Library Digitization - A Panacea for Educational Development in Nigeria

Abstract

The need for development of education in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized. Digital library - a collection of documents in organized electronic form, available on the internet or on CD-ROM (Compact Disc, read-only-memory) remains a veritable instrument for engendering formidable transformation of the Nigerian decaying educational system. The traditional/conventional physical library, although provides a basis for the digital library, does not possess the required speed that could position Nigeria on a platform that could enable it compete favourably with other nations of the world in the area of knowledge acquisition, preservation and dissemination. In this paper, effort is made to examine the place of digital libraries in the development of education in Nigeria. In order to appropriately tackle the challenges of library digitization identified in the paper, it was recommended amongst others that all stakeholders should be active players in the entire process of establishing and sustaining them. Librarians should begin to foresee the added roles library digitization will impose on them in an attempt to build the library for tomorrow and begin to develop themselves for such tasks. There is need to incorporate library digitization as a specialization in Nigerian library school curriculum.