NEED FOR SUBJECT LIBRARIANS IN POLYTECHNIC LIBRARIES IN NIGERIA

Information can be found in different formats such as e-books, CD-ROM, online journals and other electronic databases, in addition to the traditional paper formats. The introduction of the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications supported e-resources project has opened up access to full-text e-journals, e-books, and other databases on the Web to the polytechnic libraries in Nigeria. This paper discusses the relevance of subject librarianship in polytechnic libraries in Nigeria especially in light of the above-mentioned challenges. Among the roles subject librarians are expected to play include: the role of liaison with the school and users, collection development, monitoring and evaluation, selection of e-resources, managing digital portals and carrying out user education. This paper, also, discusses the benefits that polytechnic libraries are likely to derive from adopting subject librarianship, as well as the major problems which could hamper the smooth implementation of this scheme. Additionally, this paper looks at recommendations to solve the highlighted problems.