Hindrances

The basic function of any school is to conserve the existing knowledge, to transmit
knowledge through teaching, and to create new knowledge through research. The school
library is the school's principal instrument in the conservation of knowledge through its
rational, systematic and comprehensive acquisition of all type of human
communications records, published and unpublished, written or oral in recorded form
that embody the ideas of knowledge of the past since each new idea or invention grows
out of accumulated and conserved knowledge (Daramola, 2016).

According to Erickson (2017), academic libraries serve two major communities:

students, and faculty researchers. For students, they serve as educational support,
providing study areas, textbooks, supplemental reading, and research materials for
papers, etc. The librarians are there to aid them in finding sources and understanding
those sources. Academic librarians often attend survey courses to train students in the
basics of library usage, citations, and research. For faculty and grad students, the
library is a major support for research. The library spends enormous resources to
maintain journals and monographs for literature reviews and research projects.
Libraries subscribe to datasets for researchers, and librarians provide support to train
researchers in use of these datasets. The library also acts as an academic community
center, providing study space and conference rooms for researchers and students to
meet in. While other spaces on campus serve as community spaces, the library is the
most dedicated community space to study and research.

In a study conducted by Igun and Adogbeji (2007) among the postgraduate students,
majority of the students claimed that their main purpose of using the library is to update
their knowledge and skills. It is therefore essential to know the needs and desire of the
users in order to satisfy them. However, literature has revealed that information
availability does not mean accessibility and utilization; therefore, university libraries
have to market their resources and services to attract users.

According to Wood, et al (2007), the book presents a thoughtful, useful discourse on

this topic, including worthwhile strategies for enhancing and preserving the value of all
types of libraries, not just those serving researchers. Like many current writings, this
book addresses library survival issues, however, with the unique perspective of service
to the research community. As the authors suggest, libraries are no longer the primary
resource that researchers consult, and most libraries do not even formulate or maintain
special policies articulating means of support for researchers. The authors have
gathered material for the book by examining past literature and interviewing researchers
at all stages of their careers, thereby learning about their particular stressors and
information-seeking practices.
They furthermore stated that books are organized into three parts, the book's first
section describes what it means to be a researcher and how researchers' interact with
library services. The second part reviews the services and resources recommended to
support research, including advice on collection management strategies. The last
section is more reflective and covers the role of the library in addressing present and
future challenges, with the final chapter summarizing key points.

According to Storer (2014), the top 10 obstacles being faced by academic libraries today
are, first, is Making services engaging to researchers and students: Google is not the
answer to everything - you know this, but your customer base likely does not. As a
result, you have to fully absorb the needs and wants of students and researchers so you
can make a substantial and engaging difference in their work moving forward.
Second, is the Handling research data management tools: Libraries should be the place
on campus for data curation and research management. Librarians need the support of
their faculty and administrators to make this happen, but librarians also have to keep
themselves well-versed in the advancements of data management so research doesn't
become stale.
Third, is the Demonstrating our value: Academic libraries are always on a budget. This
means that month after month, year after year, libraries have to come up with
compelling examples of how valuable their work is - often with a looming bottom line.
However, according to the American Library Association, research has proven a
connection between student grade point averages and library material usage. Staff
needs to communicate this connection and demonstrate why libraries require more
attention and public engagement.
Forth, is preserving material on a digital scale: Not only are there excellent products
available that can help libraries achieve this - even with the biggest of collections - it's
becoming the norm. According to OCLC Research, a whopping 97 percent of 169
research libraries in the U.S. and Canada have utilized digital platforms with their
special collections. Based on these numbers, it's clear that software combined with a
librarian's expertise is the wave of future in regard to user interface and access to
academic data.

Fifth, is A growing and diverse spectrum of customers: it is probably noticed this already,
as the 20th century underwent a massive shift in technological innovation that impacted
people of all ages. On any given day, a librarian might have to help customers from six
different generations, from baby boomers to millennials, according to 21st Century
Library. This means that your workload might feel a bit overwhelming when you are
trying to assist those who are familiar with traditional library services compared with
younger patrons who are more familiar with tech-driven library software.
Sixth, is the Nailing down of library policies: With the increased usage of online
tools, there are many questions that you might need to address to the administration.
For instance, you might ask if the university should be purchasing e-books alongside
traditional print sources. Or, as many modern academic research centers are
discovering, there may not be a need for purchasing textbooks at all. These are just
some examples of library policies that staff and the administration need to pinpoint
moving forward.

Seventh, is the Role development: Open Access has required librarians to become
knowledgeable in a growing number of subjects on an astounding scale. While no
institution is going to expect you to process information at the pace of a computer, it
might feel that way sometimes. Adding budgeting and resource constraints can
contribute to this problem as well.
Eight, is the digital licensing: At times, these models can be quite complex and take a
good amount of research on your part. Although every academic research facility is
different, College and Research News states that patron-driven acquisition of e-books is
slated to become the norm, which means that digital licensing agreements should
become more sustainable and easier to understand.

Ninth, is the subject-matter expertise: With so much information pouring into libraries
at a fast pace, academic institutions need to take an active role the management of
libraries. There have already been great strides taken on a national scale, such as
the Digital Public Library of America that was spearheaded by Harvard University to
document digital collections of archives, museums and libraries in the U.S. in 2011.
However, it appears that these same efforts need to be done on a micro-scale if
universities want to keep up with subject-matter expertise.

And lastly is becoming familiar with a wide range of digital content: By clearly seeing
what kinds of articles, published works and e-books are being used the most by
students and researchers, librarians can fully digest what types of content they need to
become familiar with in a global, digital world while still providing high quality sources.

Usage

Williams (1995) surveyed Canadian undergraduate library use, and found that active
learners who participate more in class and who read, write and study more are regular
and active library users. Fowowe (1989) found difference in the frequency of library use
of by faculty and students, and that 94.8% of students use library facilities. Olanlokun
(1982) found that students use the library for class work, research, discussions, leisure,
and other purposes. Ajayi(1993) notes that that students who do not appreciate the
value of the library are at disadvantage and may visit the library to only read for
examinations. Studies of undergraduates’ students’ relations to libraries have been
conducted in the Nordic countries in Denmark 1995, Sweden 1995 and Finland 1996.
The results show that students are rather frequent library users although there are large
differences in how students of different disciplines utilize library services. The student
want more study carrels, more course literature and more generous opening hours.
According to the Finnish and Swedish studies students themselves ask for more
education in information seeking and library use. (Hoglund, 1996).

Fidzani(1998) has explored that journals, library books and text books are most popular
sources of information for course work and research and students need to be taught
how to use available library resources and services. Gelfand (2005) noted that the
growing emphasis on usability studies and libraries trying to respond to user needs by
becoming a more user –centered organization forces an organization to listen carefully
to its users. Creaser (2006) explained that one aim of user surveys must be to improve
the services provided to users. High overall satisfaction levels are good for publicity, and
may persuade institutional management that all is well with the library, but they should
not lead to complacency within the service.

The School Library Association (2016), believes that the purpose of a school library is: first, to
provide a flexible space with a wide and inclusive range of resources to support learning and
teaching throughout the school. Second, to have a vibrant role in the development of a culture
that promotes wider reading, motivated readers and learners for life. Third, to provide a place
for collaborative learning, creativity, and for developing independent research and information
literacy skills.
They furthermore stated that, in order to achieve the abovementioned purpose, it should
managed by trained staff, funded and accessible to the whole school community during and
outside the school day.