Escolar Documentos
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Case
By Otike Fredrick Wawire
A number of issues are at play. First, there is the explosion in the quantity of
desirable published material and secondly rapid escalation of unit prices of
these items. These jeopardize the traditional research mission of the
university library of creating and maintaining large self-sufficient collections
for their users. The third is the rapid emergence and development of
electronic information technologies which make it possible to envision
radically more efficient ways of organizing and managing collections but
which present a big challenge of adaptation.
In Africa, it has been observed that the university library has become just
one among the several sources of information available to the academic
community. In a recent study, Rosenberg has observed that since mid 1980s,
in Africa the relative value of local university libraries has declined to a near
total loss of faith in their own existence, which has led to their
marginalization from the teaching, learning and research process in the
university.
This apathy towards university libraries in Kenya has been partly attributed
to the alienation and deteriorating quality of library services in the country
resulting from poor funding by their parent organizations. This is true
especially of public universities. Teaching methods, which do not support
independent study by students and which devalue the role of libraries as well
as poor management practices on the part of librarians have also been
blamed for the poor state of affairs. The overall impact of deteriorating
university libraries is poor teaching and research in the universities
themselves and if the trend continues unchecked the quality of university
education in Kenyan will be in jeopardy.