Elegance Meets Scholarship: From Tablet to Tablet, the Indelible Footprints of Professor Iyabo Mabawonku

Elegance Meets Scholarship: From Tablet to Tablet, the Indelible Footprints of Professor Iyabo Mabawonku

By Dr Azeez ADEOYE (Wizard Librarian)

I always enjoyed her grasp of scholarship. Professor Iyabo Mabawonku was an epitome of knowledge. In all her classes, students were always amazed by her command of the subject matter. She embodied everything about librarianship and the new media.

 I was privileged to learn directly from her, right from my 100-level days at the University of Ibadan to my 900-level as a doctoral student. Her words were laced with knowledge and wisdom. You couldn’t afford to miss her class; it would take years to catch up. Pen and paper were sure companions whenever you were around her.

 Mama Mabawonku was a no-nonsense academic: everyone in the University of Ibadan echelon knew her. She used her position to advance the library profession. On several occasions, she influenced major developments, such as securing a grant from Bewery to fund and equip the LARIS Computer Laboratory.

 I learnt a great deal from her lectures on grey literature, the multifaceted nature of knowledge, research methodology, indigenous knowledge, and the history of librarianship, among others. Her passing marks the end of an era: truly, the end of a university.

 Professor Iyabo Mabawonku was beauty and brains personified. She carried herself and dressed with an elegance no one could match. As students, we were often amazed by how she balanced her exceptional fashion sense with academic rigour. Neither ever suffered for the other, she perfectly embodied both elegance and scholarship.

 I can still recall her eloquent inaugural lecture delivered on Thursday, 20 April, 2017, “From Tablet to Tablet: information, media and technology acceptance”, where she masterfully traced the historical development of information resources from the ancient use of clay tablets to the modern technologies of mobile tablets. And some of her recommendations are Lecturers should invest more in technology to enhance access to timely information and research materials, even outside their workplaces. Universities must establish more ICT centres and multimedia-equipped classrooms to support teaching and training, while improving internet access and bandwidth. 

Virtual interaction with students—especially in distance learning—should be encouraged. Library and Information Science schools should regularly update their curricula to align with global ICT trends and market needs. Adequate funding from government and stakeholders is essential, alongside promoting awareness of information ethics such as plagiarism and cyberethics. Finally, collaboration between universities and professional bodies like the Nigerian Library Association and IFLA should be strengthened to keep pace with global developments in the field. you can read full text of her inaugural on https://davendrak.wordpress.com/2017/05/02/inaugural-lecture-by-prof-mabawonku/.

 Professor Mabawonku will be greatly missed physically, but she has immortalised her knowledge and wisdom through the mentorship and training of her students: numbering in the hundreds and thousands from diploma to doctoral levels. Mama’s legacy lives on. Adieu, Professor Iyabo Mabawonku.