Prospects for Resource-Sharing among Government libraries in Nairobi

Abstract

Government libraries in Kenya face many problems, 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 problems. The aim of this study was to investigate the prospects for 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 problems 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 problems 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 problems they are facing and propose recommendations to enhance resource-sharing among Government libraries. This study is informed by a resource-sharing model 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 demonstrates 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 a proposed sectoral coordinated network model for library resource-sharing among government ministry libraries.