CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Libraries play a crucial role in the global education and information storage and retrieval system, offering knowledge accumulated through various media. To function effectively, libraries require human resources, including professionals (librarians) and paraprofessionals (library officers), collectively known as library personnel. The execution of library routines by librarians is pivotal for a library to be recognized as an efficient information center. The manual system of performing library routines has limitations such as errors, delays, and challenges for both library users and librarians, hindering the achievement of library objectives (Uwaifo, 2014).
The concept of leadership is diverse and lacks a unanimous definition. Scholars have attempted to define effective leadership, emphasizing its crucial role in various sectors, including business, military, religious institutions, and libraries. Leadership is viewed as a guiding force whenever individuals work collectively in groups. Hoerr (2006) highlights the relational aspect of leadership, asserting that leaders not only impact organizations but also transform individuals within them. Leadership involves changing people, fostering growth, and creating a culture of learning for organizational prosperity.
In library leadership, effective management functions, such as planning, organizing, directing, coordinating staff, budgeting, and decision-making, are essential. Lipham (2007) describes leadership as an individual's behavior that initiates a new structure in social system interaction. Leadership is a cooperative and mutual function, relying on influence rather than forcible domination. Leaders must possess attributes that garner respect from subordinates, including skills, knowledge, and insight into their subordinates' challenges (Adams and Adams, 2009).
1.2 Statement of the Problem
University libraries, as complex organizations with hierarchical structures, official decision-making processes, and institutional policies, face challenges related to the attitude of library administrators towards work. This is evident in the frequent strikes by academic staff unions, such as ASUU, in Nigeria, protesting poor working conditions that may impact job effectiveness. This study aims to investigate the influence of leadership styles on effective library administration in academic institutions.
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1.3 Objectives of the Study
The objectives of this study are:
- To examine the effect of leadership styles of Faculty of Education resource centres.
- To investigate relationship between leadership styles and effective administration.
- The study therefore examine various types of leadership styles.
1.4 Research Questions
- What are the effect of leadership styles of Faculty of Education resource centres?
- What is the relationship between leadership styles and effective administration?
- What are the various types of leadership styles?
1.5 Research Hypothesis
H01: there is a statistical significant relationship between leadership styles and effective administration
1.6 Significance of the Study
The library management would benefit from the study in that knowledge gained from the findings would through more light on the types of leadership styles that should be adopted in the library. The unit head of the faculty of Education resource centre would benefit from the study because the finding would enable them sound policies that would prohibit library users from certain attitudes.
Other researchers would benefit from this research work because it will be useful to them in carrying out their research.
1.7 Operational Definition of Terms
Leader: A leader is the one who inspires others to work towards a goal. Quadri (2009) highlights the attributes of a good leader. A leader begins setting the vision but doesn’t stop there. A leader listens, understands, motivates, reinforces, and make the tough decisions. A leader passes out praise when things go well and takes responsibility and picks up the pieces when things fall apart. Leaders don’t lead by issuing mandates.
Leadership: Leadership is a process involving two or more people in which one attempts to influence the others’ behaviour towards the accomplishment of goals. It is a part of management but not all of it. This is because the management function of leading in organizations such as university libraries is defined as a process of influencing people so that they will strive willingly and enthusiastically towards the achievement of organizational goods.
Effectiveness: Able to produce an effect, producing the desired effect. The ability to lead effectively is one of the keys of being an effective library manager. Dynamic and effective leadership are the basic and scarcest of all the resource of an organization, even though they are major contributors to organizations success measure of the degree to which given objectives are realized.
Administration: The activities that are done in order to plan, organize and run institutions.
Leadership Style: This involves the way the leaders’ rule which may include, the democratic, autocratic and laissez-faire.
