Promoting the Potentials of Participative Management: A Catalyst for Regulating Indigenous Libraries in Africa

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