NATIONAL LIBRARY (ABUJA)

History

The National Library of Nigeria came into effect in the mid 1960s, with the enactment of the National Library Act of 1964. Prior to the passage of the National Library act, a series of educational conferences conducted in Ibadan, had laid the intellectual basis for the creation of a network of libraries funded by the government to provide accessibility of educational materials to Nigerians. A government advisory committee was later created due to the necessity for the development of a local repository of knowledge. The committee was charged with finding a way to aid the government in bringing to prominence the intellectual foundations of its policies, creation of a national bibliographic center and to provide an arena for the promotion of knowledge. The committee was the first major formal body that called for a National Library as part of its recommendations. The government accepted the demands of the advisory committee and undertook the necessary steps to build a National Library.The National Library of Nigeria was established for the fundamental goal of ensuring access to the entire fount of recorded knowledge for the progress and development of Nigeria. It is to serve as "the giant memory of the nation, its intellectual store-house, and the data bank for its learning and remembering processes".

The construction of the Library began in 1962 and the Library was finally opened in November 1964. The headquarters was moved from Lagos to Abuja ca. 1995.

The Library Act enacted by the House of Representatives of Nigeria guaranteed financial assistance to the project, the act also provided provisions for the training of staff and the creation of a board of directors made up of professionals. In concord with the demands of the Nigerian republic and the assembly, a group of 15 trained librarians were hired to provide a positive role in developing and manning the library. A board was inaugurated in April 1966 by a new military government. The board was made up of government officials instead of professionals as written on the original act. However, the board tried to improve on the original objectives of the library. But the Nigerian civil war hampered funding and formal government actions were not taken until 1970. In 1970, a new legal precedent was set with the creation of the National Library decree, the decree was partly enacted on the advise of the board which wanted to expand the library to other state capitals in order to create a network of repositories of knowledge

MISSION AND VISION

The library is aided financially by the federal government of Nigeria. Originally, the Ford Foundation was involved with the project. The foundation brought in professionals, donated books and funded the library's expansion. The library over the years has built on its original mission. Today, it is a vital organ that acts as the intellectual memory of the nation. The library provides the intellectual ammunition to aid government officers in policy implementation. However, the general direction of policy instability due to the military incursion to power sometimes created an imbalance between the intellectual memory of prior polices and the intellectual foundation of a new government. The library also stays afloat intellectually by receiving copies of books published in the country by both the government and private authorities, it is today one of the largest depositories of knowledge in the country. It also collects books on contemporary or new ideas from international organizations.Its responsibilities also include the issuance of the ISBN and ISSN to publishing organisations, a process which is today cumbersome in the absence of appropriate enabling technology at the regional offices.

Other mission and vision are:

* To assemble, maintain and extend a collection of books, periodicals, pamphlets, newspapers, maps, musical scores, films and recordings and such other matter as the Board considers appropriate for a library of the highest standing.

* To collect legal deposit materials, in order to facilitate the distribution of published materials.

Establish and maintain a branch of the National Library in each state of the federation.

* Make the facilities of the National Library available to members of the public and others on proper terms.

* Make such arrangements as the Board considers appropriate with respect to:

The exchange of matters included in the collection aforesaid,

The preparation and publication of catalogues, indexes and similar aids,

The provision of assistance to other persons in the organization of libraries and with respect to the manner of using facilities under the control of libraries.

* Make recommendations and give advice on library development or organization to any department or agency of government of the Federation or a State or to any Local government authority.

* Responsible for the development of the National Bibliography of Nigeria and national bibliographical

services, either in a national bibliographical center or elsewhere.

* To ensure adequate documentation and dissemination of Nigerian Indigenous literatures.)

MARKETING STRATEGY OF NATIONAL LIBRARY

(ABUJA)

-Marketing is the process of creating, communicating and delivering values to customers

-Marketing is the life blood of any business; it determines any business success or failure. You must

devote conscious investment of your time, energy and resources to marketing. They have two types of marketing strategy these are:

(1) Off-line marketing strategy

(2). On-line marketing strateg

(1) Off-line marketing strategy

This involves all the marketing activities that are not done on the internet. These include:

(1) Use handbills, fliers, posters, banners, business cards,Print fliers/ handbills

that contain all the products they are marketing and

strategically distribute them to its patronage.

(2) Use Traditional Advertisement

(a). Print media

they Place an advert of their products on local

newspapers, magazines.

(b). Electronic media using your local radio and television stations

(c) They Use billboards, signboard.

(3) They use to Organize free empowerment seminars

(2). On-line marketing strategy

This involves all the marketing activities that are done on the internet. These include:

1- they are using a paid website:

2- Using free sub- domain websites

3- Using Social Media Network

4- Using free classified advert websites

5- Using Youtube video marketing

In addition, the National Library renders the following services:

• Nigerian Name Authority File

• Nigerian ISBN Publishers Directory

• NIGERBIBLIOS

• National Bibliography of Nigeria (NBN)

• Nominal List of Practising Librarians in Nigeria

• Directory of Libraries in Nigeria

• Request for ISBN / ISSN

• Information Request

• Abstract and Index of Newspapers

The Library has a vast collection of educational and informative materials. They include:

1. Books

2. Periodicals

3. Newspapers

4. Dissertations

5. Rare Books

6. Special Collections