NLA Enugu holds her Library Week

[#NgLibraryWeek2018]

In line with the National annual event, the Enugu State Chapter of Nigerian Library Association held her Library Week today, 18th October, 2018 at Institute for Developmental Studies, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus. The event kicked off at 10am with the theme: Libraries and Social Media as Catalyst for National Unity and Security.

The topics handled were:
1. Social Media and academic performance of students - Helen N. Okpala (Speaker)
2. Securing the Society Using Social Media - Grace Onyebuchi (Ph.D)

Mrs Helen Okpala reiterated Bernard and Dzanza (2015)'s statement that Social Media is a 'two-edged sword' and a 'useful servant but a dangerous master'.

Dr. Grace enumerated some social problems which our students could solve using social media.

A Certified Social Media Expert/Consultant [Kofi Anan] was invited and he spoke extensively about Social Media and Security reasons, Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, How to identify and deal with Fake News on Social Media, Hate Comments, etc. .

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Kudos to the Chairman, Dr. Mrs Uzoigwe C., her EXCO members and the entire members of the State Chapter.

Please SEE below photos.

Public Libraries and Sustainable Development - Featuring Igbinovia Magnus

Contact Us at: enugu.nla@gmail.com
In a bid to look out for what some of our librarians are up to this time, we looked up the profile of a young, vibrant Librarian in Nigeria - Igbinovia Magnus. 

On February 03, 2017, Mr. Igbinovia Magnus wrote on his Google plus profile: 

"Public library is the university for the common man. It is open to all regardless of age, gender,social status,  religious and political affiliations. The public library gives members of its parent community economic opportunities and as such the public library requires the intervention of all stakeholders especially in government in order to revamp it both in content and structure.Public libraries work for sustainable development and economic emancipation.  Build public, build lives. Invest in public libraries, invest in the future. #publiclibrarylove "

What are you doing to promote library services to people of the public? 

To be featured on our blog, you can send us your story to: enugu.nla@gmail.com or helen.okpala@unn.edu.ng 

WORLD WATER DAY CELEBRATION

LIBRARIES DRIVING THE DEVELOPMENT AGENDA

As the world population increases, water use triples. Water is important for the home, for agriculture, sanitation, health, for industries and for the survival of the entire ecosystem. The UN General Assembly in 1992 set aside March 22^nd of every year as Water Day to raise awareness and focus attention on the importance of fresh water and sustainable use and management of fresh water resources. The 6^th Goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) focuses on availability of clean and safe water to all by 2030. This Goal needs to be achieved as it is estimated that over 650 million live far away from clean water supply sources.
     
Water scarcity and water stress are becoming realities and major development challenges for many African countries.  Sub-Saharan Africa has the largest number of water stressed countries of any region in the world. By 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with full-fledged water scarcity. Sustainable agriculture, industrialization and urbanization all require copious amounts of water. When communities lack water, education suffers as children have to trek longer distances in search of water.  Health takes a nosedive as sanitation is hard to maintain and diseases spread more easily. People are poorer and hungrier. Women and children mostly bear the brunt of water shortages as they have to trek long distances to get clean water or they make do with contaminated water with attendant health implications.
     
This year’s theme is ‘WasteWater’. Waste water could be ‘black water’, that is heavily polluted waste water for example water from the toilet. It could be ‘graywater’ – lightly polluted water from bathing, kitchen sinks and washing machines. Rainwater that is harvested - ‘greenwater’ is a form of wastewater too.
What can libraries do to help manage the impending water crises? How can we weigh in to assist in achieving SDGs Goal 6? Proactive information dissemination of course on water issues using the theme - WasteWater. We can do the following -

1. We need to create awareness about the water challenges that Africa faces. Libraries can do this effectively as we celebrate the 2017World Water Day by mounting up displays, through road-walks, by going on to the media to canvass for sustainable usage of water and better water governance policies (please read up your country or region’s water policies). Resources are attached for libraries to use on the World Water Day.
2. Provide information on how to use waste water –

