Page
Title Page ………………………………………………………………………..i
Approval Page …………………………………………………………………..ii
Certification Page ………………………………………………………………..iii
Dedication …………………………………………………………………………iv
Acknowledgement ………………………………………………………………v
Table of Contents………………………………………………………………..vi
List of tables……………………………………………………………………..vii
Abstract……………………………………………………………………………ix
CHAPTER ONE: Introduction………………………………………………..1
Background to the Study…………………………………………………………1
Statement of the Problem………………………………………………………….5
Objectives of the Study …………………………………………………………6
Significance of the Study ………………………………………………………..6
Scope of the Study ………………………………………………… …………….7
Research Questions ………………………………………………………………8
CHAPTER TWO: Review of the Literature …………………… ……………9
Conceptual Framework ……………………………………………. ……………9
Objectives, functions and roles of University Libraries ………………………….11
Funding Needs of the University Libraries ………………………………………12
Sources of funding……………………………………………………………….16
Funding Trends of University Libraries …………………………………………18
Problems Associated with Funding of University Libraries ………. ……………20
Empirical Studies on Funding of Libraries ………………………………………23
Summary of Literature Review ……………………………………. ……………26
CHAPTER THREE: Research Methods ……………………….. ……………28
Research Design …………………………………………………… ……………28
Area of the Study ………………………………………………………………..28
Population for the Study …………………………………………………………28
Sample and Sampling Technique ………………..……………………………….29
Instrument for Data Collection ……………………………………. …………….29
Validation of the Instrument …………………………………………………….30
Method of Data Collection ………………………………………………………30
Method of Data Analysis ……………………………………..30                                  Â
CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA………32
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION, RECOMMEND-
ATIONS AND SUMMARY……………………………………………………37
Discussion of findings ……………………………………………………………37
Conclusions ………………………………………………………………………40
Implication of findings …………………………………………………………..41
Recommendations ……………………………………………………………….42
Suggestions for further research …………………………………………………43
Limitations of the study …………………………………………………………43
Summary of findings …………………………………………………………….43
REFERENCES …………………………………………………45                                 Â
APPENDICES
Appendix I Funding of university libraries in the south-east zone of Nigeria Questionnaire ………………………………………………………51
Appendix II Oral interview guide for university librarians …………………… …………………… …………………… …………………… 57                                  Â
LIST OF TABLES
TABLES PAGE
- Sources of fund for university libraries. 32
- Mean adequacy of fund released to university libraries 2002 – 2007. 33
- Mean effects of funding on the provision of library services. 34
- Mean factors that affect funding of university libraries. 35
- Mean strategies for the effective funding of university libraries. 36
ABSTRACT
The study focused on the funding of university libraries in the south-east zone of Nigeria. To achieve the purpose of the study, five specific objectives and five research questions were posed to guide the study. The descriptive survey research design was used for the study. Data were collected from 12 universities in the area made up of 4 federal universities, 5 state universities and 3 private universities. A 50 – item questionnaire named funding of university libraries in the south-east zone of Nigeria (FULQ), which has 6 sections and a 5- item structured interview guide (OIGFUL) were the instruments used for data collection. The percentage and mean statistics were used to analyse the data with a criterion mean of 2.5. The findings show that the university libraries sourced their funds from their proprietors, endowments, photocopying services and library fees paid by students, among other sources. The funds that were received by the university libraries from 2002 – 2007 were inadequate, and this negatively affected the provision of services in the university libraries. The results also show that several factors, such as inflation and high exchange rates affected the funding of university libraries, while strategies such as commercialization of some library services such as printing were accepted as strategies for improving the funding situation in university libraries. The implications of the findings of the study were highlighted. It was concluded that the universities depended on the traditional ways of sourcing funds, which affected the adequacy of the funds and the provision of services. The study among other things recommended that the university libraries should not depend o these traditional methods of sourcing funds, and explore other ways such as commercialising some of their services and seeking external support in the development of specific projects.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
University education has assumed a centre stage in the development of Nigeria. The rate at which universities are established in Nigeria shows that the quest for knowledge is increasing. The university trains the country’s high level man power and is invariably a potent driver of its economic, political and social development. In the present age, no country can develop beyond the level of its educational institutions, especially universities. The importance attached to university education for the development of high level manpower has led to the proliferation of universities in Nigeria. There were only five federal government owned universities in 1970, but now there are well over seventy-two universities. Though the Federal Government still maintains a lead in university ownership, state governments, corporate bodies and private individuals are now competing with the Federal Government.
Ifidon (1999) described the university as an institution of higher learning where students are trained in thinking, problem-solving processes and in vocational skills. He goes further to list the functions of universities as teaching; research publications; extension services; interpretation; conservation of knowledge and ideas, pursuit, promotion and dissemination of knowledge and information; provision of intellectual leadership; manpower development; promoting intercontinental unity and international understanding. This means that the universities exist for the purpose of equipping those who pass through them with high level skills to impact the society. To achieve the above functions of the university, information should be provided for both the teachers and the students in the form of books, audio-visual materials, computer and internet facilities etc. Most of these materials are located in the libraries and no university can exist without a good library. This is because the library is the storehouse of information and its materials are carefully chosen so that they can satisfy the information needs of the university.
