Evaluation of the Roles of Public Libraries in the Promotion of Knowledge Societies among Civil Servants of Sokoto State, Nigeria

Abstract

It is believed that the perception of civil servants of knowledge societies is a driving factor of their use of the services of public libraries, which is believed as the library servicing them. Therefore, the study evaluates the roles of public libraries in the promotion of knowledge societies among civil servants of Sokoto state. Descriptive survey was adopted with the total sample size of 235 using simple random sampling technique. Questionnaire was used and data collected was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings revealed that public libraries have influence on the promotion of knowledge societies among civil servants through its collections, resources and internet facilities. The study revealed that public libraries have contributed significantly to the improvement and promotion of knowledge societies and the civil servants do make judicious use of the library facility for the promotion of knowledge societies. It also revealed that inadequate library materials, poor reading culture and poor dissemination of information have been a hindrance to the promotion of knowledge societies among civil servants. The study concludes that civil servants in Sokoto have a quest for knowledge, and this quest for knowledge is for the promotion of learned societies and recommended that public libraries should make provision for more collections and adequate information resources which are tailored towards the promotion of knowledge societies among others.