Roles and Proficiency of Systems Librarians as Managers of Library Systems in Academic Libraries in Nigeria

The study explores the roles and proficiency of the systems librarian as manager of library systems in academic libraries in Nigeria. Specifically, the forms of training, level of proficiency in requisite ICT skills as well as the ability to perform the roles of systems librarians by librarians in the systems department of academic libraries in some universities in Nigeria were examined. The results revealed that most systems librarians in Nigeria acquire their training through self studies, colleagues and on the job and that their proficiency both in the requisite ICT skills and their ability to perform their specialized roles is low.

The study demonstrated that the low proficiency in the requisite ICT skills possessed by the respondents accounted proportionately for their poor proficiency in performing their roles as systems librarians. The study re-echoes the need for urgent overhauling of LIS school curriculum to include more contents on systems librarianship. [Publisher's text]