• Find and show people good models of rain barrels for collection of rain water
• Pass out information on how to harvest wastewater from the bathroom, the laundry and the kitchen.
• Give out information on how to recycle wastewater for use in the gardens and in green areas. Water with high salt content can kill plants though. Include that as you disseminate the information. Water that runs out of the drainage holes of potted plants can be collected for other plants.
• Teach people the necessity to remove leftover food and oil in plates and pots before washing them as this will generate better ‘wastewater’, produce less pollutants entering the wastewater system and sewers and ultimately help to protect the environment.
• The amount of bleach and detergent used in laundry can cause in-balances in the ecosystem. Advocate for lesser use.
• Let people know that all these will reduce their water bills and helps them to have water for small scale farming during drought and water restriction periods
• You may join me as the Chairperson AfLIA Development Agenda Working Group on a Tweetchat as I am hosted by an SDGs Online Group @SDGSNGA on Twitter on 22^nd March by 7pm GMT with the hashtag #WaterDay2017. I will talk about how libraries help drive the Development Agenda, how we are celebrating the Water Day and why it is absolutely necessary to include libraries in every national plan towards the achievement of SDGs.

 
Finally, take pictures of your displays and other activities during the Water Day on 22^nd March, write a brief report and send to –      
AfLIA Communications -      afliacomm@aflia.net
 
Find below posters you may use. Of course you can make them bigger on paper or flex or even make better ones!

Thank you

Nkem Osuigwe PhD CLN
Chairman, Development Agenda Working Group
AfLIA

SOURCE: AFLIA Website

Call for Papers - NLA Enugu 2016 Conference/AGM

NIGERIAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, ENUGU STATE CHAPTER

CALL FOR PAPERS

[23rd August, 2016]

The Enugu State Chapter of the Nigerian Library Association (NLA) announces her 16^th Annual Conference/AGM for the year 2016 holding as follows:

Date: Tuessday 22^nd – Thursday 24^th November, 2016.

Venue: National Library of Nigeria, Independence Layout, Enugu

Conference fee:  Fifteen Thousand Naira (N15, 000).  The fee covers all conference materials, lunch and conference proceedings.

CONFERENCE THEME: “Library Services and the Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals in the Digital Era”.

Sub-Themes:

1.      Evolving roles of Public Libraries in the digital age

2.      Academic Libraries in Nigeria and Sustainable Development Goals

3.      Makerspace in Libraries – gateway to collaborative learning in the digital age

4.      Information literacy and critical thinking for National development

5.      Enriching the lives of children for sustainable development through long vacation programme.

6.      School library services for Sustainable Development.

7.      Library services for the physically challenged in the digital era

8.      Building researcher-librarians for sustainable development.

9.      Libraries building digital collections for sustainable development

10.  Promoting indigenous knowledge for achieving Sustainable Development Goals

11.  Building strong Library Associations for National Development

12.  Libraries, Webinars, MOOCs and Online Learning: gateway for National Development

13.  Strategies for promoting Library Services to young people in the digital age.

14.  Building the Digital Literacy Skills of Librarians for National Development.

15.  Library Advocacy and partnership with NGOs for National Development.

Interested participants are hereby invited to submit full papers of not more than 18 pages double-line spaced with 12 point font size, processed in Times New Roman on any of the above sub-themes or any related topic under the general theme.

Deadline for submission of Full papers is Monday, October 31, 2016. Papers submitted after this date WILL NOT appear in the proceedings, but may be presented during the conference. Authors should include the name(s) and affiliations of the author(s) with functional e-mail addresses and submitted electronically to: enugu.nla@gmail.com with the subject: CONFERENCE PAPER! The file name should bear the author’s last name.

All submissions will be subjected to blind peer review by members of publication committee. Authors will be notified on the status of their submissions on or before November 15, 2016.

Format for Presentation: Accepted papers should be processed in not more than 20 slides for multimedia presentation during the conference.

Accepted papers will be published in the proceedings on payment of conference fee to the following bank account:

Name of Bank  First Bank Nigeria Plc

Account Name: Nigerian Library Association, Enugu State Chapter

Helen Nneka Okpala (CLN)  helen.okpala@unn.edu.ng    www.helenokpala.com 07031030171 (State Chapter PRO)

Account Number: 2014867846

The Mortenson Center celebrates International Day of Peace

The Mortenson Center invites libraries and librarians around the world to join our International Day of Peace Celebration onSeptember 21st.  In collaboration with the University of Illinois Library at Urbana-Champaign we are inviting our community to add their peace wishes to our Tree of Peace, and #treetyourself to our photo booth.

