DONALD EKONG LIBRARY WEEKLY REPORT FOR THE WEEK ENDING 1ST APRIL 2022

From Tuesday March 29th to April 1st 2022, the University Librarian, Dr. Helen Emasealu, attended the 106th Bi-annual Conference and General Meeting of the Association of University Librarians of Nigerian Universities (AULNU) which took place at the Nigerian National Merit Award House, Maitama District, Abuja, FCT. The theme of the conference was “Career Progression of Academic Librarians in Nigerian Universities: Matters Arising and the Way Forward”. The conference was chaired by the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Abubakar Rasheed. The keynote speaker was Dr. Christopher Nkiko, University Librarian, Elizade University and Chairman, Nigerian University Libraries. He presented a paper, which focused on the long-standing issue of creating a parallel between professional/academic librarians and academics in other academic disciplines to ensure uniform status, promotion guidelines and equal remuneration among others. Presentations by other conference participants dwelt on such topical issues as the dwindling allocation of resources from TETFund, the need to review LIS Curriculum and the importance of establishing a Faculty status for LIS. The communiqué issued at the end of the conference to be forwarded to the Government and other critical stakeholders include the following points:

• AULNU should liaise with NUC and Salaries and Wages Commission in order to harmonize the guidelines for promotion of librarians to the rank of Professor, especially in Universities without library schools.
• AULNU observes with concern the incorporation of the responsibility allowance of Registrars and Bursars into their salaries, while that of librarians is not so captured.
• AULNU should liaise with NUC for the creation of a policy statement that University Librarians should participate fully as bona fide members of University Governing Councils where this is not already in practice.
• Libraries should urgently initiate steps to digitalize their collections, especially projects, theses and dissertations, in view of the attendant benefits that come with this initiative.
• In line with the memo from TETFund, University librarians, as desk officers, should be given a free hand to handle all library allocations without interference from any quarters.
• Library and Information Science is not an Education course, hence Universities are free to house it in any Faculty of convenience. This has implications for the entry requirements for prospective students in each University. Education courses may, therefore, be taken as electives.
• AULNU expressed profound appreciation to the Federal Government in its desire to complete the long abandoned National Library of Nigeria Headquarters.
• AULNU congratulated Prof. Suleiman Alias Bogoro on his successful completion of tenure of office as the Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), and appreciated him for his passion for library development. The Association congratulated Architect Sunday Echono on his appointment as the new Executive Secretary of TETFund.
• The Association equally thanked the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Abubakar Rasheed for accepting to serve as Chairman of the occasion.
• On Friday, 31st March, the University Librarian, Dr. Helen Emasealu, received three copies of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2021-2025, donated by NUC for retention and use in Donald Ekong Library. Dr. Helen Emasealu thanked NUC for the donation on behalf of the Management, University of Port Harcourt.
• In deference to the industrial unions on campus, regular library services were suspended throughout the week.

Signed:
Dr. Helen Emasealu, CLN
University Librarian