Managing Indigenous Knowledge among Traditional Historians of Dagbon: The Role of Academic Libraries in Ghana

Abstract

Information abounds and is derived from different sources including traditional historians of Dagbon. They are recorders of past and present events; their archival of the oral tradition of Dagbon cannot be overemphasized. It is the duty of academic libraries in Ghana to facilitate the dissemination of knowledge and stimulate cultural activity by making available print and non-print materials to the public. They are to do this by collecting, managing and disseminating this information in order to satisfy users’ needs. This paper looks at the role of traditional historians of Dagban in the society and the responsibility of the academic library in making this rich culture available to the public. Using mainly literature review and an interview with the chief drummer of Kpanvo in Tamale, it was realized that the traditional historians of Dagbon are living libraries or librarians with a lot of information stored in their memories. The living libraries have a life span as such this knowledge is passed on from generation to generation through oral narratives. The paper advocates the incorporation of this knowledge into the academic library system to enrich the curriculum of the university to facilitate teaching and learning, scholarship and also to satisfy the information needs of the public. The Baansi are also known as the traditional historians of Dagban are the focus of this study.