Abstract:
This paper highlights what modern information professionals need to rethink: the need to integrate
the potential of participative management in the regulation of indigenous libraries as a catalyst for
effective information services. Information needed to actualise this paper was gathered from secondary
sources of data, which were textbooks, journal articles, conference papers, and online sources. The
paper, therefore, employs the conventional content analysis approach (desk research method). It
adopts the analysis of existing documents that contain information about the phenomenon under
study. It also highlights the contribution of user participation in management, recognising both
the need and right of users to be involved. Among other things, concepts of users’ participation,
library productivity, policymaking, the effect of non-participation and challenges associated with user
participation in policymaking, particularly in African indigenous libraries, were briefly highlighted.
The paper concludes that regulating libraries with the aid of modern management practices in
the COVID-19 era represents an initiative that helps to build new opportunities for achieving
effective information services, especially in developing countries. The paper further recommends the
positive disposition of library management towards user participation in policymaking. More
importantly, enlightenment programmes for user communities on their right to be involved in the
library policymaking, provision of monetary and other incentives to clientele so as to encourage
them to sustain interest in the participation, training of library workers as a way of equipping
them on their policymaking role and liberalisation management structure so as to allow for greater
participation among others