INTRODUCTION

1.1   Background to the Study

The public library is established to provide materials, which communicate experience and ideas from one person to another and make them easily and freely available to all people. The public library is a local centre of information that makes all kinds of knowledge and information readily available to its users. It is established, supported and funded by the community, either through local, regional or national government or through some other form of community organizations. It provides access to knowledge, information and works of imagination through a range of resources and services. It is equally available to all members of the community regardless of race, nationality, age, gender, religion, language, disability, employment status and educational attainment (Aboyade, 1984).

The public library is regarded as the local gateway to knowledge, providing a basic condition for lifelong, independent, decision-making and cultural development of the individual and social groups (IFLA/UNESCO), 1995). (IFLA, 2001) also defines public library as “an organization established, supported and funded by the community, either through local, regional or national government or through some other forms of community organization”. (IFLA, 2001) further opines that a public library provides access to knowledge, information and works of the imagination through a range of services and is equally available to all members of the community regardless of race, nationality, age, gender, religion, language, physical and mental limitations, economics and employment status and educational attainment. (Conable, 2012) opines that every citizen should have equal right of public library services, buttressing the IFLA position on public library services. 

The public library is a social institution which is tied to the political and social realities of the communities where it is situated. As the name implies, this is a library that serves the public. UNESCO (1966) defines public library as “Those which serve the population of the community or region free of change or for a nominal fee. It is a library designed to serve the generality of the people. According to Ode & Omokaro (2007), Public libraries are established, owned and funded by the government either state or federal governments at the state capitals and with branches in the local governments headquarter. According to Oduagwu (2002) public libraries that serve the public are supported by government subvention, local rates or charges. He went further to explain that public library is often regarded as a poor man’s university. Its clientele is heterogeneous devoid of race, status, rank, bias as to who would avail of its services. It stocks every conceivable item that would add knowledge, education, research, information and cultural needs of the society. 

In Nigeria today, each of the 36 states kin the country including Abuja has a public library board established under the public library act as united kingdom (UK), but here in Nigeria, library board of states is established by edict or laws made by the states legislators. Public library funding refers to making money available for the day to day running of the library. Funding here deals with making money or funds available to public libraries.

Public library funding generally refers to the various ways by which funds, capital or finances can be derived for the smooth running of the library. It involves the money available or allocation to library for running its day to day activities. However, the funding and financial allocations to public libraries have remained poor for decades. Public libraries need adequate resources to run their services, pay and hire personal, provides current information, arrange, organize and monitor both human and materials resources. Nigeria is a developing country and its society is not a reading society. Nigerians do not appreciate the importance and needs of public libraries and the services it offers and this problem reflect in the level of funds allocated to it by the government. State government subventions which constitute about 80% of public library fund are grossly inadequate. This inadequacy is because of the political instability and bad economy of the country Ulu, (1997).  Late release of fund by the government is another problem, this means that things cannot be done when required. All the plans of public library are hampered by late release of fund.  Another problem is the existing infrastructural facilities in most public libraries which are inadequate. Their reference materials are too old. There are no rooms for serious readers especially those carrying out research works.

Lack of appreciation by policy makers in government is one of the problems. This shows that the public libraries in the nation are not given due recognition they deserve, and this is traceable not only to the non-quantifiable nature of library services but also the misconception given to libraries by government to get off these problems. There must be a re-orientation on the part of the policy makers in government to accord the public library the recognition it deserves. According to Egbulonu (2002), he said that these problems have adversely affected the public library services and its operations. The result of the impending global economic situation on the other hand has drastically affected the attainment or achievements of basic standards in funding the libraries.

From the history of public libraries in Nigeria, the problem of funds has remained an intractable phenomenon. The Nigerian Library Association (NLA) is worried by the poor funding of libraries generally but public libraries in particular. Therefore the Nigerian Library Association has organized several conferences that highlight the problems of poor funding of public libraries and need for improved funding. This conference suggested and recommended widening the sources of funding public libraries rather than depending on government funding only.