EVALUATING OF SECURITY INFORMATION RESOURCES AND SERVICES IN

SELECTED POLYTECHNIC LIBRARIES IN OGUN STATE

Adegbite-Badmus, T.A. and Joda, M.D.

Library and Information Science Department,

The Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro Ogun State

Funmi4badmus@gmail.com

Abstract

This study examined and evaluates libraries, information resources and services in Nigeria.
National Security has been one of the problems and task the Nigerian citizens are grappling with
today. The study comprises of 28 librarians and library officers of the following Polytechnics in
Ogun State; the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic Abeokuta, and All Over
Polytechnic, Otta. These three polytechnics are federal, state and private owned institutions
libraries. The instruments used to collect data for the study were structured questionnaire and
oral interview. Data was analyzed using descriptive research method of simple frequency and
percentage. The findings revealed that polytechnic libraries are not stocked with books and
journals for security matters in Nigeria. The use of Internet for electronic resources and services.
Which have always been hampered by low bandwidth and irregular power supply, was again
discovered though information from the internet doesn’t always contain materials of security for
collection. The concern of the polytechnics is in the various courses available in the
polytechnics, forgetting that the sustainability of the institutions and national security is also of
importance, based on the collections of the polytechnics libraries every two years, polytechnics
syllabus should be expanded to include industrial relations as a programme to be offered in the
institutions polytechnic libraries should be equipped with adequate among other
recommendations.

Keywords: Library, Librarians, Information resources, Services, Virile, National Security.

Introduction

The library has been in the fore front of human endeavor. It has played dominant roles in both
the natural, socio-economic, political activities of man. The library has been known for the
collection of books, manuscripts, journals and other sources of recorded information which
include references works such as Encyclopedia that provide factual information and indexes that
help users find information in other sources which also include creativity works including poetry,
novels, short stories, music scores and photographs. Also included in library collection are
magazines, scholarly journals and books. It can be said today that the focus of the library or its
main purpose is to provide adequate and relevant information to the citizenry, because the
society at large has begun to value information more highly. The goals of the library and
information resources are creating access and dissemination of the right and adequate
information to the respective information users.

The dynamism of the library is the man’s nature and global trend and events in information
industry changed the concept of librarianship from been crude to being very technical Olusola
(2013). The rapid advancement of the library in the advanced stage of the technology ascribes a
new definition to the library. Adio and Olusola (2006) averred that library can be elementarily
defined as:

i. A collection of literary documents or record kept for reference or borrowing

ii. A depository house built to contain books and other materials for reading and studying
and
iii. A collection of standard programmes and subroutines that are stored and available for
immediate use. It can be averred from the above statement that the library can be
described as a compendium house of knowledge.

The library has also been described by Islam (2004) as a learned institution equipped with
resources of knowledge, maintained, organized and managed by trained personnel to educate the
children, men and women continuously and assist in their self improvement through an effective
and prompt dissemination of information embodied in the resources.
The information communication technology gave birth to what is called virtual library which
can be literarily translated as “library in the air” or “library outside the conventional walls of
buildings”. The virtual library or e-library is a collection of documents in electronic form using
machinery (ies) to access. Books and documents are made available over the web and may be
read online and could be downloaded. The digital library comes in handy when quick
information is needed for specific and relaxation purpose.

To academic institutions the library has been regarded as the Nerve Center or Power House of
the institutions, as nerves are important to human body so also is the library to human
development and knowledge. If it is axiomatic to say knowledge is power than axiomatically the
library is the engine room that produces the knowledge available to man today.

The term information refers to facts and opinion which is provided and received during the
course of daily life. Information can be obtained directly from different sources including man
animal called living beings (beings), mass media including electronic database and from all sorts
of observable phenomena in the surrounding environment.

The information scope increased dramatically in 20th century and today there are studies in
number of disciplines including philosophy, physics, biology, linguistic information and
computer science, electronic and communication engineering management, science and the
social sciences, there also include all commercial subjects. It has been noticed that all industries
inclusive of educational services are also concerned with the information resource and services.

