CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1  Background of the Study

In the medieval times, monastery housed library collections. Library enjoyed the patronage of prominent individuals who also fostered its growth. Yet, the practice of librarianship has not been regarded with such glamour and attraction often associated with other professions such as those of medicine or engineering. Before now, many of its professionals were not among the cream of the society in Nigeria even in the 20th century, librarians were still trying to create a niche for themselves in Nigeria. Library’s import and influence are usually felt in tertiary institutions. This is contingent upon the fact that librarians registration council of Nigeria which was inaugurated in 2002 (Okojie, 2002) is yet to enforce its regulatory functions.

This explains the reasons why many new entrants into the profession make their choice after attending tertiary institutions or after sojourning in a first career.

In the United States and the western countries, librarianship is regarded as a female profession (Nzotta, 1983; Carle, 1995; Garnon-Leary and Parker, 2002; Simon, 1996). It was in the late 1970s that the first crop of Nigerian female librarians strayed into the profession which hitherto had been the domain of the males with the advent of 21st century, females displayed keen interest that questioned males dominance in the profession. It became so dramatic that in 2005 when one of the premier university libraries in Nigeria advertised for the posts of librarian II and librarian I, eleven candidates appeared for the interview. Among the eleven candidates, there was only one male. In a subsequent recruitment exercise for assistant librarians among twenty-two candidates that appeared for the interview, there were only three males. Undergraduate student’s enrolment in the department of library and information science, Delta Stat University, Abraka, Nigeria from 2007/2008 sessions buttresses this report as described below:

The percentage of female enrolment from 1999/2000 to 2002/2003 academic sessions far outstripped that of the males in 2003/2004, universities were required by the Federal Government to change from quarter to semester system and there was no admission in DELSU that year. The same trend of female dominance was observed in subsequent years from 2004/2005 to 2007/2008, there were 54 males (40.90%) and 78 females (59.10%) (Delta State University, Abraka).

The general but steady female dominance in librarianship in Nigeria became more obvious when Agumanu (1990) reported 71 (65.14%) males librarians and 38 (34.86%) females, while Issa and Nwalo (2008) had 50.3% males and 49.7% females. Hickey (2006) also observed that librarianship had been traditionally, the bastion of males in Australia and that it is only recently that females have clinched the top ranking jobs in the profession. The current upsurge in female preference for librarianship in Nigeria calls for investigation. Literature on choice of librarianship as a career at undergraduate level is scarce in Nigeria. Studies by Nzota (1983) and Bello (1992) had dealt with postgraduate students at university of Ibadan and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria respectively. Two other studies, those of Agumanu (1990) and Issa and Nwalo (2008) investigated choice of librarianship of undergraduate students at Imo State University and eight Nigeria universities respectively but none of them did analysis of gender identity. This research therefore aims at filling the lacuna. Another cause for concern is a situation where some people use the profession as a “transit camp” (Agumanu, 1990; Afolabi, 1996; Luzius, 2006). It is in this connection that it becomes necessary to identify the factors that makes people decide to study library and information science as a profession in the university.

1.2  Statement of the Problem                  

Unemployment has been responsible for undergraduate students clutching at every opportunity or possibly registering in a course which may provide job opportunity but which the candidate has little flair for. Academic status and privileges enjoyed by librarians have also attracted new entrants into the library schools and the profession. Some of these entrants who may not be vocationally prepared, often use the profession as a “transit camp” (Agumanu, 1990; Afolabi, 1996; Luzius, 2006). Another problem is that the profession is becoming female dominated. As mentioned earlier in this paper, none of the previous researches on “choice of librarianship as a career in Nigeria” dealt with analysis of gender identity. Hence, pertinent questions therefore are what factors make students choose librarianship as a career, and are male and female students attracted to the profession by the same factors?

1.3  Research Questions

1. What are the factors that motivate undergraduate students to choose library and information science as a career?
2. What are the academic work in the librarianship that attracted undergraduate students to the profession?

1.4  Purpose of the Study

This project attempted to find out if male and female undergraduate students were motivated by the same factors to study library and information science and whether and why some people use librarianship as a “transit camp”.

1.5  Significant of the Study

The current upsurge in female preference for librarianship in Nigeria calls for investigation. Literature on choice of librarianship as a career at undergraduate level is scarce in Nigeria. Studies by Nzotta (1983) and Bello (1992) had dealt with postgraduate students at university of Ibadan and Ahmadu Bello University Zaria respectively. Two other studies those of Agumanu (1990) and Issa and Nwalo (2008) investigated students at Imo state university and eight Nigerian universities respectively but none of them did analysis of gender identity. This research therefore aims at filling the lacuma. Another course of concern is a situation where some people use the profession as a “transit camp”.    

1.6  Definition of Terms

Gender: Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to, and differentiating between, masculinity and femininity

Library: A library is an organized collection of sources of information and similar resources, made accessible to a defined community for reference or borrowing.

Information: Information is that which informs, i.e. that from which data can be derived.

Career: A career is an individuals’ journey through learning, work and other aspects of life.