A university library is one located in a university that provides an organized collection of printed or other materials that promote teaching, learning and research. It is also meant to serve the undergraduates, postgraduates, lecturers and other members of the university community. Furthermore, a university library is regarded as the heart of the intellectual life of the university. The quality of a university is largely determined by the quality of its library because of its unique role in the university system. The main purpose of the university library is to help in fulfilling the objectives of the university, which include teaching, learning and research. Many researchers have advocated that the library could be useful in advancing education and research, more especially with the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
In view of the above, it is important to note that the fundamental role of the library is educational, hence it should not be operated as a mere storehouse of books attached to a reading room, but as a dynamic instrument of education. In realization of this, Line (1988) noted that the function of a university library is mainly to serve the university community and if possible, beyond to the fullest extent possible. The emphasis must be on communication between information and users. Moreover, he stated that the library has to develop into an information centre providing access to information that is available not only locally but also nationally and internationally by developing and applying new techniques and methods. Aina (2004) also remarked that it is only the library that can play a distinctive and indispensable part in the central purpose of a university, which is to encourage the students in their personal and individual search for knowledge and understanding. In order to achieve all these, he warned that the libraries should be able to acquire and retain new sources of information.
The libraries in a bid to meet the set objectives of the universities provide a wide range of resources and services, which include monographs, textbooks, reference documents, audio-visual resources and other equipment like computer and internet facilities, current awareness services, abstracting and indexing services and a comfortable reading environment. The university libraries can only achieve their objectives if adequate funds are made available for the procurement and processing of materials, hiring of personnel, purchase and maintenance of equipment because finance is the bedrock of every organization including the university libraries. Robert (2003) explains funding as the process of raising money or capital for any kind of expenditure. University libraries in many countries including Nigeria are facing major funding problems due to non-growing or even decreasing appropriations from the university administration and other funding agencies, continuing inflationary increases for journals and library materials, need for new or improved facilities, increased costs for new technologies and networks and more demands for services. Library administrators are expected to improve services and facilities, offer the latest electronic information in an up-to-date network environment and provide the best teaching and research support for all academic programmes. However, observations show that Nigerian university libraries are hampered in achieving their objectives because of lack of funds too. Anafulu (1996) and William, (2000) opined that finance is essentially the process of providing fund for economic activities.
Ifidon (1999) noted that in a country such as Nigeria where there is a poor library infrastructure, there is a need for increased funding of university libraries. He however noted that the situation in Nigerian university libraries was far from ideal. As if that were not enough, many of the already acquired materials in these libraries are in danger of being lost. Today libraries find themselves in an environment of change caused by globalization, the internet and rapid technological changes. Even the mode, scale and ways in which we engage in learning, teaching and research are changing. With all these, the role of university libraries in learning and research remain fundamental to their mission because without libraries, learning and research will be very much impaired.
Jackson (1985) and Choy (2005) stressed that in this changing environment libraries have to find ways of securing their future existence. It is essential for them also to determine their place and role in the university setting and function accordingly because of the need to reform and restructure the library. To train and re-train practicing librarians in order to re-orientate and to prepare them for these new changes requires enormous funding. Even to maintain new facilities and equipment and build up the necessary collections and pay the library workers needs improved funding. It will be necessary for libraries to create means of attracting more funds to meet with these demands.
It has been established that fund is an indispensable tool for the achievement of the objectives of any organization. Without adequate financial support, libraries cannot effectively play the roles of the organization and administration of collections, staff maintenance, procurement of equipment (both new and old), satisfaction of user expectations and evaluation of services. According to Anafulu (1996), an academic institution cannot achieve the aim for its establishment without a well equipped library. This is why the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been insisting on improved funding of university libraries. Following from this, the National Policy on Education (FME, 2004) stated that the funding of the university libraries should be a shared responsibility among the government, the institutions themselves and students. Generally, most university libraries in Nigeria are highly underfunded. Therefore it is important to identify the sources of funding university libraries, especially when universities are run by different governments, groups or individuals. In this part of the world the methods of financing university libraries vary greatly, depending on the ownership of the institution. The federal universities’ libraries are funded through the National Universities Commission (NUC) by the federal government; state universities’ libraries are funded by the state governments through the state ministries of education while the private universities’ libraries are funded directly by their proprietors. The implication of this is that the different libraries are funded according to the ability of their owners. Ifidon (1985), writing on sources of fund for university libraries, asserted that the library funds are derived from the institution, which is funded by government grants, contributions and gifts, endowments, student fees, investments and consultancy. In addition, university libraries may collect direct funds through over due book fines, photocopying proceeds, sale of duplicates and publications, and other charges. The main sources of fund for university libraries are the government in the case of institutions owned by governments or the proprietors in the case of private universities. Grants from the government account for the greater part of the total revenue of the academic institutions run by the various governments. It is through this grant that library allocations are made.
           Ibrahim (1996) reports that funding of educational institutions and universities in particular was one of the pillars of the agreement signed between ASUU and the federal government of Nigeria. According to the agreement, library services were placed under a special head, which should account for ten per cent of the total recurrent budget. According to him, this agreement led the NUC to prepare a memorandum on budgetary allocation for the academic libraries on behalf of the university libraries to the federal government in 1993, to the effect that recurrent grant to each university should be fully committed to the operations of the university library. According to him sixty percent of this amount should be committed to the purchase of books and journals, while forty per cent should be committed to personnel emolument and purchase of other consumables required by the library. However, this is hardly the situation in our universities.
