The Place of School Library Services in Promoting Reading Culture at Basic Education Level in Nigeria

This paper examined the central role of school library in basic education programme in Nigeria. Basic education has been a universal concern aimed at providing access to education to every citizen globally. The paper discussed major objectives of Universal Basic Education Programme in Nigeria and provide insights on how School Library services can support resource-based learning as well as inculcation of good reading culture. Some hints on how to develop reading culture among children were highlighted. These hints include storytelling hour, readers club, and reading models. However, the paper noted inhibiting factors for the effective promotion of reading culture at basic education schools in Nigeria. These factors center on lack of compressive policy for implementation of the programme, scarcity of trained librarians and inadequate funding. Therefore, in order to reposition the school libraries for enhanced performance, the paper made recommendations that include sensitization campaign on community involvement in managing libraries of UBE schools and direct participation of the local community in developing and sustaining the school library programmes. Public and Colleges of Education libraries should also play key roles in training and retraining of the school librarians (teacher-librarian), especially on practical aspect of managing the libraries