Influence of Capacity Building and Attitude to Work of librarians in Edo State Public Libraries, Nigeria

1. Introduction

Globally, librarians are well-known with education, research and organization of knowledge that facilitate teaching, learning and research. In this digital age, libraries are growing sophisticated in information gathering, storage, preservation and dissemination. The traditional library holdings are being replaced with global collection of digital content using technology. Digital contents are the new library information resources invoke. This application of science and technology in library service functions has put the librarians in an indispensable position to acquire new knowledge, skills and ability to effectively use technologies for information service delivery. Generally, the library environment is changing rapidly. The multimedia nature of digital libraries is helping in locating relevant information efficiently and cost-effectively and disseminating the information in a wide variety of digital formats. Librarians are now providing collaboration services between users and information irrespective of their locations. Adesode (2016) affirms that in library service delivery, technology is now an indispensable tool for information generation, organization, dissemination and use. In this perspective, capacity development for librarians in Edo state public libraries is an indispensable requirement for effective and efficient library service delivery.

Capacity building is a set of processes that allow individuals, groups, organizations and societies to acquire new skills, knowledge and attitudes to function maximally. In this digital era, human capital is an important element for the success of any library whether academic, national, public, research or special library. Human capacity building is designed to provide employee new innovation, skills, ability, knowledge and attitude to doing a job in varied way to achieve organizational targets. In library and information environment, Lukas (2016) and Ogunmodede (2017) assert that in digital society, human capacity development provides the machinery for ensuring that there is a continuing supply of efficient technology-based librarians to meet modern library needs. In another development, Jatto (2018) avers that “We are in an era of flexible information resources and use” and as libraries continue to evolve into global collection of digital content, users want the information at the command of their fingertips delivered to them, so, librarians’ capacity to facilitate resources location and delivery become imperative. Traditional library resources are bulky and time consuming to consult. Trivedi (2010) affirms that information users are no longer satisfied with the resources of the traditional libraries, they want supplement which the dynamic digital library now provide.

In human capacity building, attitude is another important factor that affect service delivery. Ronald (2017) posits that attitude is the predisposition to act toward some aspects of human environment. In another view, Ogunmodede and Mafelu (2012) opine that human capacity building influences employee positive attitude for increased productivities. Jobman (2015) observes that important attitudes reflect fundamental values, self-interest or identification with the job individuals or groups valued. Also, Coliman (2016) avers that attitude can be held about something. At workplace, it is concerned with a person’s work characteristics: pay, supervision, clientele, colleagues, challenges or the physical work environment. Changing the attitude of employees is one problem area in any organization (Adesode, 2016). In the library environment, one way of achieving a change in attitude is through human capacity building. Job attitude is the positive or the negative assessment a person holds about aspects of their work environment. Coliman (2016) also affirms that job attitude can be assessed through job satisfaction, job involvement, and management commitment. In job satisfaction, a satisfied librarian is more likely to talk positively about the library, help users and go beyond the normal expectations of his/her job than a dissatisfied librarian. This set the stage for job involvement in which the librarian identify with the job, actively participates in it and considers his performance important to self-worth. In this sense, a satisfied librarian would be more prone to go beyond the call of duty because he wants to reciprocate his positive experience. High level job involvement is related to fewer absenteeism, less supervision, and lower job mobility. Library management commitment comes in when a librarian identifies with a particular library and its goals and wishes to maintain the membership of that library as a result of job satisfaction and job involvement.

Participation in human capacity building is a thing every librarian in public library service must fully embrace because of the combining effect on them and on their jobs. Through human capacity development programs, technology base library skills are acquired by the librarians to operate today’s library information services in an innovative ways to enhance more efficiency and better service delivery through: job satisfaction, job involvement, better working environment with good conditions of service, promotions and better salaries. Currently, emerging technologies are revolutionizing traditional library and information services. Digital library is now providing access to flexible world-class information resources for learning and research. Library users are no longer obliged to visit the library at regular open hours to meet all their information needs. They search the library online catalogue, use subject guide or database to access a citation from the Internet or access a full text article from web-based journals, browse e-journal, email reference question via ask-a-librarian service or borrow an e-book all by remote access (Bashorun & Isah, 2011). Generally, libraries in this era are repositioning themselves for digital based services by digitalizing their printed based materials for online access and establish their virtual presence in the global digital library network system.

But in Nigeria, available literature has shown that human capacity building in public libraries are in a pitiable state of neglect. Funding, which is a major requirement for library development, are not provided by government. Okiy (2013) lamented that the “general poor state of funding public libraries has forced many head librarians to reduced library services and development programs being rendered to their clientele and staff thereby leading to staff reduction (rationalization), redeployment, reduction in book budgets, reduction in number of programs and services rendered”. These problems are bound to affect the librarians’ capacity development and attitude to work in the libraries; this as the case, this paper investigates the influence of human capacity building on librarians` attitude to work in public libraries in Edo State, Nigeria.

