THE EFFECT OF BUDGETING SHIFT ON ELECTRONIC ACCESSIBILITY IN A LIBRARY

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

This paper focuses on the effect of budgeting shift on electronic accessibility in a library, including requirements or considerations when budgeting, technical services in a consortium, and best practices in budgeting.

A budget is a guide or directive for fiscal management. Libraries need funds to provide electronic and other services, and these services must be budgeted for. Fletcher (1990) gives two definitions of a budget, calling it “the overall picture of allocations (for expenditure) and income,” as well as “the financial allocation for specific purpose or purposes during a given period.”

Although libraries are service-oriented and have little or no revenue-generating motives or objectives, they still obviously require a budget. Provision of electronic materials services is a significant source of income in the library system. The need for budgets in libraries is increasingly important.

Libraries must effectively divide funds between staff and materials, which include acquisitions, services, and equipment. Library fiscal management is becoming more decentralized. Current trends give a measure of financial control to divisional, sectional, and unit librarians. It is within this framework that budgeting for library technical services is approached.

A number of studies have been carried out on budgets and financing of library services (Rosenberg & Raseroka, 2000; Ubogu, 2003; Smallen and McCredie, 2003; Emojorho, 2004); however, budgeting for technical or electronic services has received little attention. Most discussions of budgeting for technical services use a line-item budget as a focus.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study is set to examine the roles of the budgeting shift on library electronic access, considering the enormous benefits that are experienced in the impact of budgeting on strategizing and ensuring accessibility of electronic services in Nigerian Libraries; the Nigerian libraries still experience some obstacles or hindrances in the effective and efficient use of budgeting in enhancing electronic services in the library.

Today, Electronic acquisition and implementation in libraries is facing a lot of problems. This research work is being conducted to expose some of the inhibiting factors that are hindering the effectiveness of electronic services in Nigerian Libraries. Among the militating factors hindering the impact of electronic access on Nigerian Libraries is the problem of insufficient capital to fund the budget shift of providing electronic materials. More so, epileptic power supply pose a threat on the accessibility of electronic materials in Library

As a result, users may not be satisfied. Similarly, they would not be able to achieve self-actualization or their life goals. Consequently, libraries in Nigeria may not be able to make their impact on national development.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1. To ascertain the rate of using electronic materials in libraries

2. Determine the impact of budgeting on accessibility of electronic materials in libraries

3. To examine the level of importance given to electronic materials in the library budget

4. Determine the problem militating against the adequate accessibility of electronic materials in Libraries.

5. Ascertain how budgeting can be used to foster accessibility of electronic materials in libraries

6. To identify the problems faced by the library management in planning a budget for electronic and other services.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. To what extent are the electronic materials effectively used in the library?

2. What are the impacts of budgeting on accessibility of electronic materials in libraries?

3. What level of importance is given to electronic materials in library budget?

4. What are the problems militating against the adequate accessibility of electronic materials in libraries?

5. What are the ways in which budgeting can be used to foster accessibility of electronic materials in libraries?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The findings of the study will be significant to the following: librarians in libraries, library managers (Directors of State Library Services), state governments, and researchers. In specific terms the findings will be useful to librarians in libraries in the sense that they can apply the recommendations in improving the performance of their operations and services to library users. It will also enable them be up-to-date with current practices in librarianship, thus fully equipping them to render efficient services to library patrons.

The findings of the study will be useful to researchers in the field of librarianship and information science by allowing them identify the gap (s) that need filling. It will also afford researchers the opportunity to see the link or relationship of this study with other studies that have been conducted in the area and enable them identify the areas that need further investigation. This work is the researcher?s contribution to existing knowledge in the budgeting shift of electronic services in libraries and will serve as a useful resource material for researchers.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This research work is on the impact of budgeting shift on the accessibility of electronic materials in libraries using Oyo state college of agriculture and technology, Igboora as a case study.

1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

1. Network interconnectivity to enhance elaborate research ?

2. High level of illiteracy

3. Organization operational huddles.

4. Time and cost constraints due to cause of scarcity in gasoline to go about the research.

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