Prospects for Resource Sharing among Government Libraries in Nairobi

Master's Thesis from the year 2012 in the subject Philosophy - Miscellaneous, , course: MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY IN INFORMATION SCIENCES, language: English, abstract: Government libraries Kenya face many challenges, which include inadequate funding, inadequate space, increasing cost of library resources, and high proliferation of information literature, challenges in acquisition of modern equipment and facilities, increased demand for information by users, poor remuneration and lack of adequate qualified personnel. This calls for resource sharing as a means of overcoming some of these challenges. The aim of this study was to investigate the prospects of resource sharing in the provision of library services in Government ministries in Nairobi and ascertain the extent to which resource-sharing can assist to alleviate some of the challenges they are facing. The specific objectives of this study were to establish factors affecting the performance of Government libraries in Nairobi; examine Government policies within which these libraries operate and how these relate to the challenges of inadequate funding; establish the information resources and facilities available in Government libraries in Nairobi that can be shared among themselves; find out whether resource-sharing can assist to alleviate the challenges they are facing and propose recommendations to enhance resource-sharing among government libraries in Nairobi. This study is informed on the resource-sharing model as proposed by Sahoo (2009). The study used qualitative research method. Data was collected using face-to-face interviews, observations during the interviews as well as documentary evidence. Data was analyzed using qualitative and quantitative approaches. This study established that most government libraries in Nairobi do not share their resources effectively, they have inadequate information resources which are little used, limited accommodation space as well as lack of equipment and other facilities and, that no formalized library resource-sharing exists within government ministry libraries in Nairobi. The study recommends and shows how resource-sharing can be used to harness and/or improve the provision of information services in Government Ministry libraries in Nairobi; it also presents proposals necessary to establish a framework for their library resource-sharing.

Resource sharing is a worldwide known phenomenon that is as old as libraries. It evolved to improve library services to users by broadening the base of information availability since there is an unprecedented growth of knowledge and corresponding increase in the volume of published information. Libraries require cooperation at all levels so as to fulfill the needs of users. The arrangement through which libraries have transacted resource sharing activities can vary from informal gentleman's agreement to formal agreements between two or more libraries. Mr. Joash S. Aminga is a practicing career Librarian with vast experience in the field of Library and Information Studies spanning over twenty eight (28) Years of working experience with School, Academic,Government, Industrial Training Libraries. He has also worked with the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission as well as the Committee of Experts on Constitutional Review Process in Kenya. He has also worked with the Office of the Former Rt. Honourable Prime Minister and is currently working with the Office of the Deputy President.