NIGERIAN MEDICAL LIBRARIANSHIP IN THE 21ST CENTURY: THE RIVERS AND BRIDGES TO CROSS

Abstract

This paper focuses on the Nigerian medical librarianship as intertwined between technological interventions, quality services delivery and economic realities of the 21st century. These advances in libraries have remarkable impacts on information access, storage and retrieval. The emerging trend requires every professional to device competencies to remain relevant and for coping in the evolving Information Society. The paper noted the absence of current collections in many libraries and of automated operations - a pitfall linked to inadequate funding. It also noted that quite a lot of medical librarians are still battling with the reality of the transition from traditional to automated library system, which accounts for the inadequacies associated with their modes of services delivery and quality of output. The paper stressed that Nigerian medical librarians need to demonstrate a mastery of the subject for use in evidence based medical librarianship. The paper recommends proper upgrading of facilities at the medical libraries to meet the 21st century standards and to ensure capacity building of the medical librarians for effectiveness in users' support.