WIZLIBRARIAN

Echoes in Empty Halls: The Unseen Crisis of Staffing Shortages in Our Libraries T he alarming shortage of staff in libraries across the federation has become a pressing concern. Recently, I was shocked to observe the extent of this inadequacy. Institutions serving over seven thousand users, managing thousands of volumes in print, non-print, and electronic formats, are being operated by just five library staff members — including the university librarian. This is not only unsustainable but detrimental to the quality of service provided to users. Consider the case of a small library equipped with just one computer, a single room, and three thousand collections. Despite its modest size, it is managed by a professional librarian with a master’s degree, a paraprofessional with a diploma in library science, and two support staff — a secretary and a security personnel. If this is deemed the minimum requirement for a standard library, then what can be said of the state of libraries in other in...

L ibraries have evolved over the centuries, adapting to advancements in human civilization and technological innovations. The library, as a concept, has endured from the Stone Age to the digital era, continuously shaping and reshaping itself in response to new tools of writing, communication, and information management. The Evolution of Libraries and Information Carriers ·        Ancient Era: Clay Tablets ·        Medieval Period: Papyrus, Parchment ·        Renaissance: The Discovery of Paper ·        Modern Age: Magnetic Tape (Audio-Visual Materials) ·        Baby Boomer Generation: Mainframe Computers ·        Generation X: Laptops, Hard Drives, Flash Drives ·        Millennium Era: Cloud Storage ·        Generation Z: Automation ...