Information has been defined by Bitagi (2013) as news that comes to the receiver for the first
time which enable the receiver to take the action according to expectations, also Mohammed
(2011) argued that information can be conceived as anything that adds to knowledge, ideas, skills
and experiences positively or negatively that enables the receiver to take decision or react to
situation immediately or later. It could be averred that at whatever time decision is taken, after
receiving information depends to a large extent on the body content of the information. It then
beliefs that information should be self explanatory to guide the receiver as regards when to take
the decision and also determines the goals to be achieved and the right time to achieve it.
Information therefore is germane to all human development.
Information (materials) resources constitute rage of materials, equipment and machineries
gathered and equipped by the library in order to meet the information needs of users. Information
services in libraries are the myriad ways and methods of which information professionals
provide, organize, store, retrieve and disseminate information to users in whatever form. It could
be in form of books, pamphlets, journals, diskette and all other format convenience for the users
of the information.

The utilization of the library materials or resources and services is usually determined by the
extent of success or failure of these to meet the information needs of the users. And this also
depends on the quantum of information resources available in the library.

Everyday there are phenomenon to be tackled, studied, researched and kept for future references
as such the providers and professionals of the library and information resources must make
themselves available and be up to date in all that surrounds information resources and services
for human development and advancement in all fields. There is dearth of information resources
in most polytechnic libraries as regarding national security.

One of the most common of every government to its citizens is the issue of security. All over the
world today, security of persons, properties and border post is the focus of the government. The
incursion or migration of foreign citizens into another country has always been a challenge to the
Government of the day. The most critical in the world today is the increments in the suicide
bombers in most parts of the countries all over the world. From Syria to Japan to Mali then, to
Nigeria to mention where there have been suicide bombers in large numbers and on daily,
weekly and monthly basis. The uncountable numbers of lives of innocent citizens that have been
lost to suicidal bombing on daily, weekly and monthly basis in son the increase. Most people
cannot sleep with the two eyes closed and everybody on street walk cautiously and are always at
alert for any missteps: the security measures like concrete blocks or strong iron rods around
buildings are not enough to stop or reduce the suicidal bombing.

Along the suicidal bombing comes armed robbery, kidnaping, ritual killings irrespective of age,
sex, background, religion, affiliate to mention but few. National security is a concept that
government along with its parliament should protect the state and its citizens against all kinds of
“national” crises through variety of power projections such as: political power, diplomacy,
economic power, military might. The national security concepts were developed in the United
States after the World War II it initially focused on military might but not encompasses a broad
range of facets, all the nation and the values exposed by the national security.

In order to posses national security a nation needs to possess economic security, energy security
and environmental security. Security threat involves conventional foes such as other nation states
but also non-state actors such as; violent, narcotics cartels, multi-national corporations and non-
governmental organization in most uncommon cases these includes national disasters and events
causing severe environmental damage in the category. The measures taken to ensure national
security include using diplomacy to rally allies and isolate threat marshalling economic power to
facilitate or compel cooperation maintaining effective armed forces.

Implementing civil defense and emergency preparedness measures including anti-terrorism

legislation ensuring the resilience and redundancy of critical infrastructure using intelligence
services to detect and defect or avoid threats and espionage and to protect the nation from
internal threats. The history of national security as a philosophy of maintaining a stable nation
state dates back to the peace of Westphalia in 1648, wherein the concept of a sovereign state
ruled by a sovereign became the basis of a new international order of nations states. By 1651,
Thomas Hobbes in his work Leviathan stated that citizens yield to a powerful sovereign who in
turn promises an end to civil and religious was and to bring for a lasting peace and give him the
right to conduct policy, including wage war or negotiate for peace for the good of the common
wealth which is a mandate for national security. By 1970, the Nigerians began to experience
armed robbery in the state of the country most especially in Lagos, Ibadan and gradually spread
across the entire country. Sometimes ago, what we called Maitatsine was first experienced in
Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and some part of the Northern Nigerian then what we have now is called
Boko Haram which literarily translated as not education. This has been going on now for over
seven years, many lives have been lost, most villages and communities have been destroyed.