2. Literature Review

Mohammed and Aliu (2012) observe that human capacity building is any activity carried out to promote the initiative of the employee leading to equipping the employee with new work skills and attitude for increased productivity. Capacity building enhances senior staff and subordinate relationship which invariably reduces the mistrust that is commonly noticeable in the workplace when things go wrong (Bolaji, 2013). Promoting a conducive working environment for the advancement and achievement of a library goal is therefore linked to good quality human capacity building programs which is a long-life process for the corporate existence of a library.

Fredrick (2016) citing Getzels and Guba (1957) affirm that no librarian can give what he does not have. Capacity building should be a core library strategy for efficiency and service delivery. The ever-changing library environment demands that changes in library structure, resources, service techniques coupled with astonishing advances in information technologies require constant librarian capacity building to update the library manpower needs (Flippo, 2010). Taylor (2013) writes that the influence of human capacity building on employees’ productivity promotes enthusiasm, jot interest, cordial employee relations, less supervision and high-quality output. Job attitude are better influenced through human capacity building (Arrey, 2014).

In a related view, Adeyemi (2016) opines that in library services, capacity building enhances library staff punctuality, job interest, enthusiasm to meet target, less supervision, less complain, application of initiative to work, etc. Oakman and Williams (2010), categorizes capacity building into educational classroom learning, on-the-job, and off-the-job. The educational classroom learning is the sponsored or unsponsored academic studies, professional and technical courses organized in recognized institutions. On-the-job involves learning under work conditions in a workplace Off-the-job are such as conferences, workshops and seminars. Abdulrazaq and Onifade (2017) identify other capacity building methods to include coaching – which utilizes the boss/subordinate selected job learning activities for technical competence; secondment – which allows the trainee to work for another or division based on either his specialty or new role, thereby extending experience to the host department or division; job instruction – here, the trainee systematically acquire routine instructions in key processes from a qualified instructor; induction course – a method of psychological integration of a new employee to his job and the working environment. Ronald (2017) avers that capacity building programs in library requires the support of top management to provide the needed funds, facilities, location and to release the affected employee from their various sections of the library. It is the expectation of library management that when skills are acquired, they should be applied to enhance library service delivery.

3. Methodology

The study employed the descriptive survey design. The population of the study consisted of 23 librarians from the following branches of the library: Benin City (Headquarters) 12, Auchi 3, Afuze 2, Ubiaja 3, Igara 2 and Ekpoma 1. The entire population is used for the study because of the small figure. The instrument for data collection was by the means of the questionnaire. The data obtained from the respondents were analyzed on the basis of the research questions formulated for the study using tables, frequency counts and simple percentages. All the responses are grouped as a single entity for analysis because of the central control of the branches from the headquarters.

4. Analysis

Research Question 1: What human capacity building programs are available for the librarians in the libraries?

Table 1 shows the human capacity building programs available for the librarians in the library. From the table, 16 (69.6%) and 10 (43.5%) respondents ‘Strongly Agreed’ and ‘Agreed’ to General Trends in Librarianship; 16 (69.6%) and 02 (8.7%) ‘Strongly Agreed’ and ‘Agreed’ to Computer Literacy; 05 (21.7%) and 14 (60.9%) respondents ‘Strongly Agreed’ and ‘Agreed’ to Internet Collection Management; 07 (30.4%) and 10 (43.5%) respondents ‘Strongly Agreed’ and ‘Agreed’ to Online Public Access Catalogue and Management Development respectively.

Table 1.

Human Capacity Building Programs

Research Question 2: What is the level of the librarians’ awareness of the human capacity building programs?

Table 2 shows the results on the level of their librarians’ awareness of the human capacity building in the library. From the table, majority of the respondents 12 (52.1%) have high level awareness; 10 (43.5%) have very high-level awareness while only 01 (4.3%) respondent have low level awareness.

Table 2.

Librarians’ Level of Awareness

Research Question 3: What is the method of the capacity building programs?

Table 3 above shows the methods of capacity building programs in the library. From the results, respondents ‘Strongly Agreed’ and ‘Agreed’ to Internally Organized Courses with 17 (73.9%) and 06 (21.7%) respectively; On-the-Job scored 17 (73.9%) and 04 (17.4%) for ‘Strongly Agreed’ and ‘Agreed’ respectively; for Conferences, respondents scored 16 (69.6%) for ‘Strongly Agreed’ and 07 (30.4%) for ‘Agreed’; Workshops/seminars scored 10 (43.5%) for ‘Strongly Agreed’ and 08 (34.8%) for ‘Agreed’. Respondents ‘Strongly Disagreed’ by 16 (69.6%) and ‘Disagreed’ by 05 (21.7%) to Education Institutional Classroom method.

Table 3.

Methods of Human Capacity Building programs

Research Question 4: What is the influence of the capacity building programs on the librarians’ attitude to work?

