Training needs of medical librarians in Nigeria: A survey

Abstract

Background: Health library and information professionals need continuing professional development to update their skills and knowledge. There is very limited evidence on the training needs of medical librarians in Nigeria. Objectives: To identify the training needs of medical librarians in Nigeria, principally the content topics required, preferred formats of training, and barriers to training. Methods: An online questionnaire was distributed to 94 registered members of the Medical Library Association of Nigeria. Results: The majority of the 64 medical librarian respondents wanted training in information systems and technology usage. The respondents also indicated that they prefer participating in seminar/workshops and being involved in face-to-face courses. Very few of the respondents have attended any specialist training aimed at their work in the medical field. The foremost challenge identified is the high cost of training. Discussion: This study confirmed that the librarianship degree acquired from library schools only serves as a foundation for medical librarians, and it does not provide the specific subject training required to work successfully as medical librarians. Conclusion: There is a gap in knowledge base of medical librarians in Nigeria that needs to be filled by specific on-the-job training and courses which are affordable.

The influence of user-perceived benefits on the acceptance of microlearning for librarians’ training

“…The underlying reason for this is that librarians are habituated to the classroom learning environment. This is also indicated by Ikolo and Nongo (2022) who discovered that librarians' training sessions are usually organised in the form of seminars/workshops. However, this challenge will be overcome by the continual use of microlearning for their training needs, which will bring about the many benefits and advantages of microlearning.…”

Making the most of public policy in health libraries and information services: Example of the Health and Care Bill 2022

“…The training needs are also a theme of our next study, on this occasion the training needs of medical librarians in Nigeria (Ikolo et al, 2022). Analysing the responses of 64 medical librarians to an online survey, the authors suggest that while librarianship degrees provide a foundation for medical librarians, affordable on‐the‐job training is needed in relation to information systems and technology usage.…”