PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF CATALOGUERS IN ELECTRONIC ERA IN ACADEMIC LIBRARIES IN SELECTED PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES, OSUN STATE

Abstract This paper examines professional development of cataloguers in electronic era in academic library in selected private universities, Osun state. The research was necessitated by the postulation that cataloguers competency depend on their professional development. Two research questions were drawn and the population of the study was made up of 8 cataloguers. Data was collected through questionnaire. The descriptive survey research method was adopted in the study. Findings revealed that cataloguers are faced with lack of organizational sponsorship to conference, seminar and workshop; it was shown that, they have challenges on the job training. The study further revealed that cataloguers required adequate knowledge, skills and competence needed in the section to perform effectively and constant update in their professional training and development program through attendance of courses, workshops, seminars, conferences and mentoring programmers in order to cope with the challenges of the electronic era. The study, shows that Academic library management should at least sponsor one cataloguer to conference, seminar or workshop every year to ensure that cataloguers in their institution participate in what is trending in cataloguing and classification to enable them bridge new ideas or tools on what is going on in an electronic era. Older generation of cataloguers should mentor the younger cataloguers on the rudiments of cataloguing, so that manual cataloguing will not diminish. The high cost of program should be checked, so that cataloguers can afford it and be able to attend to the program regularly