Motivation Of Library Staff In Academic Libraries In Imo State: A Case Study Of Imo State University, Owerri Library

ABSTRACT

The study focused on motivation of library staff in academic libraries in Imo State with particular reference to Imo State University, Owerri Library. Five research questions guided the study. The study adopted survey research design. The population of the study is 27 library staff from the library studied. The sample for the study was 27 library staff. Using census sampling technique, all the 27 library staff were used for the study. Rating scale captioned “Motivation of Library Staff Scale” was used to elicit data for the study. The instrument was validated by the researcher’s supervisor. The researcher used mean scores to analyze the data collected for the study. The findings of the study revealed that physiological needs, safety/security needs, social needs, esteem needs and self-actualization needs are the motivational needs of library staff in the library studied; conducive work environment, staff training and development, cordial relationship between management and staff and job security are the motivational factors adopted by the library studied; library staff are motivated to a low extent in the library studied; motivation enhances high productivity, it helps to get the best out from library staff, it increases employee job performance, increases staff skills and knowledge, increases quality of service to users, increases high level of job satisfaction and leads to togetherness in the library are the relevance of motivation to library staff in the library studied and poor working conditions, poor remuneration, unfair staff training policies, lack of promotion, poor funding, lack of management commitment and support and lack of technological knowledge and skills are constraints to effective motivation of library staff in the library studied. Based on the findings, the researcher recommended among others that government and university management should allocate adequate fund in their budget for academic libraries for continuous provision of motivational needs of the library staff. It was thus concluded that motivation of library staff is very important as it helps them to put in their best thereby increasing quality of library services rendered to library users in the library studied.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

          In this chapter, the researcher discussed the background to the study, statement of the problem, scope of the study, purpose of the study, significance of the study and research questions.

Background to the Study

Academic libraries are libraries found in institutions of higher learning, established to support teaching, learning and research needs of students, lecturers and other members of the institution. Umoh (2017) defines academic library as a library that is attached to an academic institution above the secondary level, serving the teaching and research needs of students and staff. Academic libraries are at the forefront of providing information resources and services to their respective communities in pursuit of the mission of their parent institutions. They are of uttermost importance in any learning institution and community due to the fact that they are structures which houses information materials (print and non-print) with the aid of services performed by librarians who have undergone training in library schools. They are seen as the heart or nerve center of institutions of higher learning where all academic activities revolve. For an academic library to perform its functions effectively, quality and efficient staff are required.

In order to achieve the objectives of the library, library staff perform library operations for the satisfaction of library users. Thus, they offer services that meet the information needs of library users which in this case include students at undergraduate and post graduate levels, teaching and non-teaching staff and other members of the library community. The variety of information resources in academic libraries are managed and made accessible to library users by library staff. It is the library staff who act as a link between the library users and the information resources (Akanwa, 2016). Each unit of the library is made of library staff who perform one duty or the other. These duties range from developing acquisition policies for the library, acquisition of information resources, processing of information resources, participating in their delivery among others. The librarians can only perform these duties effectively and efficiently if they are adequately motivated.

Motivation is a driving force within an individual that energizes and propels an individual towards attaining some goals. It is a form of stimuli that propels an individual to put in their best to an assigned duty. Aarabi, Subramaniam and Almintisir as cited in Ikonne and Fajonyomi (2019) described motivation as the direction and persistence of action of an individual. Motivation is what drives individuals towards realizing a set goal. Thus, if an organization or institution such as the academic library wants its employees to perform in a certain way to enable them achieve the institution’s mandate, it has to have an understanding of the kind of motivation that will encourage the employees to perform in the desired manner. Motivated employees are essential to the success of an organization as motivated employees are generally more productive at the workplace. It is therefore very important that employees are motivated so as to guarantee job satisfaction which will lead to effective and increased job performance. Staff motivation is one of the most significant in managing people and changing people’s attitude. Stoner, Freeman and Gilbert (2002) recommend that managers must pay attention simultaneously to a number of factors in dealing with their employees.

