes to work with the librarians to implement the cataloging, online catalog, circulation, and website functions for the new library management system, to assist the university libraries in providing greater access to their electronic resources, and to further develop a network of libraries in Nigeria focused on cooperation, and the sharing of resources and expertise. “

The Carnegie Corporation of New York has provided funding for a three-year grant to work with seven university libraries in East and West Africa.

There are two goals for the project, they are:
Goal 1: Carnegie grantee librarians in Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda will fully implement an automated library management system, which will better serve the research and learning needs of the users.
Goal 2: All institutions will develop a team of librarians trained and able to manage automation and automation-related projects in their libraries.

Addressing the Information Needs of Nigerian Researchers, Scholars and Students: A Planning and Training Program for MacArthur Grantee University Libraries
Phase II

Dates: September 1, 2008 – August 31, 2011

Information and knowledge are the building blocks of a society which seeks to offer the best to its citizens.  Access to information and knowledge in developing countries is at times difficult and expensive, even on university campuses. University libraries can and should play a key role in their societies by providing users with access to information in an effective and timely manner.

University libraries have a growing and evolving role as portals to knowledge and information, and therefore require additional resources and more technological expertise. Users want to be able to access information quickly, from a broad range of sources, and from a variety of locations. Librarians are critical in developing the strategies and systems to meet user needs.

In 2006 the Mortenson Center received a MacArthur grant to work with four MacArthur grantee university libraries in Nigeria. They are: Ahmadu Bello University, Bayero University, Ibadan University, and the University of Port Harcourt. In 2006 users of the universities libraries often faced a dark library, little or no access to computers, outdated materials, few journals (most were from the MacArthur Journal Donation program) and dilapidated seats and tables. The Mortenson Center staff visited one library where computer science students were learning how to work with computers by reading textbooks from the 1990′s.  Many of the libraries functioned as study halls since the library was one of few places on campus where the students could sit to work and read.

The librarians were well aware of what needed to be done to meet the needs of their users.  In most cases they were stymied by a lack of institutional support, paper catalogs and circulation records, stock that was outdated, poor physical plants, no power back-up, insufficient staff development, little interest from international library vendors, and limited access to training on how to automate a library. With the MacArthur grant, the Mortenson Center started to provide technical and professional development assistance.

The path to becoming a strong and robust research library, that meets the needs of its users, starts with implementing an automated library management system. This type of system, which allows users to use computers to find materials owned by the library, is the foundation of any modern university library. It also allows users to connect to the Internet and to take advantage of the wealth of information available globally. Once this system is implemented librarians can turn their attention to digitizing unique collections, offering access to the library’s catalog and electronic resources on the website to remote users, developing electronic course reserves, capturing the intellectual work of faculty on campus, and other vital library projects.

The goal of the project is to meet the needs of students, faculty and researchers at these four institutions by providing more efficient, reliable, and easy access to research and scholarly information.  As of June 2008 the four MacArthur university libraries have begun to automate their libraries, a first step towards meeting the goal.  With a second grant, the Mortenson Center proposes to work with the librarians to implement the cataloging, online catalog, circulation, and website functions for the new library management system, to assist the university libraries in providing greater access to their electronic resources, and to further develop a network of libraries in Nigeria focused on cooperation, and the sharing of resources and expertise.

Award: $201,000 from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Needs Assessment: Review of MacArthur Library Grantees’ Needs in Nigeria

Dates: January 1, 2005 – June 30, 2005

Objectives: Assess capabilities of the libraries of four MacArthur university grantees in Nigeria relating to the role of the library, level of technology, status of library automation, and staff training needs.

Outcome: Observations from the trip will be analyzed and recorded in a report (Developing Strong University Libraries in Nigeria: A Report for the MacArthur Foundation).

Award: $44,965 from the MacArthur Foundation