Collection development in university libraries in Ghana: some observations

Abstract

T here are now three Universities in Gha- na with a total enrollment of about 10,000 students. The oldest and larg- est is the University of Ghana, Legon, which was established in 1948 as a University College preparing students for the de- grees of the University of London. The University of Science and Technology at Kumasi was the second to be established in the country. It started as a College of Technology in 1951 and was raised to University status in 1961. The University of Cape Coast came into being in 1962, mainly to produce graduate teachers for expanding second- ary schools and teacher-training colleges. All the universities have libraries which provide services to faculty members, scholars and students. The number of books allowed to be borrowed, howev- er, depends on the status of the user, with faculty members having more privileges than students at all the universities. In most developed countries students and lec- turers have other libraries (special, school, and public) at their disposal in addition to their univer- sity libraries, however, in Ghana the situation is different. Besides the scarcity of bookshops, stu- dents are also hampered by poor services in the public libraries 1 and inadequate facilities in the special libraries. 2 As in other African countries, students are nor- mally expected to buy the basic textbooks needed for their courses. 3 A majority of the students in Ghana are poor and cannot afford to do so. Al- though students are given loans for their text- books, the amount is too small. Consequently, the university libraries are forced to take on the re- sponsibilities of other libraries, as well as satisfy- ing the library needs of their community. Mem- bers of communities outside the university who would normally use school, special, or public libraries all have to turn to the university libraries for help. The policy of all university libraries in Ghana is to provide adequate library materials to support and reinforce new undergraduate courses, gradu- ate programs, and the teaching staff. Acquisition of library materials in university libraries has been governed by the needs of the particular university being served. This has led to a wide disparity in the volume of books for students and the rate of annual growth of library materials. Certainly, a status study of collection development in Ghana's university libraries is essential before consistent standards can be properly advocated.