Abstract

There is an eagerness on the part of librarians and libraries in Nigeria to shift from traditional methods of information representation to modern information technologies. This has led to the influx of various library software into the ICT market to drive automation needs of libraries. There is the need, however, for quality and reliable software that can effectively run on the operating systems of computers in Nigerian libraries. Therefore, this study aims to create awareness of the existing software in Nigeria so as to enhance quality selection. It provides librarians with pragmatic steps to take when making choices and highlights the operational problems associated with library software. The researchers surveyed 50 libraries in Nigeria: 22 federal, state and private universities; 11 polytechnic libraries; 3 colleges of education libraries, and 14 research institutional libraries. Data for this study were collected through structured questionnaire. Of the 120 questionnaire administered, 97 of them were returned filled. Results show that a greater number of the respondents are computer literate, and agree with the guiding steps a library should follow before acquiring software. Also, some of the respondents are quite aware of the various types of software being paraded in Nigerian markets. The study not only discusses problems associated with software installations but also suggests ways out of them. Finally, the study makes recommendations on the way forward.

Key words: Software selection, software acquisition, library automation, software troubleshooting, Nigerian libraries.