Library and the lack of reading culture among students

There is a great distinction between students of today and those of yesteryears in terms of reading. This is because yesteryears students attached and familiarized themselves to library than today’s students.

Library is, indeed, important in academics to the extent that it can’t be overemphasized. It’s defined as a building or room containing collection of books, periodicals, and sometimes films and recorded music for use or lending to the public or the members of an institution.

That is to say, library does not only provide knowledge or information on diverse topics, but also serves as a preserver of history and collections of wisdom (conventional, unconventional and even censored).

However, the use of library is unchanged; students use library for assignment most often research purposes in order to read ahead of normal classes. The culture of reading in library helps to acquaint self with numerous terms for knowledge upgrade.

The then students spend most of their times in library for studies while today’s can hardly spend an hour for reading or research due to technological advancement that brought about smart phones, among other devices. This situation has brought a failure in the educational pursued.

Library as a compendium of books, journals, records and unrecorded materials is said to be the heart or nerve center of every academic institution.

Long ago, students were using libraries very much unlike today’s students; the then students were very desperate to learn even though library was the only means of getting access to academic materials.

The advent of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) brought about internet through which one can access materials in his/her comfort zone. This situation makes students to consider library less important.

Today, students depend on internet; they think it is needless to use libraries because everyone can get the information he/she needs via internet. I disagree with this idea.

The point is the massive failure of students in examinations in schools today is as result of the excessive internet usage among the students. Therefore, it’s high time for every student to familiarize and present himself to library.

It is senseless to say that we don’t need libraries anymore just because of the internet simplicity in terms of getting information. What if we live in the countryside where there is no network? In this case, research can’t be done.

Also, everyone can access library but not everyone can access internet. And the range at which people use internet makes the internet to do more harm apart from upgrading the students’ knowledge.

An instance is, students come across unsolicited advertisement whenever they are using internet; such advertisements often divert the students’ attention from reading to watching, as such, students can spend 24 hours watching unnecessary things that have no positive impact on their academics.

Furthermore, internet creates some sense of laziness in students to always feel reluctant after picking up academic materials for reading as a result of spending most of their time on internet.

Today, students largely depend on internet for research purposes even in the library not knowing that the habit is playing a negative impact on their writing culture.

In fact, there is no place like library in school; students should imbibe the culture of reading in library so as to resurrect its original usage. Doing so will surely help us to improve our grammar and boost our research activities. 

Abdulkarim Mohammed,

Department of Mass Communication,

University of Maiduguri

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