ABSTRACT

The school library is an important organ of the educational system, and without it no profitable or rewarding educational programme can go on in the school environment because all the academic activities depend on the school library and its facilities. It is a place where the collections of information materials that are acquired, organized, and stored are kept for use by students and teachers.  Umar (2013), defines the school library as that part of the school where a collection of books, periodicals, magazines, records of all types, computers etc. are housed for use by teachers and students for learning, recreational activities, personal interests and interpersonal relationships of children. Akanwa and Mbagwu (2016) also emphasize that the school library is a laboratory where many activities and experiments are carried out, and all these activities and experiments are geared towards the development of the child and the nation. The school library can be seen as an important appendage to any school programme, and without it, no profitable or rewarding educational activity can go on in the school environment. Morris (2004) defines the school library as an instructional media centre that supplies not only the basic necessary information materials but also provides the incentives, guidance and conducive environment for learning. Ahanene (1990) summarizes that the school library is an information service centre located in primary, post-primary or teacher training colleges whose objective is to provide information services in support of learning in the school.