Building Influence

The poor perception of libraries by the general public and their unfavorable position in government corridors can be corrected by library advocacy (LA). While we all struggle to gain support for our libraries, there is need to “talk-up” the library by showcasing its relevance to national development in the 21st century. As a result of this, there is need for a text on advocacy in Africa and beyond, which prompted this chapter on strategizing for library advocacy. The chapter looks at introduction to library advocacy, building team for library advocacy, strategies for developing and getting messages out in library advocacy, media of library advocacy, and getting feedback and appraisal of library advocacy. The chapter concludes by affirming that strategy for library advocacy will create a roadmap for promoting libraries among stakeholders, thus retaining its place of pride as a social and information-based institution. Thereafter, recommendations were made on how to ensure effective strategy for library advocacy.

Innovative Thinking Skills for 21st Century Librarians

Librarians in the 21st centuries need knowledge of innovative thinking to able to be relevant in their profession. Can they compete, survive, and thrive successfully in the midst of 21st century technological advances? All over the world, libraries are facing challenges. Already, there are reports of closures of public libraries. Many libraries are becoming underutilized while quite a number have to deal with stagnant or dwindling budgets. In order to adequately formulate workable solutions to these challenges, librarians need to consider new perspectives of offering services to their user communities. Also, libraries as living agencies are not to be stagnant but change and grow with the trends and their user communities. Innovations need to be introduced in the design and service delivery of libraries.

Leadership Training for 21st Century Librarians Using INELI-SSAf Model as a Case Study

Leadership is an integral aspect of successful organisations including libraries. Helping librarians to acquire leadership skills in order to adroitly navigate libraries through 21st century changes and challenges of the information environment is crucial. INELI (International Network for Emerging Library Innovators) was birthed globally as an initiative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to provide young leaders in public libraries across the world the opportunities to connect, learn, and explore new ideas and services that can transform their communities. INELI Sub-Saharan Africa (INELI-SSAf), an offshoot of the initiative for African public librarians, is a leadership training program with the primary objectives of exposing participants to concepts and practices about innovative information services in current times and assisting them to create within and across border networks for peer leaning. The topics taught include time management, advocacy, data management, smart risks, and innovations in libraries. (INELI SSAf is run by African Library and Information Associations and Institutions (AfLIA)).

Librarian Skillsets in the 21st Century

The chapter showcases the 21st century skills that are required by librarians. The digital era brought about a lot of changes in the way that librarians interact with their clients. Due to the changing needs of clients, librarians should ensure that they are well equipped to deliver the needed services. The objectives of the chapter are to identify the skills that librarians should possess in the 21st century, examine how librarians acquire those skills, and discuss the challenges that are faced when acquiring those skills. Structured literature review and web content analysis were used to get the LIS skills. It was discovered that librarians should possess professional, technical, and soft skills in order to remain relevant in the 21st century. The findings revealed that librarians can acquire skills through on the job trainings or formal education. The major challenge that is faced by librarians is the issue of lack of funds to support their capacity building endeavours.

LIS Education for 21st Century Information Users

This chapter is on library and information science education for the 21st century users. It aims at x-raying the nature of LIS program as practiced in Nigeria so as to ascertain the extent to which the graduates will remain relevant in practice. This is based on the fact that the present-day library and information users are getting technologically advanced, and graduates of LIS education are also expected to be technologically visible to the users. The following subheadings were considered: library schools in Nigeria and their programmes, need for restructuring LIS programme, new programmes/courses to be incorporated in LIS education, and challenges of restructuring LIS education programmes. Library and information science professionals are not only having to adapt to change in library services but they also require in-depth and structured education and training programmes that are in line with the current technological demands. This will help the professionals to provide the needed manpower for the nation's information occupation engagements and effective user assistance.

Artificial Intelligence in Libraries

Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the emerging trends and applications of computing in libraries. It involves programming computers to do things, which if done by humans, would be said to require intelligence. The ultimate promise of artificial intelligence in libraries is to develop computer systems or machines that think, behave, and in fact rival human intelligence, and this clearly has major implications on librarianship. The application of artificial intelligence in the library has become pervasive. They include expert systems for reference services, book reading and shelf-reading robots, virtual reality for immersive learning among others. Although the incorporation of artificial intelligence in libraries can be perceived to alienate librarians from their users, it will probably help libraries do more rather than taking over the jobs of librarians. It will enhance their services delivery. Artificial intelligence will greatly improve library operations and services and will upgrade and heighten the relevance of libraries in an ever-changing digital society.

Managing Future Library Services for the Medical Sciences

This chapter documents the experience of upgrading services in the Faculty of Pharmacy Library, University of Ibadan, Nigeria and future management plans. The participatory and “give-back-to-community” approach, future mappings of users, faculty and library management are documented using a descriptive survey with questionnaire and interviews for data collection. Data was analyzed using frequency counts and percentages, and interview findings are thematically discussed. It was revealed that users expected top rate technology facilities and learning commons with augmented and virtual reality-utilized classrooms and laboratories to replay lectures, experiments, and real-time demonstrations. Online reference-services, booking makerspaces with lecturers locally and internationally solving pharmaceutical problems in prime time, were expected. Strategic planning, technology training, crowdfunding, and human resources collaboration were recommended for implementation of these future services.

Libraries and Innovative Thinking in the Digital Age

Librarianship, as is quite obvious, is changing very fast with the high rate of technological infusion in every aspect of the profession. Books and other information resources that are managed by libraries and information professionals are being transformed to electronic platforms. Also, the information users are becoming more technology savvy as well as sophisticated in their information needs and the quest to satisfy these needs. Users are vast in the use of search engines, and it is like they do not need libraries and the services of librarians anymore. All these and many more developments have put great strains on libraries and librarians. This chapter therefore discusses how librarians can provide services for 21st century users through innovative thinking.

Library Associations, Leadership, and Programmes

Professions are distinct groups whose members share body of knowledge and practice as well as ethics of engagements in common. Every profession is brought together by an association that in one way or another influences the practice of the profession. The influence of library associations, for example, IFLA, AfLIA, and NLA, on library and information services cannot be underestimated, but suffice it to say that these associations have led to the growth and development of the library profession. This chapter therefore examines these associations, programmes, areas of influence, their problems, and recommendations are made based on the identified challenges.

Emerging Technologies, Information Provision, and Libraries

The advent of computers and information communication technologies (ICTs) has drastically changed the acquisition, storage, and retrieval of information. Further, information can be accessed through various media as new technologies continue to spring up. Since information can be accessed anywhere as long as one has internet connectivity, this has resulted in many users not using the libraries and other information centers. The decline in the use of libraries is worrying, hence the need to understand how the emerging technologies have changed information provision in the libraries. The chapter addresses challenges that affect the provision of the needed services in the libraries. Finally, alternative services that libraries are adopting in order for them to remain relevant in this information age are outlined. This chapter provides insights on how libraries can continue to play their role as information providers and how they can fit into the present information age.