Resource Sharing in Nigerian University Libraries: A Survey

Resource sharing among academic law libraries in Nigeria: Exploring the practicability so far

“…This is an area for further research; which is to find out why resource sharing practice is not implemented in Nigerian academic law libraries. Further results in this study that there is no written policy on resource sharing only confirms conclusions in previous literature like Owolabi et al (2011) and further supports the conclusion in the result of this study that there is no resource sharing practice; for if there were an effective resource sharing practice, there would have been a policy that provides its base. More so, it confirms that the practice, as seen in Gross Archive (2018) where students visit other libraries and organisation with intention of getting resource assistance, is still in practice.…”

“…Thus resource sharing activity has to be voluntary for it to be effective. Owolabi et al (2011) asserted that admittance, book donation and gifts were forms of resource sharing practises in Nigeria but these are merely practises carried out to assist researchers who identify themselves as students of an institution; while book donations cannot be resource sharing since sharing has to be premeditated and based on mutual agreement to cover deficiencies of the parties involved. Thus parties practising resource sharing must have written agreement stating their goal, date of initiation, type of resources they intend to share, their limits, mode of operation and mode of termination (Sec.gov, 2009;Thompson, 2007).…”

“…In earlier studies, excuses and challenges responsible for non-practicability of resource sharing in Nigeria were provided. They ranged from lack of funds, lack of information and communication technology to lack of electricity supply (Komolafe-Opadeji, 2011; Owolabi et al, 2011). Admittance, which was a universal culture of giving assistance to students from other law faculties, was seen as resource sharing practice (Owolabi et al, 2011).…”

“…They ranged from lack of funds, lack of information and communication technology to lack of electricity supply (Komolafe-Opadeji, 2011; Owolabi et al, 2011). Admittance, which was a universal culture of giving assistance to students from other law faculties, was seen as resource sharing practice (Owolabi et al, 2011). This study has provided additional knowledge by showing that despite the fact that resource sharing is not practised in Nigeria, academic law librarians have been collaborating and visiting other libraries in a bid to develop themselves; thereby showing the willingness on their part to collaborate towards resource sharing.…”

“…This understanding is not only shown through their policy but also through the sharing of their bibliographic contents for awareness and accessibility. Although partners sharing resources can interrelate and access one another's resources, however such sharing must be based on a policy that dictates their actions (Owolabi et al, 2011).…”