REVITALIZING ENTREPRENEURSHIP STUDIES IN LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE EDUCATION FOR JOB CREATION AND POVERTY ERADICATION IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This paper examined revitalization of entrepreneurship studies in Library and Information Science (LIS) education for job creation and poverty eradication in Nigeria. Revitalization of entrepreneurship studies in LIS education that would be amenable to the profession is not only a necessity but mandatory if the prospective LIS graduates would be employers of labour rather than job seekers in a competitive 21st century. The introduction of entrepreneurship studies in Nigerian universities since 2004 is a laudable step despite the fact that facilities for skills acquisition are generally lacking in most institutions. In furtherance of this laudable intention, stakeholders in LIS have also seen the need for integrating entrepreneurship studies in LIS education which has recently led to the proposal for a course known as “Infopreneurship” to be included in LIS undergraduate education programme. Training of LIS students in entrepreneurship requires some skills such as information technology skills, information literacy skills, managerial skills and personal entrepreneurship skills. Opportunities for LIS professionals were also highlighted to include: book publishing, information brokerage, consultancy services, bookselling business, record management, indexing and abstracting services, system analyst, operation of business centres, cybercafé business, editorial services, authoring books, email publishing, web publishing, desktop publishing, establishing and maintaining libraries for organisations, compilation of directories, compilation of bibliographies etcetera. It is recommended that to make entrepreneurship studies attractive, government ought to create favourable environment in terms of infrastructure provision, funding and regulating interest rates on bank loans for interested graduates that would wish to be self-employed after graduation.