The federal government has lost of its reliable and trusted military personnel to this “war”.
Assistances from other nations were sought but there is no end to this in site; every method,
planning, strategies have been used and put in place, yet there seems no solution yet. As in the
case of national power, the military aspect of the security is an important but not the sole
component of national security for a proper security a nation needs other forms of security.
Every nation differs in the choice of national security elements; but the most common to all are
in the aspect of military security, diplomacy or politics, society, environment, energy and natural
resources, and economic. The national security now are the issues of kidnapping, armed robbery,
ritual killings and other vices that endanger the living conditions of innocent souls. The library in
its vast stock and collections, there are materials that contained the security and its attendant
solutions to all these vices.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Today the library is not alien to man information needs. The library is playing vital role in the
educational socio-economical and political development of man. It is a tool and service that is
being giving the rightful place in the development of man. Man as a social being always in need
of information and the library is the most nearest the man can go to. The security is also a hybrid
algae that is always giving man a serious concern. The library and its service is playing vital
roles in the information development of man.

Therefore this study seeks to find out if whether the evaluation of the polytechnic library and its
information resources and services are germane to the development of a virile national security
development in Nigeria.

LITERATURE REVIEW

The information needs of man are inexhaustible. Man is always in need of one informant or the
other. There is no end to man needs once he is in existence. To borrow the statement of Bitagi
and Udouduo (2013) agreed that the availability of all forms and types of information resources
in academic libraries is highly imperative if the libraries are to meet with the information needs
of researchers in their parent institutions. It is ascertained from the views of these two that due to
the high cost of information and outdated to meet the demand for current research, in order
words, resources in some academic libraries are outdated and cannot meet the information needs
of the users.

As conflict is an intrinsic and part of human existence, so also is security. Security in any various
means or devices designed to guard persons and property against a broad range of hazards
including crime, fire, accidents, espionage sabotage subversion and attack. Most security and
protection system emphasize certain hazards more than others. In a retail store, the principal
security concerns are shoplifting and employee dishonesty which include pilferage,
embezzlement and fraud. The typical set of categories to be protected includes the personal
safety of people in organization, such as employees customers, or residents tangible property
such as the plant, equipment, finished product and intangible property such as highly classified
national security information property information for example trade secrets of organization.

The national security from the above can then be classified as keep guard or watch over the
country, for example, in Nigeria today the security is highly needed and required in all the states
of the nation where kidnapping, armed robbery and Boko Haram insurgency is on the high side.
An important distinction between a security and protection system are public services such as
police and fire departments is that the former employs means that emphasize passive and
preventive measure. How many literatures on these are available in our polytechnic libraries?
The origin of security is relatively unknown; but techniques and mechanism for protecting the
household such as the use of locks and barred windows are very ancient. As civilization
developed, the distinction between passive and active security was recognized and the
responsibility for active security measure was vested on police and fire fighting agencies; so by
the mid 19th Century private organizations such as those of Philip Sorensen in Sweden and Allan
Pinkerton in United States had also began to build efficient large scale Security Services. By
1960s crime related systems have grown especially rapidly in most countries, Nigerian inclusive.
The factors responsible for national insecurity have been the increase in number of security
sensitive business, development of new security functions, such as protection of proprietary
information, increasing computerization of sensitive information subject to unique
vulnerabilities, improved reporting of crime and consequent wider awareness and the need in
many counting for security against violent demonstrations, bombing and hijacking.

Most of the insecurity in Nigeria is centered on marginalization claimed by some tribes and
communities, religious conflict, money, properties and secularization of some tribes and
communities.
Iruoje (1995) identified the difficulties underlying efforts to measure and evaluate library
services based on use, part of his discussion on library services that can be evaluated include
catalogue use, reference services, journal use and retrieval system. She averred that evaluation
library services on use is difficult, that the varied services provided by libraries must be
evaluated independently and that evaluation must be tailored to library types of collections and
users. This statement confirmed that the fact that evaluation of any library should be based on the
resources collection and users of such libraries.

In her paper examining the patterns of use in a university library in Nigeria. Osinulu (1998)
started by analyzing users records and data, which show low use of library services because of
lack of awareness, she recommends library reference and instruction, publication of users guider
and teaching library use in the general studies programme. In essence if there in a low patronage
in the usage of a university library, the pivotal of educational institution in the country, then it
can be concluded the same for the polytechnic libraries. In the same manner Oyesiku and
Oduwole (2004) focused on academic library use. Their findings revealed that the students used
the library mostly during examinations and to do their assignments. It was further revealed by
their studies and findings that the collection were inadequate to meet users demands, it was
further revealed that 84.3% of users are not trained in information retrieval. If university students
are not trained in information retrieval. How can the polytechnics students’ retrieved information
since their students centered on technological innovation and orientation. Many studies are not
carried out on the polytechnic libraries, the polytechnic are not coming on board for proper
recognition and placement in the education industry.

