IMPACT OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) ON STAFF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT IN JOHN HARRIS LIBRARY IN UNIVERSITY OF BENIN, EDO STATE, NIGERIA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of study
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) refers to technologies that provide access to information through telecommunications. It is similar to Information Technology (IT), but focuses primarily on communication technologies. This includes the Internet, wireless networks, cell phones, and other communication mediums.
In the past few decades, information and communication technologies have provided society with a vast array of new communication capabilities. For example, people can communicate in real-time with others in different countries using technologies such as instant messaging, voice over IP (VoIP), and video-conferencing. Modern information and communication technologies have created a “global village,” in which people can communicate with others across the world as if they were living next door. For this reason, ICT is often studied in the context of how modern communication technologies affect society.
Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge that relate to specific usefulcompetencies. Training has specific goals of improving one’s capability, capacity, productivity and performance. In addition to the basic training required for a trade, occupation or profession, observers of the labor-market recognizes the need to continue training beyond initial qualifications: to maintain, upgrade and update skills throughout working life. People within many professions and occupations may refer to this sort of training as professional development.
Staff training and development is a broad term covering multiple kinds of employee learning.
Training is a program that helps employees learn specific knowledge or skills to improve performance in their current roles. Development is more expansive and focuses on employee growth and future performance, rather than an immediate job role.
In recent times, the development and training of human resources has been the focus in national development. This is due to the fact that, the growth of any nation depends on the extent human development. Hence, without adequate investment in developing the human resources of the educational sector especially on the use of ICT, the possibility of national growth might be hampered. Okpala, (2006) stated that training and development is an instrument for social and economic mobility at personal level and instrument for transformation by society at national level.
Training and development for libraries is a critical factor in a knowledge base economy where information and communication iskeyto national development. Knowledge has become the only reliable instrument of gaining competitive advantage and staff training and development has become the panacea for addressing these challenges. Currently, organizations are recognizing the need to use best training and development practices to achieve their goal. In the Boards of Alan, (2009), staffs are now seen not just as employees, but as the organizations greatest asset which when given development opportunities, will deliver services to meet the changing needs of customers. The implication of the above position is that for library staff, relevant training and development should not be underestimated.
