CAPACITY BUILDING: STRATEGY FOR DEVELOPING THE COMPETENCIES OF LIBRARIANS IN NIGERIAN PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Abstract

Librarians in public libraries in the recent past do not see the need to develop their capacities and competencies. This is because unlike their counterparts in academic libraries who get their promotion based on certificates acquired, papers written, seminars, workshops or conferences attended and other
such exercises, their’s come through annual evaluation reports and number of years put up in service. However, the present society is one in which development of information technology and telecommunication networks is accompanied by a corresponding increase in information flow and which
require new skills in seeking, processing and using information. The study identified the following as ways to build the capacity and competency of librarians: training, seminars/conference sponsorships, career planning workshops, career self management training, incentives and rewards. The challenges to competency development were equally identified with special emphasis on lack of current public laws, limited access to information technology and poor remuneration. It is imperative that librarians in public libraries make positive efforts, in spite of these challenges, towards building their capacity and developing their competencies so as to remain functional in this age.