The library should focus on the mission of their parent organization as asserted or felt by
Roseroka (2004). Every library should allow its services extended to the community it is sited so
as to enhance access to information needs and self development. With this the people within the
community will be abreast of relevant information to update them.

Oyewusi and Oyeboada (2009) asserted that the university education in Nigeria is facing a
critical challenge in meeting new demands of the 21st century. With the ever increasing
population growth, and the large number of students seeking admission coupled with the
inadequate library facilities, resources and insufficient funding, if this is applicable to the
university education, the same could be assumed of the polytechnics. Observations of the three
polytechnics used for this study have the same problems. The libraries have inadequate book
stocks. The Federal Polytechnic Ilaro and Moshood Abiola Polytechnic Abeokuta rely sole on
books and other materials from TETFUND (Tertiary Education Trust Fund).

Opoku (2011) averred that academic library service is a complex and dynamic collaboration
between the library staff and the users. Many issues affect the way services are provided in the
library in regular basis. The increasing students intake into the tertiary institutions, coupled with
advanced information communication technology development each day has created a new kind
of library users demanding for more efficient library services. It is pertinent to state at this
juncture that the polytechnic library services cum the collections should be evaluated from time
to time to meet the challenges of providing and including amongst its stock materials on security
needs. This will inculcate in every user of the polytechnic library services and the needs to
access information on security needs.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The main purpose of this study is to critically evaluate the information resources and services of
the three polytechnic libraries under study. The Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Moshood Abiola
Polytechnic, Abeokuta and All-over Central Polytechnic, Otta libraries in Ogun State. However,
the specific objectives are to:

 Determine the relevance of information resources in these libraries to a virile national

security
 Examine the level of adequacy of the services provided
 Determines the security challenges being faced by these libraries
 Proffer/suggest solutions to the security challenges on resources and services faced by the
libraries under investigation.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions guided this study.

 What is the volume/number of the information resources collections in your library?

  What are the library and information resources available in the libraries under study?
 What is the level of adequacy of the resources of these libraries?
 What are the services provided by the libraries under study?
 Are the services and information resources relevant to the role of the library in national
security?
 What is the level of availability of security information resources in the libraries under
study?
 What methods can the libraries adopt to ensure the inclusion of adequate materials to
meet the requirements for a national security in Nigeria?

METHODOLOGY

Survey research design is used to carry out this study to evaluate library and information
resources and services for a virile national security in Nigeria. The population of the study
consisted of 28 librarians and library officers from the three libraries under investigation. The
researchers personally distributed and collected the entire 28 questionnaires given a total return
rate of 100%. The data for the study was presented in table and analyzed using simple
percentage.

FINDINGS, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

The whole 28 copies of questionnaire were retrieved and found useful. The data from the
questionnaire are therefore presented using simple statistics of frequency table and percentage.

Table 1: Distribution of Respondents by Sex

S/N Library Male Female Total

1 Federal 6 11 17(61%)
Polytechnic Ilaro
Library

2 Moshood Abiola 5 3 8 (28.6%)

polytechnic
library,
 Abeokuta

3. All-Over 2 1 3(10.7%)
Polytechnic,
Library, Otta

Total 13 15 28(100%)

Table 1 above showed the number of librarians and library officers, male and female from the
polytechnic libraries under study. Invariable the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro library has the largest
librarians and library officers in both sexes 17 (61%) while Moshood Abiola Polytechnic
followed with 8 librarians and library officers within (28.6%) and All-Over Polytechnic library
has 3 male and female respondents. This might be because the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro library
is a federal institution to have more libraries and library officer than Moshood Abiola
Polytechnic (a state polytechnic and All-Over Central polytechnic (a private polytechnic). This
implies that the two institutions are under staffed compared with the only federal institution in
the study.

On the question to know the year of establishment of the used polytechnic libraries, it was
confirmed that these libraries were established alongside their parent institutions. The Federal
Polytechnic Ilaro and Moshood Abiola Polytechnic Libraries were established in 1979 while All-
Over Central Polytechnic came into existence 2003.

