Capacity-building and Mentorship Programmes among Librarians: Views from Selected Academic Libraries in Nigeria and Zimbabwe

Abstract

In the fourth industrial revolution, where changes and development are constants, academics and librarians are struggling to remain competitive to maintain standards and excellence. The need to embrace capacity-building and mentorship programmes among professionals, irrespective of their status and context, becomes imperative. Academic institutions are now fertile grounds for capacity-building and mentorship programmes in the present-day knowledge economy. The rationale behind this study was to identify attributes to improve inadequately skilled human resources and to promote capital development for the sustainability of organisations and societal transformation through infrastructural facilities. These attributes would relieve constrained financial budgets, the non-implementation of laid down policies, instability of diverse economies, and political influences, which have all infiltrated into academic institutions. These factors affect academic institutions’ ability to profess and discharge their mandate of capacity-building and mentorship programmes in an increasingly technology-driven age. Quantitative and qualitative research approaches were applied in this study. The quantitative approach made use of the Monkey survey research method to collect data from respondents in selected academic institutions across Africa. The qualitative approach used interpretive content analysis of literature to support the results and arguments in the study. A total of 30 academic librarians from two African countries were selected for the study. Using the purposive sampling technique, the total population (30 academic librarians) was used as a sample size for the study. Data collected from the 30 academic librarians through the use of the Monkey survey research method were analysed, using descriptive statistical analysis. Findings revealed that the capacity-building and mentorship programmes available to librarians vary from one institution/context to another. The provision of adequate funds, facilities, and material resources would enhance the facilitation of capacity building offered to librarians. Financial, technical, moral, administrative and infrastructural challenges were cited as obstructing capacity-building and mentorship programmes among librarians. The study recommends that academic libraries should lobby for funding to facilitate conference attendance by librarians, especially at the international level, and formulate comprehensive plans for their staff members, among others.