Influence of Community Library on Capacity Building among the Residents of Lagos Communities, Nigeria

Abstract

Community library is a community resource centre that provides unrestricted access to information and services free of charge to all residents of a given community. Based on the multifaceted functionalities of the community library, this study examined the challenges and influence of community library on capacity building among the residents of Lagos State, Nigeria. The study adopted a mixed-method design in which quantitative and qualitative methods were used. The population of the study comprised regular users of the libraries in the selected communities. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used to select 90 respondents used for the study. Community Library and Capacity Building Scale (CLCBS) with r = 0.87 was used for data collection. CLCBS was corroborated with FGDs. Quantitative data were analysed using frequency counts, mean scores, and Chi-Square at 0.05 level of significance, while the qualitative data were analysed thematically. The study discovered that community library influence capacity building among the populace in terms of information dissemination, literacy promotion, and acquisition of basic literacy skills. The study concluded that community libraries are established to enhance the capacities of the populace. Some recommendations were made.