CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background for the Study
The Academics Library is a service oriented organization. It is functionally structured to justify its existence through its service delivery of information and communication purposes towards the achievement of the institutions educational objectives. The Library as an institution hinges on three major tripod stand which are: finance, personnel and material resources. The availability and functionality of these major components determines the effectiveness and efficiency of the Library. Whereas finance is popularly known to be the life wire in most organizations and establishments but it is wholly dependent on the personnel for sourcing acquisition, and adequate utilization of finance. This idea presupposes that priority should be accorded to the personnel as the most important components among others for effective library operations.
The Academic Library is structured as a system with sub-systems in the form of departments and units. Each of these units is made up of human beings who perform one activity or the other. These activities ranges from acquisition of Library material the processing of materials, the organization and storage of these materials, for easy access and retrieval for maximum utilization by Library clienteles. The human resources according to a journal on wifey online library.com, nothing will be as important to the quality of the library and information services provided to scholars and students within colleges and universities as the quality of people recruited, retrained, retained and supported to manage and deliver those services to users. In an academic library, the library staff consists of three components: The professionals, para – professionals, and support staff. The human resources is the most essential in the provision of the Library resources and information materials, therefore it is the duty of the library management to carefully select and recruit qualified personnels to man the responsibilities of the library.
As it is in every organization, so it is in the library people are the essential ingredients in all organizations and even in the Academic library. The way people are selected and recruited, job analyzed methods of developing personnel’s of the library, identifying and carrying out motivational packages as when due brings out the best out of workers and in so doing, the objectives and set goals of the library is achieved.
Personal management is referred to the obtaining, using and maintaining a satisfied work force of the library. (MSG EXPERT). It is a significant part of management concerned with employers at work and with their relationship within the organization. According to Study.com on personnel management, it explained personnel management to be the administrative function of an organization that provides needed personnels for the achievement of set goals and objectives. It is pertinent to look into the manner at which these important resources are recruited, ways of developing personnels appraising, targeted motivational packages available to personnels. A well-trained and dedicated library staff plays outstanding role in the achievements of the library objectives. From the ongoing, it could be deduced that the development of libraries depends solely on the level at which the personnels are managed. Thus there has been some challenges of the personnel management in an academic library which ranges from current economic recession.
Economic Recession
According to Wikipedia, it defined economic recession as business cycle contraction which slows down in economic activity. In economic recessions the academic library are forced to cope with the difficult which is accompanied by reductions in their budgets. A survey for the charleton observatory in 2009 showed that libraries across the world were facing cuts. When in recession the management of personnels might suffer.
Motivation which is a force which propels one to work when personnels are not properly motivated it becomes a challenge as such staff may not bring out its best at work. When the infrastructure of the academic library is poor it becomes less motivating.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Personnel in any organization are regarded as most essential due to controlling and manipulating capabilities without the personnel in an organization nothing can be done even when the other resources are abundantly available. But in most cases, the personnels are not properly managed, staff with right qualification are not recruited, things that motivates staff are rarely employed, poor infrastructure for the smooth running of the library community. It has been observed that most libraries are not performing up to expectation the researcher therefore wonders if this could be attributed to the caliber of staff working in the libraries, their method of recruitment, development and to see if they are motivated.
SCOPE OF STUDY
This study is concerned on the comparative study of personnel management in an Academic Library. The geographical scope of this study is based on two citadel of learning, Abia State University library and Imo State University library. The study also covered concept of personnel management, the methods of selecting personnels in the library, methods of appraising personnels of the library, motivational packages available to personnels of the library and the challenges of personnel management in libraries.
PURPOSE OF STUDY
The General purpose of the study is to compare:
- Methods of selecting personnel in the library.
- Find out the methods of developing personnel of the library
- Ascertain the methods of appraising personnel of the library.
- Identify the motivational packages available to personnel of the library.
- Establish the challenges of personnel management in libraries.
SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
The findings of this study will be of maximum benefit to the school, Academic library staff, students and researches as it gives insight into the levels and importance of personnel management in both institutional libraries under study.
Since the school is the parent institution of the Academic Library and it forms part of the library’s executive and management, it will help guide the school and management on the appreciation of personnel management and give a clear insight on the importance of having the right staff and not basing employment on favouritism or God-Fatherism. The management school will benefit as it will let them know the right to select and recruit personnels, develop and the motivation to be employed staff will find it beneficial. It can serve in the teaching, learning and references can be made to it. The outcome of this study will be helpful to the staff of the academic library as it will make them see the importance of accepting change, participating in the development scheme organized for the library staff.
Students of library and information science and other department will benefit from this study as the findings of this study will sensitize students on personnel management of the library and top-up- their knowledge with the contents of this findings.
Researchers will find it as a leading guide reference could be made to it and it will aid them to the findings of their research. Researchers aspiring to embark on related topic will find it beneficial as it will give them a clue on what to do. It will also add to the body of empirical literature in this area.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following questions are poised for this study;
- What are the methods of selecting personnels in the library?
- What are the methods of developing personnels of both libraries?
- What are the methods of appraising staff in both libraries?
- What motivational packages are available to the personnels of the library?
- What are the challenges affecting personnel management in academic libraries?
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