Tell us how you are celebrating at https://librariesforpeace.org/ and follow us or post your activities using the hashtags #librariesforpeace #peaceday

To learn about our International Peace Day initiative, visit librariesforpeace.org.  This website is for librarians worldwide to learn about what libraries are doing to promote peace, how they can initiate their own efforts, and where these actions are taking place; to discuss and share ideas of libraries and peacebuilding; and to serve as an information hub for an international library celebration and action day for peace.

JOIN this Libraries for Peace (L4P) movement by going to the website to:

Celebrate Library for Peace (L4P) Day on 21st September, 2016 (International Day of Peace)

1. Pledge to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
2. Share your story of how you and/or your library are working toward building a peaceful and sustainable local and global community.

The Libraries for Peace web portal was created to advance the mission of the Mortenson Center for International Library Programs, which for the past 25 years, has worked to strengthen international ties among libraries and librarians worldwide for the promotion of international education, understanding, and peace. Libraries as information, education and cultural centers have a role in advancing peace internationally.

For more information, please email mortenson@illinois.edu

Source: Email alert on helen.okpala@unn.edu.ng

NB: Same information has been posted to the following blogs:

www.helenokpala.com

www.libraryunn.blogspot.com

www.phreeinfo.blogspot.com

Professor Charles Omekwu's Inaugural Lecture story - Pt. 1

Prof. Omekwu, after delivering his lecture

...and it came to pass that the 113th inaugural lecture of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka was delivered by Professor Charles O. Omekwu, a Professor of Library and Information Science and Attorney at Law, on 8th September, 2016. Professor Charles is a member of the Nigerian Library Association, Enugu State Chapter and immediate past University Librarian, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

His research publications locally and internationally are overwhelming, coupled with his readiness to mentor younger ones in his field. Prof. Charles is a versatile scholar, having written several articles from different backgrounds of knowledge, ranging from agricultural, educational and legal.

That the weather was clement on that day was no news to compare with the surprise package of having the President of the Nigerian Library Association (NLA) in the person of Dr. Umunna Opara LIVE at the event, who arrived in the company of the past National Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Nigerian Library Association - Mr. Chimezie Ndukaku (see photos after the cut). These duo happily came from Owerri to grace the occasion.

NLA President - Dr. Umunna Opara and Mr. Chimezie Ndukaku,posing with NLA Enugu members

A cross-section of the eager audience

As the lecture was going on. Cyberspace matters...

Several of the librarians with Ph.Ds graced the occasion as they robed fro Professor Charles Omekwu, as this is a great feat for not only the profession, home and abroad, but for the department of Library and Information Science, alongside the University of Nigeria Library. This is an eye opener to all, that a librarian can attain the height of not just becoming a Professor, but delivering a sound inaugural lecture.

Lest it be omitted, the lecture held at Princess Alexandria Auditorium, University of Nigeria, Nsukka and was filled to the brim, despite the absence of students who are not in session at the time.

NLA President, chatting with Dr. Monica Eze and Dr. V.N. Okafor of UNN lib.

NLA President, chatting with Dr. V. N. Nwachukwu of UNN Lib. School

A lot of people attended the lecture ranging from the Vice Chancellor or his rep, the Principal Officers of the University (which includes the University Librarian - Prof. Chinwe N. Ezeani), Professors; Doctors (academic); Library and Information Science Department Staff, led by the Head of Department - Professor Nancy Achebe;  Nigerian Library Association Enugu Chapter members, led by the Chairman -Dr. Comfort Uzoigwe; UNEC library staff, led by elegant Mrs Ijeoma Ibegbulam; ESUT staff, led by Dr. Monica Eze; IMT staff, led by Dr. Innocent Eze (Institute Librarian and Council member).

