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Purpose: The paper focuses on x-raying the challenges of managing university libraries in contemporary digital environment. Design/methodology/approach: The paper adopts a combination of the desk research approach and interview sessions. Inferences were drawn from extensive literature review and content analysis. Highlights of the paper: the changing scenario of the library environment, the need for effective management of university libraries in digital era and the basic concepts in the paper were highlighted. Findings: demands for new skills, cost/funding, managing of new generation of learners, lack of skilled manpower, lack of confidence in the face of increasingly information technology, lack of maintenance culture, resistances to changes etc were identified as challenges to managing university libraries in digital era. The strategies for effective management of university libraries in digital environment include adequate funding of university libraries, effective communication, adopting of good leadership style, recruitment of adequate/skilled staff and training/retraining of library staff. Conclusion: The paper concludes that university library are faced with myriad of problems in terms of management, therefore there is an urgent need for library administration in universities to take practical and innovative steps in ensuring that these problems addressed, then and then, can the management of university libraries in the digital environment yields it desired results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study surveyed the strategies used in marketing library and Information services in Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Amaku, Awka, Anambra state Nigeria. It was discovered that the strategies used in marketing are ineffective compared to the changing situations in contemporary university environment. Personal experiences as a staff in the library were used to draw inferences for the study. The major marketing strategy used were face-to-face interaction with library user, good communication skills, use of library notice board, display and exhibition, institutions website and use of library as a course. All these strategies though utilized are not really effective in reaching out to non-library users. It is expected that marketing strategies should be all inclusive in its approach and methodology. There is hope, if the library can explore online marketing through facebook and other social media, this will make it easier to reach out to a wider audience. Also, innovative practices should be embedded so as to bring the users to the library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper examined the challenges to transforming library and information services (LIS) for effective service delivery in three academic libraries in Imo state. Design/Methodology/Approach: The survey method was adopted for this study with questionnaire as the instrument for data collection. The target population comprises of library and information science professionals in three academic libraries in Imo State Nigeria. Availability and purposive sampling techniques was used to select the participant. The generated data were analysed using descriptive statistics, frequency counts and percentage was well illustrated. Findings: The findings revealed the challenges to effective transformation of academic libraries in the 21st century to include: poor funding, indifferent attitudes of library managers, absence of well-defined and uniform library policies and non-compliance with the demands of ICT. Transformation of library and information centres is all about improving product and services offered in Nigerian libraries to meet the needs and demands of knowledge society. Among other benefits, it enhances the capability of libraries to contribute positively to the reality of knowledge society in contemporary Nigerian society. Practical Implication: retraining of LIS practitioners; provision of adequate funding; provision of relevant and functional ICT facilities relevant to the Nigerian libraries and formulation of viable library policies are practical steps that can be taken to transform Nigerian Libraries by relevant bodies such as Librarians' Registration Council (LRCN), Nigerian Library Association (NLA) and National Association of Library and Information Science Educationist (NALISE). Originality/Value: transforming academic libraries enhances the capability of libraries to contribute positively to the reality of knowledge society in contemporary Nigerian society. The paper has empirically established that there are a lot of challenges to transformation of library service for effective service delivery in the 21st century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This seminar paper aims at establishing the need for managing community information centres for effective provision of health information to rural women. Data was gathered through desk research and content analysis approach. Data generated from analysis of literature were augmented through brainstorming and interaction with profession colleagues. The concept of community information centre (CICS), services provided by CICs, the role of CICs in transforming rural areas, health information as a concept, accessibility, availability and provision of health information to rural women, justification for community information centres (CICs), and health information needs of rural women were well articulated. The challenges to effective provision of health information to rural women includes gross underfunding of CICs, inadequate knowledge of information needs of rural communities, gap between service provided and actual information desired, dearth or skilled and qualified librarian and indifferent attitude of rural women to information utilization. The strategies that can be adopted by library and information professional (LIPs) to effectively provide health information to rural dwellers include collaboration and partnership with medical practitioners in the provision of health information, training of library personnel, automation of community information centres, creating a profile/database of health information needs of rural women, application of local approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]