The motivational factors are very essential in an organization and should be applied to achieve maximum performance and job performance of employees. There are various motivational factors that tend to have positive impact on the job performance of library staff in academic libraries. Idiegbeyan-Ose, Opeke, Aregbesola, Owolabi and Eyiolorushe (2019) maintain that good and competitive salary, good working condition, recognition for work done, regular promotion, regular incentives, participation in decision making, feedback, cohesive work teams among others are factors that enhance motivation of employees. These factors may likely affect the mental and physical health and the job performance of those staff. Thus, maintaining and retaining efficient and effective library staff is one of the most essential tasks of library authorities. The heads of libraries can also contribute in making the workers’ performance improve by ensuring normal working conditions of staff, appropriate reward system, worker to worker relationship, fair performance appraisal and adequate training options for library staff. These factors can stimulate the staff to react positively to the library job system. However, all these are mere speculations. It is therefore against this background that the researcher conceived the idea to investigate on motivation of library staff in academic libraries in Imo State with particular reference to Imo State University, Owerri Library.

Statement of the Problem

          It is believed that the desire of academic libraries have always been to increase and enhance productivity. The effectiveness of any academic library is measured by the quality of job performed by the staff. Motivation can be a vital tool to get the best out of the employees and at the same time enhance higher productivity. It appears that lack of motivation cannot allow much increase in staff job performance. Close observations of academic libraries reveal that there are a number of staff motivational factors or packages in place. However, they are poor, inadequate and some are not effective. Poor motivation of library staff in academic libraries have resulted to poor management and poor productivity by library staff in the following areas: indolence, unsatisfactory services, inefficiency, low self-esteem, poor working conditions, high scale of absenteeism and inadequate training and development. Many researches have been carried out on aspects of these problems in different parts of the world but none has actually examined the relevance of motivation to library staff. Hence, this research on motivation of library staff in academic libraries in Imo State with particular reference to Imo State University, Owerri Library.

Scope of the Study

          The study focused on motivation of library staff in academic libraries in Imo State with particular reference to Imo State University, Owerri Library. It examined the motivational needs, motivational factors, extent of motivation of library staff, relevance of motivation to library staff and constraints to effective motivation of library staff in academic libraries. The study is delimited to library staff in the academic library studied.

Purpose of the Study

          The general purpose of the study is to examine motivation of library staff in academic libraries in Imo State: A case study of Imo State University, Owerri Library. Specifically, the study sought to:

1. identify the motivational needs of library staff in the library studied;
2. ascertain the motivational factors adopted by the library studied;
3. determine the extent of motivation of library staff in the library studied;
4. ascertain the relevance of motivation to library staff in the library studied and
5. identify the constraints to effective motivation of library staff in the library studied.

Significance of the Study

The findings of this study will be of immense benefit to government, academic library management, library staff, students and researchers.

For the government, this study will reveal to them how to adequately motivate library staff and other employees in academic institutions in order to contribute their optimal quota to the institution’s growth. It will create awareness on the importance of adequately funding the academic institutions of higher learning by increasing subventions given to them.

The findings of this study will benefit the academic library management as it will provide useful information on effective motivational factors that will influence job satisfaction and how to apply them to achieve greater results. It will also reveal to the academic library management why staff perform below expectations.

The result of this study will be of benefit to library staff in academic institutions because it will create awareness on motivational packages and make them make good demands on what can improve their work conditions and performance.

Finally, this study is expected to benefit the students and researchers who are engaged in research on the area of motivation or other similar areas. This study will also add to already existing literature on the subject.

Research Questions

          The following research questions were posed to guide the study;

1. What are the motivational needs of library staff in the library studied?
2. What are the motivational factors adopted by the library studied?
3. To what extent are library staff motivated in the library studied?
4. What are the relevance of motivation to library staff in the library studied?
5. What are the constraints to effective motivation of library staff in the library studied?
   

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   Pages:  60

   Category: Project

   Format:  Word & PDF        

   Chapters: 1-5                                 

   Material contains Table of Content, Abstract and References.