The Gombe State Library Board said on Thursday that 6,116 persons across the state used the library in 2018 as against the 3, 675 recorded in 2017.
Mrs. Hanne Audu, Head of Readers Service in the board, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe.
Audu attributed increase in the number of users to the effort of the state government in providing new books on current issues, adding that it recently received new set of books to complement the existing books.
“We have acquired new books which have really impacted positively on the number of those who come here to read.
“The books that readers often demand in the past have now been acquired. This really boosted the number of users in 2018.
“Also, since our relocation to the new building in 2017, those who visit the library to read have expressed their satisfaction with the spatial hall for reading unlike the former place which was too small.
“The fact that the board is now close to the state university and a federal tertiary institution is also a factor as students now come very often to make researches and do assignments,’’ she said.
According to her, the number of users will increase if some of the challenges affecting the operation of the board are addressed.
She identified the challenges to include poor power supply and the non availability of internet services for the e-library.
Audu said that there was also the need for training and re-training of staff of the board to build their capacity on how best to serve users.
Mr Akwara Talwa, a 400 level student of Physics from Gombe State University said that the library now have enough space for study as he visits the library often.
Talwa, however, decried the non-availability of internet services for two years on at the e-Library unit of the board, which he identified as one key factor that had discouraged many users from the library.
“This non availability of the internet services at the e-library unit is bad. As a student, we need to browse the internet to get new things to augment what we are being taught
“This has affected my reading culture because my course requires thorough research and some of the materials I don’t get them on the shelves but if internet service is available, I will do my research without stress.
“If the internet challenge is addressed, it will make many students visit the library to read books and it will encourage reading culture among students,’’ he said.
Malama Hassana Loddo, a student of Ummah College of Health Science and Technology, said the acquisition of new books had encouraged her to visit the library more often to read and do her assignments.
Loddo, who had been using the library for about a year, however, decried the comatose state of the e-Library unit, and appealed to the state government to install internet facility for users.
Another user, Abubakar Yunusa said he visits the library four times a week to read books in order to broaden his knowledge.
Esther Usman, an N-power beneficiary said though the library was well stocked, more science-oriented books should be added to the existing books.
Malam Rabilu Baba, said that he often visited the library to read history books, adding that the library had interesting books on the history of Nigeria and other historical facts about the major tribes in Nigeria.
NAN reports that the 50-seater library has functional toilet facilities and a generator plant to back up power supply.
However, library makes use of ceiling fans as against air condition obtainable in modern libraries and this makes the library hall very hot, especially in the afternoon.
NAN also observed that the e-Library unit of the board with over 50 computer sets is not being used as a result of non-availability of internet facilities.
NAN gathered that effort is being made by a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) under the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) to assist the board in the installation of internet facilities.
NAN
