CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF STUDY
The researcher would want to explain this topic by defining the term library committee. Library committee is defined as a group of people appointed by a larger group to deal with a particular matter in the institution. In other words they are fully involved in the planning and improvement of academic libraries in the institution.
According to Izebekher (1992) library committee is a crucial internal government unit of the library, a partner in progress and a force to drive home the demands and needs of the library in the academic board.
In this, the establishment of the library committee has become an accepted practice in academic libraries in Nigeria. Therefore in every well organized library, especially in the academic context, emphasis has been made on the existence of a result oriented library committee. In some academic libraries, they are as old as the library itself. According to Oduagwu (2006): library committee is the management of a library, the government of a library, the library board, library trustee board, library advisory committee etc. the library committee plays an important role, it is the committee that is responsible to provide an atmosphere where student and faculty alike will feel free to seek help of libraries and staff in obtaining information either from our own collection or from other sources. They also take part in the college programs as it strives to meet the needs of students, faculty and staff in their academic and research programs as well as providing materials for their leisure and reading needs. Library committee could be seen as a group of people appointed by the institution and government to control the entire library system. The library committee is the body of the library that makes policy. They are appointed by the institution and the government as well. Their appointment does not base because of their profession and trust but because of their ability for leadership, and are devoted to the conviction that information seeking, reading are very essential to the institution. However it should be noted that the future of the library will depend on the effectiveness with which trustees members are handling polices, and serve the interest of the library. They also advance library objectives, refrain from interfering with management and avoid politics. The absence of library committee in the institution means that when issues affecting the library are brought before the management and the academic board meeting will only be treated by the librarian and some times, he loses out in the final analysis. The researcher as a student of an institution notes that the absence of a library committee in the universities contributed to the low standard in the management of the academic library. The committee guide and promotes the library development by recommending and securing necessary funds from appropriate sources. They also guide the library and its property by making rules and regulations for the proper use of its resources and service. The committee is an advisory body and is responsible for the provision of the library services. The committee meets with the vice chancellor (VC) on the advice of the university librarian.