CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
This paper focuses on the effect of budgeting shift on electronic accessibility in a library, including requirements or considerations when budgeting, technical services in a consortium, and best practices in budgeting.
A budget is a guide or directive for fiscal management. Libraries need funds to provide electronic and other services, and these services must be budgeted for. Fletcher (1990) gives two definitions of a budget, calling it “the overall picture of allocations (for expenditure) and income,” as well as “the financial allocation for specific purpose or purposes during a given period.”
Although libraries are service-oriented and have little or no revenue-generating motives or objectives, they still obviously require a budget. Provision of electronic materials services is a significant source of income in the library system. The need for budgets in libraries is increasingly important.
Libraries must effectively divide funds between staff and materials, which include acquisitions, services, and equipment. Library fiscal management is becoming more decentralized. Current trends give a measure of financial control to divisional, sectional, and unit librarians. It is within this framework that budgeting for library technical services is approached.
A number of studies have been carried out on budgets and financing of library services (Rosenberg & Raseroka, 2000; Ubogu, 2003; Smallen and McCredie, 2003; Emojorho, 2004); however, budgeting for technical or electronic services has received little attention. Most discussions of budgeting for technical services use a line-item budget as a focus.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
This study is set to examine the roles of the budgeting shift on library electronic access, considering the enormous benefits that are experienced in the impact of budgeting on strategizing and ensuring accessibility of electronic services in Nigerian Libraries; the Nigerian libraries still experience some obstacles or hindrances in the effective and efficient use of budgeting in enhancing electronic services in the library.
Today, Electronic acquisition and implementation in libraries is facing a lot of problems. This research work is being conducted to expose some of the inhibiting factors that are hindering the effectiveness of electronic services in Nigerian Libraries. Among the militating factors hindering the impact of electronic access on Nigerian Libraries is the problem of insufficient capital to fund the budget shift of providing electronic materials. More so, epileptic power supply pose a threat on the accessibility of electronic materials in Library
As a result, users may not be satisfied. Similarly, they would not be able to achieve self-actualization or their life goals. Consequently, libraries in Nigeria may not be able to make their impact on national development.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1. To ascertain the rate of using electronic materials in libraries
2. Determine the impact of budgeting on accessibility of electronic materials in libraries
3. To examine the level of importance given to electronic materials in the library budget
4. Determine the problem militating against the adequate accessibility of electronic materials in Libraries.
5. Ascertain how budgeting can be used to foster accessibility of electronic materials in libraries
6. To identify the problems faced by the library management in planning a budget for electronic and other services.