CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The hallmark of every organization is its human factor. The effectiveness of

polytechnic libraries depends on the efficiency of their staff development

programme.

However, the term staff development covers a broad range of activities designed to

provide staff with knowledge and skills that are directly related to their role and

responsibilities in the library just as in state polytechnic, their staff undergo as a

process of imparting the knowledge which they use, in carrying out the activities of

the library effectively. In other words, the academic library requires competent

staff that enable them to render services to the clientele.

According to Corto (1986), training seeks to improve and develop the knowledge,

skill and attribute of employees. More so, the aspect of the staff will also help in

the development of the polytechnic libraries for instance, in the case of Imo state

polytechnic library it has been that the staff there are not active or have the

knowledge on how to take care of the library or run the library, your will see that

the students will be finding it boring to be making use of the library or if the staff

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running the library are not capable and they are the harsh type, you will see that the

students in that school will be finding it difficult or not having the goal to make use

of the library.

In that case, you will see that the library will not develop up to the state it is now.

In this, the staff development incorporate the skill development of the entire staff

both the professional and non-professionals.

Similarly, the now employee need some educational training that will help to

implicate their power factor while the order staff required training to keep them

alert to the demands of the clientele.

Furthermore, it is necessary that the new employees that are employ in the library

(i.e. the academic especially Imo state polytechnic library staff) should have

intensive training on how to make use of the library and how to be police to the

students so that it will be easy for them and the students to interact well and have a

smooth work in the library.

The essence of staff development in the polytechnic libraries is to ensure that the

maximum potentials are tapped from the employees. This yield specialization in a

situation whereby the materials resources of the library are in abundance there is

need to have capable staff to manage these resources effectively the achievement

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of the organizational goal of Imo state polytechnic library fundamentally depends

on the effective development, training of staff and the proper use of its human

resource. More so, human resources managers in Imo state polytechnic library

must systematically identify the component required by library personnel in the

information communication technology (ICT) age and plant according to it.

Furthermore the introduction of information communication technologies becomes

an indisputable tool in development of staff. It is indeed, an indisputable fact that

libraries have metamorphosed from conventional libraries to electronic library (e-

library). Therefore, all libraries are now embracing on how to apply information

communication technology on daily basis.

As well, balanced development programme formularize an employee with basic

information and routines of the library operators, will prepare staff for the

challenges of complex modern technology which requires an integration of

activities, persons of diverse and specialized competence.

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS

The issue of staff development in polytechnic libraries has been a major source of

problem. Most polytechnic libraries today have not recognized the importance of

staff development. The inability of the polytechnic library management of

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perceives the importance of staff development has led to low productivity among

the staff, in other words staff from being competence. Inadequate funding seems to

be a bane of staff development. This hamper management from conducting and

organizing the programme and order staff from attending workshops, seminars and

conferences.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The general purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of staff

development programmes in college and polytechnic libraries. The specific

objectives are;

1. To identify the training and development needs of library staff.

2. To ascertain the types of staff development programmes provided in the

polytechnic libraries.

3. To identify the extent to which these programmes meet training and

development needs.

4. To identify the barriers to effective implementation of staff development

programmes in the polytechnic libraries.

5. To determine strategies for improving staff development programmes.

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1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What are the training and development needs of library staff?

2. What staff development programmes are available in polytechnic libraries?

3. To what extent do staff development programmes meet training and

development needs of polytechnic libraries?

4. What are the perceived hindrances for effective implementation of staff

development programmes in polytechnic libraries?

5. What are the strategies for improving staff development programmes in

polytechnic libraries?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Library human resources (personnel) seem to be the most important resource

needed to drive other resources (material resources) of any modern library. The

development of library human resources therefore, becomes imperative to harness

the activities of the library. This work, on completion, would bring into limelight

the role of human resource development in ensuring greater productivity and

increased job role in libraries.

The total dependence on annual performance appraisal of staff in

determining their promotability without adequate staff development policies and

programmes would be de-emphasized. Annual performance appraisal simply

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allows the employee to appraise his performances for the year and suggest ways of

improving on his capabilities and potentialities. Staff development and training

should as a matter of fact complement performance appraisal and the promotability

of an employee hinged on both. The successful completion of this study will

therefore, highlight staff development as a prerequisite for improved job

performance. Further, it will assist polytechnic libraries administrators/staff to

ascertain the imperativeness of staff training/development in ensuring quality

output and improved job role. It will further highlight the role expectations of both

the library administrators and staff in mapping out an effective structure for staff

development policies and programmes for the mutual benefit of both the staff and

the library.

