The 21st Century Library and Information Services for the Enhancement of Teacher Education

What Then Is A Library?

The term library originated from a Latin word liber, which means collection of books processed, preserved maintained and made accessible for use (Estabrook, 2014). A library also means a building that houses different kinds of print and digital resources, for the purpose of reading, learning and research. Libraries ensure the acquisition, processing, and easy access to learning resources in various formats. They serve wide range of clientele, depending on the library type. Libraries preserve ancient records for past, present and future generations. Ebunuwela, Yaya and Krubu (2011) see libraries as part of the pillars of civilization and insist that no nation can function effectively without the use of library.

Before the advent of ICT, libraries housed printed materials. The 21^st century libraries have however witnessed a tremendous turnaround in information generation and retrieval. These libraries no longer hold only printed resources but a combination of prints and electronic databases as well as internet resources which are made available in the library through ICT. The world has indeed become a global village as a result of the availability of internet availability which provides opportunities for library users to navigate the web and harness resources necessary for researches.