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.
