The Ibadan Book Club (a book reading arm of the Society of Young Nigerian Writers – Oyo State Chapter) has described the Oyo state government owned libraries which are spread across the nooks and crannies of Oyo state as Cemeteries of dead books.
This was contained in a press statement signed by the Coordinator of the Club in Ibadan on Thursday.
The first book reading club in Oyo State made the comment after a week tour to some of the libraries.
Ibadan Book Club further berated the nonchalant attitude of Oyo Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde and the Management of the Oyo State Library Board toward reading culture and tradition in Oyo state.
It would be recalled that Governor Seyi Makinde recently appointed some individuals as Chairman and members into the state library board. Some of the recently appointed individuals are not even stakeholders in the state’s book industry.
Ibadan is known as home to many reputable publishing firms and stakeholders in the book industry. Oyo state is currently home to famous publishing firms like Book Craft, Ibadan University Press, Evans Brothers Publishers, Spectrum Publishers, HEBN, Kraft Books, Macmillan Publishers, Rashmed to mention but few yet her libraries are full of outdated and moribund books.
On the problems confronting some of these libraries, Wole Adedoyin listed some of them as lack of awareness programs, budgetary constraints, inadequate library materials, lack of trained and skilled manpower and lack of appropriate government policy, lack of digital library facilities and lack of information literacy.
Adedoyin finally urged Gov. Seyi Makinde to pay attention to the state libraries, equip them with modern and relevant curriculum based books. And also explore all avenues to make reading attractive and friendly to the students and youths of the state.