The people of Obeleagu Community, Ezeagu attended the lecture. These are Professor Omekwu's townsmen who dressed gorgeously for the occasion. Wow! it was indeed a colorful event with timber and caliber of people including the heavenly brethren from Pastor Kumuyi's family - the Deeper Life Bible Church members. Others came from outside the state, especially from the Western part of the country where the inaugural lecturer emerged from, to take up the position of University Librarian of UNN in 2007.

Prof. Namcy Achebe, sandwiched in between the NLA President and Mr. Chimezie Ndukaku, followed by others

The lecture commenced at about 1pm and rose at about 3pm. The reception followed immediately at Ekpo Ref, UNN and was a great time of refreshment with varieties of food ranging from rice, abacha, ukwa, wheat, semolina, onugbu and egusi soups, etc. The Committee of friends for Professor Charles Omekwu put hands on deck to ensure the organisation of the event from start to finish. He is grateful to the Vice Chancellor, Senate Ceremonials Committee, his Committee of friends led by Mr. Jisike, his colleagues at the department of Lib. Science, led by Prof. Nancy Achebe, the University Librarian, the President of NLA - Dr. Umunna Opara and Mr. Ndukaku Chimezie for driving all the way, the Nigerian Library association, the Deeper Life family, his inlaws, children and his elegant and the prettiest lady in the house - Mrs Betty Omekwu.  

Mrs Helen Nneka Okpala (PRO, Enugu NLA) - the lady behind the news.

Stay tuned for more updates and pictures...

CALL FOR PAPERS - COAL CITY ENUGU AGM 2016!

NIGERIAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, ENUGU STATE CHAPTER

CALL FOR PAPERS

[31^st August 2016]

The Enugu State Chapter of the Nigerian Library Association (NLA) announces her 16^th Annual Conference/AGM for the year 2016 holding as follows:

Date: Tuesday 22^nd – Thursday 24^th November, 2016.

Venue: National Library of Nigeria, Independence Layout, Enugu

Conference fees: 1. Ten Thousand Naira (N10, 000) paid-up members

                             2. Fifteen Thousand Naira (N15, 000) non paid-up members

The fees cover all conference materials, lunch and conference proceedings.

CONFERENCE THEME: “Library Services and the Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals in the Digital Era”.

Sub-Themes:

1.      Evolving roles of Public Libraries in the digital age

2.      Academic Libraries in Nigeria and Sustainable Development Goals

3.      Makerspace in Libraries – gateway to collaborative learning in the digital age

4.      Information literacy and critical thinking for National development

5.      Enriching the lives of children for sustainable development through long vacation programme.

6.      School library services for Sustainable Development.

7.      Library services for the physically challenged in the digital era

8.      Building researcher-librarians for sustainable development.

9.      Libraries building digital collections for sustainable development

10.  Promoting indigenous knowledge for achieving Sustainable Development Goals

11.  Building strong Library Associations for National Development

12.  Libraries, Webinars, MOOCs and Online Learning: gateway for National Development

13.  Strategies for promoting Library Services to young people in the digital age.

14.  Building the Digital Literacy Skills of Librarians for National Development.

15.  Library Advocacy and partnership with NGOs for National Development.

Interested participants are hereby invited to submit full papers of not more than 18 pages double-line spaced with 12 point font size, processed in Times New Roman on any of the above sub-themes or any related topic under the general theme.

Deadline for submission of Full papers is Monday, October 31, 2016. Papers submitted after this date WILL NOT appear in the proceedings, but may be presented during the conference. Authors should include the name(s) and affiliations of the author(s) with functional e-mail addresses and submitted electronically to: enugu.nla@gmail.com with the subject: CONFERENCE PAPER! The file name should bear the author’s last name.

All submissions will be subjected to blind peer review by members of publication committee. Authors will be notified on the status of their submissions on or before November 15, 2016.

Format for Presentation: Accepted papers should be processed in not more than 20 slides for multimedia presentation during the conference.

Accepted papers will be published in the proceedings on payment of conference fee to the following bank account:

Name of Bank  First Bank Nigeria Plc

Account Name: Nigerian Library Association, Enugu State Chapter

Account Number: 2014867846

Colleagues outside Enugu State are encouraged to attend.

Thank you!

Helen Nneka Okpala (CLN)

07031030171

www.helenokpala.com  

NLA Enugu State Chapter Public Relations Officer (PRO)