CHANGING WORK AND CHANGING ROLES OF PUBLIC LIBRARIANS IN THE 21ST CENTURY

IMPLICATIONS FOR NIGERIAN PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Abstract

This paper the changing roles of public libraries and librarians in and the implications of such changes to the Nigerian public librarians. The various specific areas of library work and how technology and the new information environment of the 21st century addresses such areas as readers’ services and readers’
advisory services, teaching of information literacy as part of library work, Collection development, technical services, management amongst others. The redefined roles of librarians in this scenario of the Internet and the digital era were also examined as facilitators, researchers, educators, knowledge
managers, website builders, interface designers among others. The paper went further to look into the emerging challenges posed by the changes to Nigerian public libraries and librarians and subsequent ways of addressing these challenges especially through staff training