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NIGERIAN LIBRARIES ON THE MAP FOR VISIBILITY AND ACCESS
OVERVIEW
Libraries play crucial roles when it comes to knowledge management and dissemination, but how many libraries in Nigeria and Africa are visible and accessible for effective use by the public? How many people know the location of libraries within their communities or institutions? Efforts such as IFLA Library Map, Library Tracker and AfLIA’s African Librarysites have recorded significant impact in showcasing libraries both at global and regional levels. However, to help us understand Nigeria’s peculiar challenges and address them better, we have launched an ongoing pre-survey targeted at library stakeholders for the Google my Library (GML) Project.
WHY GOOGLE (GML)?
Based on our preliminary observations, the Google my Library project, an initiative of the Librarian Spotlight Africa (LSA) facilitated by Sylvester Ebhonu (The Digital Librarian), Optimistic Scholar and the Nigerian Library Association, aims “to empower librarians in Nigeria, and potentially Africa, to bridge the visibility and accessibility gaps that libraries face through Google Business Profile Listings (formerly Google My Business) and Google Maps.” The campaign is targeted at Librarians and Information Professions, Staff in Nigerian Libraries and eventually to libraries across Africa.
The initiative encourages libraries to adopt a business mindset by incorporating strategies that make their services more visible and engaging, more like putting a physical store in front of people to see, and a global and simple platform like Google helps to achieve this.
Official Hashtags: #GooglemyLibrary #LibrariesontheMap #GML #AfricanLibraries #LibrariesMatters.
WHY YOU SHOULD REGISTER?
- To acquire the skills needed to list and optimize your library’s presence in the online space for increased visibility
- To promote access to knowledge by helping library users easily locate and engage with library services.
- To acquire practical tools and support for effective digital marketing
