The Role of Nigerian University Libraries in Archiving Hausa Royal Songs for Effective Service Delivery to Researchers

The need for archiving oral literature in any society cannot be overemphasized. However, in Nigeria, archiving practices for oral literature are still low. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to explore the role of university libraries in enhancing archiving practices for Hausa royal songs for effective service delivery to different researchers and other interest groups. Oral literature in the form of royal songs in the Hausa language plays very significant roles towards preserving history, cultural heritage, language development and other traditional values. However, the emergence of Hausa popular literature songs due to advancements in technology appeared to be a deviation from the traditional Hausa oral songs. Hence, the consequences of not archiving the traditional Hausa oral songs could endanger the historical and linguistic preservation of the language as well as its tangible and intangible cultural heritage. The qualitative approach based on content analysis of different sources of information was adopted for this study. The techniques, opportunities and challenges of print and digital archiving of oral songs were discussed. Furthermore, the role of Nigerian university libraries in archiving Hausa royal songs was highlighted. The libraries can be repositioned to enhance archive management of oral literature for effective service delivery to researchers who may desire access to such resources to satisfy research and other information needs. Key strategies that university libraries could implement to ensure long-term preservation and promote accessibility to Hausa royal songs were also proposed. These strategies include training for print and digital archiving of oral literature. In conclusion, the paper provides some insights that will serve as a guide to university libraries and other organizations, on the necessity of selecting, acquiring and archiving Hausa oral songs for research and studies by present and future generations.