In Table 4, the positive responses are put together and the results show Absenteeism scored 16 (69.5%); Hard Working, 10 (60.9%); High Quality Service Output and High Identity with Library Objectives scored 10 (43.5%) respectively; Cordial Staff Relations 08 (34.8%); Job Involvement scored 07 (30.4%) and Eye-service scored 04 (17.3%); others are Job Satisfaction and Less Supervision which scored 03 (13.0%) respectively.

Table 4.

Influence of Capacity Building on Librarians Attitude to Work

Research Question 5: What is the level of the librarians’ participation in the capacity building program?

Table 5 shows the level of librarians’ participation in capacity building programs in the library. From the results, 08 (34.8%) librarians scored themselves ‘Very Low Level’; 07 (30.4%) scored themselves as ‘Low Level’ while 03 (13.0%) and 05 (21.7%) scored themselves as ‘Very High Level’ and ‘High Level’ respectively.

Table 5.

Level of Librarians Participation in the Capacity building Program

Research Question 6: What are the factors hindering capacity building programs in the library?

In Table 6, all the positive factors hindering capacity building in the library are put together. Results show that Lack of Sponsorship and Lack of Motivation scored 23 (100%) respectively; Irregular Payment of Salaries and Lack of ICT scored 21 (91.3%) respectively; Management Apathy scored 20 (87.0%); and Unattractive Working Environment scored only 05 (21.8%). Individual apathy, Poor organization of the program and irrelevance of the programs were scored negative hindrances respectively.

Table 6.

Factors Hindering Capacity Building Programs in the Library

5. Discussion

Findings in research question one reveals the human capacity building programs available for librarians in the library. The Librarians are aware of the following capacity building programs in the library: Computer Literacy Skills, Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC), Internet Collection Management and general Trends in Librarianship. These programs identified by the respondents are trends in modern library service environment. Flippo (2010) posits that the astonishing advances in information technologies require librarians’ constant capacity building on modern trends to upgrade their library skills to satisfy information users’ needs.

Research question two shows the methods of human capacity building in the library which include conferences, workshops/seminars, on-the-job and internally organized courses. This finding is in line with Oakman and Williams (2010) whose earlier study identify conferences, workshops/seminars, on-the-job and internally organized courses as some of the methods of human capacity building programs in library organizations.

Research question three reveals the results on the influence of human capacity building on attitude to work of the librarians in the library. From table three above, results show that majority of the respondents indicated negative influence of the capacity building on their attitudes to work. This may not be unconnected with such problems as lack of job motivation, irregular payment of salaries, lack of ICT facilities, management apathy to staff capacity building, and lack of sponsorship which are identified in Table 5 as factors hindering human capacity building programs in the library. These findings negate Ronald (2017) position that capacity building programs in library requires the support of top management to provide the needed funds, facilities, location and to release the affected employee from their various sections of the library. Ogunmodede and Mafelu (2012) believes that human capacity building influences employee positive attitude for increased productivities. In the same vain, Jobman (2015) pointed out that important attitudes reflect fundamental values, self-interest or identification with the job individuals or groups valued. These views are capable of influencing workers attitude to work and so, should be pursued by the library management.

Research question four reveals the level of librarians’ participation on human capacity building programs in the library. Results show a very low level of librarians’ participations as indicated by 34.8% of the respondents. This finding may be connected with some of the factors’ respondents have identified as hindering capacity building programs in the library as shown on Table 5 above. This finding negates Adeyemi (2016) who opined that in library services, capacity building enhances library staff punctuality, job interest, enthusiasm to meet target, less supervision, less complain, application of initiative to work among others.

Research question five reveals various problems affecting capacity building programs in the library. This ranges from lack of motivation, irregular payment of salaries, lack of ICT facilities in the library, management apathy to staff capacity building, lack of sponsorships and poor working environment. All these problems are capable of affecting effective and efficient library service delivery in this information age.

6. Conclusion

Human capacity building is an indispensable tool for effective and efficient library services. Today, emerging technologies have changed the traditional library resources and services. Digital libraries are now providing access to world-class information resources for learning and research. Library users are no longer obliged to visit the library at regular open hours to meet all their information needs. They now want their information needs delivered at their desktop by searching library online catalogues, use subject guide or database to access a citation from the Internet or access a full text article from web-based journals, browse e-journal, email reference question via ask-a-librarian service or borrow an e-book all by remote access. Globally, libraries are repositioning themselves with digital based librarians to provide their users remote access to digital resources via online. In this sense, it is only when librarians’ capacity is built with the right skills that they will be able to function maximally in meeting the challenging information needs of library users. This explains the importance and the need to enhance librarians’ capacity building so that they can be in place with global best library practices. It is therefore strongly recommended that the Edo State Library Board should give priority attention to building their librarians capacity through sponsored conferences, workshops/seminars and higher degree institutional programs. The Edo State Library Board should also be upgraded to digital library system. A stand-by generator set should be provided for the library to enhance regular supply of electricity supply to enable the library function maximally. All these will motivate the librarians to attend conferences, workshops/seminars and develop positive attitude to their jobs in the library.

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