A Professor of Library and Information Science at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), Abia State, Ahiaoma Nwaeze Ibegwam, has described the university library as the “silent engine” that drives the core mandates of a university and serves as a hub for scholarly activities, knowledge acquisition and dissemination.

Ibegwam argued that a university library was indispensable, stressing that the various descriptions of the institution reflected its diverse functions and the unique needs of its users.

She spoke while delivering the 75th inaugural lecture of MOUAU, titled “‘Silent Engine’: The University Library Driving the Core Mandates of the Parent Institution,” at the Anyim Pius Anyim Auditorium.

The session was presided over by Professor Ike Nwachukwu on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, Professor Ursula Ngozi Akanwa.
Nwachukwu, who delivered the university’s 20th inaugural lecture on December 10, 2024, titled “From Drumbeats to Gigabytes: Communicating Agricultural Technologies Effectively to Farmers,” corroborated Ibegwam’s position, describing the university library as an indispensable resource and a critical pillar in the advancement of knowledge, teaching, learning and research.

He therefore urged universities communities,  knowledge seeking and searching scholars, researchers and students  to harness the resources of the library.

Professor  Ibegwam, in her inaugural  lecture,  discussed the university library, its origin and growth and its role in driving University mandate, stating that  the library remained a cornerstone of academic life but was increasingly constrained by inadequate funding, weak governance structures and infrastructural deficits.

Explaining the role of the University Library in driving the Core Mandates of the Parent Institution, the Inaugural Lecturer stated the role as ” to build balanced collections that support the teaching , research, and community service mandates of its parent institution.

According to her ”  In Nigeria , the National Universities Commission ( NUC ) requires tertiary institutions libraries to maintain adequate print and electronic collections, qualified professional staff , functional ICT and e-library infrastructure , and proper physical facilities to pass institutional and academic programmes accreditation”.

She said ” the management of university libraries is increasingly complex, requiring a holistic approach that combines technological upgrades, governance reform, space optimization, and user-centered services”.

She argued that by embracing digital transformation, Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) , and emerging trends , libraries are becoming more dynamic centers for learning, research, and innovation and ” by so doing, fulfilling one of the laws of LIS , which is that the library is a growing organism”.

Canvassing far-reaching funding and policy reforms in the university libraries, professor Ibegwam , tasked  the Federal Government and university Governing Councils on the provision of  sustained funding for capital projects, staff emoluments, scholarly database subscriptions and other essential resources.

While  she decried the alleged  interference with TETFund allocations to university libraries and called for  the cessation, she  stated that the peculiar needs of specialised institutions like that of  MOUAU should be recognised and  taken into account while deciding their  funding.

She cautioned against not doing the imperative needful by investing appropriately in Libraries  to match the rising student enrolment  that was  adding significant pressure on academic resources.

To the Library administrators, the LIS Expert ( prof Ibegwam) tasked them to become “aggressive resource managers” by commercialising specialised services, pursuing international grants and engaging alumni associations.

According to her, Nigerian universities seeking world-class standards must prioritise adequate funding,  staffing and technologically equipped libraries, which she  said are strategic assets for academic excellence, research innovation, effective teaching and the overall mandate of the university.

She did not leave out commenting on  Library infrastructure and technology, hence she  recommended therein,  investment in renewable energy, particularly solar power, alongside the adoption of free and open-source platforms such as Koha and DSpace improved bandwidth, modern hybrid library spaces and regular digital-skills workshops for students and staff, including the introduction of information literacy as a compulsory course for first-year students.