Manning of Academic Law Libraries by Lawyers: Imperative for Best Legal Information Delivery in Nigerian Academic Law Libraries

ABSTRACT Academic Law Libraries are special libraries with special collections for a specialised field or discipline established to serve specific professionals and researchers who are law students, law lecturers, legal researchers, and other faculty members. Law Library is the nexus and the heart of any faculty of law; it is pivotal upon which legal education is built. Consequently, the two statutory regulatory bodies responsible for legal education in Nigeria: the National Universities Commission and the Nigerian Council of Legal Education respectively, place a high premium on Law Library building, equipment, facilities, availability of current and adequate information resources as well as the management of the library and its information resources to ensure best information delivery system. In order for academic Law Libraries to be well utilised, there is a need to ensure that academic Law Libraries are managed by qualified Law Librarians. This paper discussed and justified the imperativeness and importance of manning of faculties of law Libraries by qualified Law Librarians for effective legal education in Nigeria. It also stated reasons why some faculties of Law Libraries in Nigeria are not still being managed by Law Librarians and to know the standard laid down by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Nigerian Council of Legal Education (NCLE) for faculties of law Libraries in Nigeria. Key Words: Academic Law Libraries, Legal Education, Law Librarian, Nigerian Universities