Kaduna’s falling reading habit

Most libraries in the country contain numerous rare and significant collections meant for the readers ,but people don’t access these collections because they either don’t know how to use them or they don’t know their value. There were people who could best be termed as library-shy, and many of these are  women and there were […]

Most libraries in the country contain numerous rare and significant collections meant for the readers ,but people don’t access these collections because they either don’t know how to use them or they don’t know their value. There were people who could best be termed as library-shy, and many of these are  women and there were busy persons who haven’t stepped in a library for ages due to their tight schedules.
Most libraries have not been completely reinvented into vital community hubs to attract people and thus, ceased to become a place of learning, entertainment and fun; a place where one can nurture not just his love of reading, but perhaps also where he will meet new people, find out how to start his new business or immerse himself in technology he was merely dreaming about.
Reading culture is said to be a sustained regime of reading textual and non-textual materials for the purpose of broadening the horizon of knowledge within and outside one’s disciplinary interest. Reading is essential to literacy , and it is an emancipator tool that liberates one from ignorance, disease and poverty, as well as providing one with the liberty for all round development.
Reading improves the mind psychologically and cognitively. 
One senior librarian with the Kaduna state government who would not want his name mentioned said “in the past, people read for the purpose of learning, gaining knowledge and discovering information; but now, people read to pass examinations. They come to the library to read when they have exams.”
He said successful leaders and students maintain a daily reading habit that eventually shapes their intellect. He said that the reading habit is falling among children and adults  leading to poor societal leadership.  
Visits to both the children and the adult sections of the state and national libraries in Kaduna by our reporters, showed that they were empty most of the time; they tended to be busy during examination periods.
Again, most of the collections at the libraries were outdated and dusty thereby discouraging the younger generation.
The reference sections at the state library seemed busy, with majority of the attendees being post graduate research students.  
The state library recently digitalized its collections with creation of an e-library thereby boosting its lost glory. The e-library was closed shortly due to financial issues.
A man at the National Library, Timothy Akazue said he goes to the library to read through his notes in preparation for examinations. 
“I read in the library because I have an academic programme in view,  and as such I am preparing for exams. So, due to my tight schedule I have, I come to the library to go through my notes so as to prepare for examinations.”

He said there were few people who come to the library to read  and keep themselves up to date with what is happening in the society in terms of news as well as academically. “Generally, reading is good.At times, I don’t come to the library because I am on a tight schedule,  but I read on the internet using my mobile phone to keep myself updated. So, reading is good and if you develop it as a hobby, it will help you and you will be able to confidently present or defend yourself anywhere.
“Actually, reading is my hobby but the nature of my work as a field worker does not give me the ample time to read as I used to do. Now, I create time to read especially when I am resting.”
To him, socio-economic activities and misplacement of priorities are also factors that determine reading habits,  saying someone may choose watching football or arguing over football and movies over reading.
Felix Makanjuola Ibinuola too, said he went to the library to read because he was preparing for exams. “I am a post graduate student and my exams are starting soon. I hardly read if I don’t have exams because I have other things to do, which do not allow me to read.  If I must read when I don’t have exams, I read motivational books or my bible and not in the library.”
Assessing the attitude of Nigerians to reading, he said the culture of reading among Nigerians is poor. To him, Nigerians don’t read because of lack of access to new books. The advent of the internet and the various social media platforms hinders a lot of people from going to the library to read, because they could access books or information using the computer or smart phones, he said.

A source at the National Library who pleaded anonymity said the internet domains where children engage in watching pornographic films makes reading very difficult, adding that the major factor is the socio-economic status of the home,  as well as corruption in government where youths are left without jobs to do.
“In a home, where the breadwinner is lacking in the basic needs, you have all kind of vices in such homes. So, where then will the children think of reading or doing something productive with their lives? We talk about reading culture all the time, but in a situation where the head of the family does not even have the fund to buy literatures for the children,  or when he does not even have the time to guide and counsel the children, what happens?
“Parents allow children to read for exams. Some don’t even read at all because they have the wherewithal to get the kind of result they want. Poverty level, indiscipline at home and in the schools, have contributed a lot. Many schools don’t have libraries or places to keep books for students to read.”
He said the insurgency especially in the northern region, reduced the rate of patronage of public libraries drastically compared to what it used to be. Fear of the unknown does not allow parents to allow their wards to go far from home in the name of reading he said.

He said authors hardly produce books that can attract the interest of youths to read. He opined that in salvaging the situation, there is urgent need for a stable government to fund schools and public libraries adequately, adding that there is need for parents to monitor and encourage their wards by buying them relevant books to engage them. “Children should not be allowed to spend all their time watching movies. Basically, corruption must be tackled and the basic needs of the people must be met. All these factors contribute to the deteriorating standard of reading.”
At the state library, Ansalem Onyekama said he always read  there because there were a variety of books, journals and newspapers to select from, and urged the government to revive reading habit especially among the youths.
“I come to the library to read newspapers and other books just for pleasure and to update my knowledge; reading is my hobby.” He urged Nigerians  to inculcate the habit of reading.
Jaireh Daudu also said reading was one of his hobbies and that he reads a lot of story books in the library.
“I am here to read for the Scholarship Aptitude Test (SAT), apart from this, I read often because reading is my hobby. If I don’t have exams, I read books a lot and I discovered that there are a lot of things you could get from reading. Reading has changed my mindset and my expectations in life.”
He said most people including students of higher institutions tended to stay away from the state library, because of inadequate book supplies, adding that the state library has not been updated for long.
Commenting on the attitude of Nigerians to reading; he said going by the number of people that read in the libraries on a daily basis, Nigerians cannot be said to have a sustained reading habit. “A lot of youths prefer to watch movies, chat online using their smart phones rather than use the libraries,”
“If Nigerians don’t embrace the reading culture now, the future of the coming generation will be in question, because knowledge is power. Libraries too should endeavor to update their books so as to encourage people to read,” he said.
Kelechi Wakama, also present in the state library, agreed that he barely uses the public library, but said the dwindling culture of reading in the country was alarming,  and must be rekindled for the country to develop. 
“I have a personal project on ground, which I am working on. That is why I came to the library, but reading is a culture everyone needs to develop because it improves the mind, it makes you active in thinking and interacting with people. It also provides solutions to the daily problems. You will be able to solve many problems when you read than when you don’t. Reading has changed my mindset.When you read; you will discover that you are assimilating ideas and views of great people that affect the way you behave, which will eventually make you a leader.”

Another librarian with the government stated that the reading habit in the northern region is very poor, saying that people only read for the sake of research and examinations but “in spite of the poor reading culture, some matured people still use the library for their research work, project, thesis etc. During exams period, you will see a lot of people especially students thronging the library.”
He said the use of social media platforms through smart phones has to a large extent discouraged a number of people from reading or making researches using the libraries.
He said the state government recently established an e-library that provided online services with about 20 desktop computers. He said the level of the patronage for the e-library was slightly above that of the main library, due to lack of awareness and declining reading habit.
“We have the electronic library, which is tailored towards accessing millions of books worldwide online, but a lot of people don’t still patronize it because they cannot differentiate between internet and e-library. The internet is a market where so many goods can be found , but the e-library is specifically like going to a bookshop.”
On why people don’t read, he said there are political, economic and social reasons why people don’t read. He said some people don’t actually know how to use the library,  while more people including students do not know the value of library.