For Nigerian libraries to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, the Library Association should strive to put government on its toes in commitment to library services.

Also, proprietors of libraries should make efforts to mount literacy and support programmes for out of school children and dropouts.

These were the submissions of stakeholders in the library sector during the 2019 library week organised by the Nigerian Library Association, Ondo state.

On his part, Dr. Rotimi Egunjobi, the Librarian, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko while speaking on “Library Services for Sustainable Development” in Nigeria, lamented the current malfunctioning status of the public library system in Nigeria, saying the situation cannot help to achieve the SDGs, hence the need to equip them.

He noted that libraries need to provide diverse information resources containing a whole wide range of available information towards meeting the need of their users.

“It is very important for libraries to integrate the use of ICT in their service. This will also help them provide in both the traditional formats and digitised form.

“It will not be out of place for libraries to organise or sponsor awareness campaigns on the SDGs”, he said.

Earlier, the State Chairman of NLA, Mr. Bode Arawande had explained that the event was designed to bring professional librarians to brainstorm on current issues affecting the profession, and reading culture at large.

He noted that library, undoubtedly, has a role to play in the realisation of the 17th SDG, being a social organisation and potent agent of change.

The Chairman of the event, Dr. B. O Gbadamosi said library plays an important role in sustaining education in Nigeria.

He added that a country must invest in research in order to experience sustainable development, noting that library is needed for such research.

He lamented the depletion in reading culture habit among the school children, while emphasising the need for functional libraries in the public primary schools.

Gbadamosi however charged librarians to be more aggressive in canvassing for users, noting that the interest of users are now on the social media, hence the need for them to repackage materials/information and make it available for students online.