The Polytechnic libraries also stocked print, non-print and electronic resources. However it was
discovered from the table below, that the resources are not adequate for educational and security
advancement.

Adequacy of Information Resources

Table 2

Responses Frequency Percentage

Relevant 5 20.8%
 Not relevant 23 82.2%

Total 28 100%

Invariably this table indicated that the information resources in these libraries are not adequate if
it is only 5 respondents of (20.8%) confirmed adequacy and 23 (82.2%) said the resources are
not adequate. In essence there is need for current, adequate and up to date information resources
if there will be a virile national security.

The following services are offered by the different libraries under review

Table 4

Services Fed. Poly. Ilaro MAPOLY All Over Poly

Reference   

Current Awareness   
Services

Selective   
Dissemination of
Information

Book lending   

Reprographic   

Bindery   

Indexing &   
Abstracting

Library cooperation   

Library exhibition   
Bibliographic   
services

Departmental liaison o o o

E-services   
Out of about twelve services rendered by the libraries in question, it was only departmental
liaison services that all the libraries are not rendering. However All-Over Central Polytechnic
Otta could only render six out of the twelve services not even, to talk about the relevance of the
services. From oral interview, it was discovered that even the six services agreed to have been
rendered by this library were done on skeletal basis.

Other Internal Services of the Polytechnics

 Reservation services
 User education
 Information Literacy Programme

Methods to be adopted by libraries for a virile national security

Table 4

Response Frequency Percentage

Creation of awareness on the 5 20.8

dissections effects of national
security through posters,
flyers etc.

Sponsorship of discourse, 3 10.7

guiding principle, acts of
national security

Need reading centres in the 8 28.4

polytechnics for access to
right information

Re-design polytechnic 6 21.4

curriculum to accommodate
issues and courses on national
security
 Blue permit for security 2 7
consciousness

To stock the libraries with 4 14.3

information services on
national issues

Total 28 100

The table above indicated the different methods suggested by the respondents that the library
could adopt for a virile national security in Nigeria. Hence all the suggested methods as shown in
the table are very relevant and useful for a national security.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

In the educational sector the polytechnic is not given its rightful placement in the educational
strata. This can be seen from the students when filling the Joint Admission Matriculation Board
form for placement in the tertiary institution. From admission news in newspapers, radio,
television, the number of students applying for university education are always on the high side
by filling Universities as the most preferred institution. Later these same students then rush back
to the polytechnic when not admitted into the university. Aside this, most institutional libraries in
the country do not allow access of its services by the community with which it is sited.
Comments from colleagues and librarians at Ahmadu Bello University opined that it is the only
university that has public library in her domain called samaru public library sited on the north
date of the campus. There are no public library cited in any polytechnic campuses in Nigeria few
of the polytechnic allows the immediate community to use its facility.

The courses offered in polytechnic are not tailored towards security hardly would we find any
courses relating to security on the polytechnic syllabus. In university there are courses such as
labour related courses and industrial relations. The Polytechnics in Nigeria should be given its
rightful place in the education strata such that its courses can be expanded to meet the security
challenges of the country.
Based on the findings and observation the researchers recommended that:

 The polytechnic syllabus should be expanded to include industrial relations as subject to

be offered in the polytechnic
 The library collections of the polytechnic should be evaluated every two years and such
materials on security challenges be part of the collections.
 The polytechnics library should be equipped adequately and is services be extended in
the immediate community so as to inculcate the reading habits on all and sundry in the
community.
 The polytechnic libraries in conjunction with other industry nearby libraries can form a
consortium where both the gown and town can have access to information and be
sensitized the need to have a stress free society.
 The induction of security materials on electronic device should be made accessible to all
and sundry within and outside the polytechnic community
 Lessons and study materials can be included on the library stock so as to create
awareness amongst the populace in general.
 The polytechnic education should be rightful placed and the library stock with relevant
materials on the stocks.
 The arm of security agencies be allowed to use the polytechnic libraries for uplifted
information on security challenges facing the country.
 And the librarians and other para-professionals in the library should be allowed to
participate in seminars, workshops and conferences relating to security.
 There should be dialogue between the library and security agencies like the police,
National Civil Defense Corps, the Army and other stake holders in the security cell.
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