Finally, the work promises to be a veritable tool/reference point in personnel

administration in libraries as it enlists into the literature on the subject.

1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The study seeks to compare the staff development programmes in

polytechnic libraries in north central zone. The research shall be limited to the

Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa Library and Nasarawa States only.

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 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 INTRODUCTION

The literature on staff development agrees on the definition and components

of staff development programmes. There also is a consensus on staff development

being a tool for the development of the skills and potential of individual members

of staff of an organization for the mutual benefit of both the individual staff and the

organization in which he works.

On the types of staff development programmes, most of the authors include

the following: on-the-job training, opportunity to attend workshops and institutes,

opportunity to prepare for individual enrichment (e.g. attending courses or

pursuing a degree programme), brief re-assignment to other jobs (e.g. job rotation),

assignment to library committees, and membership in professional associations.

These components can be classified into two major components: on-the-job

training which includes all the programmes undertaken by staff while he is still

performing his official duties, and off-the-job training, which takes place outside

the work environment/place.

Training has been identified to be at the very core of most staff development

programmes. Indeed, it remains a key organizational mechanism for reconciling

the abilities of the individual with the needs of the organization. The prime position

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of training in staff developmental strategy/effort is scarcely indubitable irrespective

of cost. As a result, most of the literatures that deal on cost/benefit analysis of staff

development programmes seem to agree that staff development activities are worth

the effort irrespective of the cost.

Most of the literature reviewed gave responsibility for staff development to

the organization. This implies that the organization should identify areas of training

needs and prepares the staff for the training.

The review of literature was based largely on sources published overseas,

with very few books and journals of African or Nigerian origin. A few Nigerian

unpublished students projects/theses on staff development and related topics were

reviewed.

It is therefore evident that there is a dearth of literature of Nigerian origin on staff

training and development. This may reflect low interest in staff training and

development in organizations and the resultant negative effects often observed in

Nigerian libraries. Such negative effects as the preference of alternative sources

such as the internet in search of information may spell doom for libraries and

librarians especially now that most professions are striving to remain relevant in

the present information age. In order to remedy the situation therefore, an

investigation into staff training and development in Nigerian libraries especially in

polytechnic libraries becomes imperative.

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 CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

RESEARCH DESIGN

This study is a descriptive survey of staff development programmes in

polytechnic libraries in Nasarawa and Nasarawa States using questionnaire. It is a

descriptive survey research because it is based principally on the views of the

respondents in the population of study. Moreover, survey design is extensive in

nature and gives every element in the population of study a chance to be

represented. It seems, also, to be the most suitable method by which data can be

collected for the study.

AREA OF STUDY

The area of study is Nasarawa and Nasarawa States of North central

Nigeria. The college and polytechnic libraries used for the study are located in the

two states.

POPULATION OF STUDY

The population comprised all the professional librarians, para-professional

and non-professional library staff in polytechnic libraries within the area of study.

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Table 1: Population of study Area

Professiona Para- Non-

Institution l professional professional Total
library librarians librarians librarians

FPN NAS. 6 5 13 20

SAMPLE AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUE

The population studied in this research work comprised all the professional

librarians/para-professionals and non-professional library staff within the area of

study as the number is manageable. Hence, all the elements in the population were

sampled.

INSTRUMENT FOR DATA COLLECTION

The instrument used for data collection was primarily questionnaire

developed by the researcher. The questionnaire, entitled survey of staff

development programmes in college and polytechnic libraries questionnaire was

meant to elicit information from professional and para-professional librarians and

non-professional library staff.

The questionnaire which was a self-designed one consisted of three parts,

one, two and three. Part one had questions on the background information of the

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respondents while parts two and three consisted of questions on the general

aspects of staff development programmes of the libraries. Part two of the

questionnaire had thirteen questions all designed to elicit information on the

survey while part three had only three questions and meant for library

administrators only.

Of immense use in the design of the instrument were insights from the

literature of previous works in the area of staff development programmes research

such as Smith (2002), Umeji (1997) and Synder and Sanders (1978).

QUESTIONER DISTRIBUTION AND COLLECTION

The distribution and collection of the questioners was done by the researcher

himself. A total of two weeks was used for the administration and collection of the

questionnaire in the five institution libraries. The administration and collection

were done on the spot to avoid complaint of misplacement by the respondents.

METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS

The data collected were analyzed using table and percentage method. The

researcher will use sample percentage each table covers pictures of information for

a particular question.

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