"It is chiefly through books that we enjoy intercourse with superior minds. In the best books great men pour their souls into ours. God be thanked for books. They are the voices of the distant and dead, and make us heirs of spiritual life of past ages. Books are revelers, they give to all who will faithfully use them - the society, the spiritual presence of the best and of the greatest of our race"
A fruitful generation is considered to be a reading generation. Pivotal functions of books and library in any institution of learning can never be underestimated and neither can wholesome attention concentrated on enriching library with new books with newer editions can be considered to be too much.
A mind is not a vessel to be filled with junks, but a fire to be ignited. The future of any country or nation depends greatly on its youth, and the ability of the youth to significantly influence the level of development depends on how well they are moulded. If a fruitful future of a country is to be obtainable, then, so much is required on the level of education and knowledge given to its citizens. The same should also be made affordable for all and sundry, even to the vulnerable ones that this seems to be out of their reach.
Obafemi Awolowo University's library popularly known as "Hezekiah Oluwasanmi Library", is as ancient as the school itself with a magnificent structure. Unarguably, one of the best libraries in Nigerian universities, with a well structured and effective Administrative system. Well managed, which most importantly makes it an envy of many higher institutional libraries on the shore of Nigerian universities. But despite its huge mountainous structure,so much still needed to be done, to place it in an enviable position in the league of others, to an elevated position, zenith and a world class library. what amazes one most is probably the calibre of books on the shelves. These ones seem like a forgotten island in the desert of knowledge and imagination. A pace setting library as Hezekiah Oluwasanmi library,deserves more attention from the university management.The only thing that seems to be in order in the library is the structure. Books are old and void of new or latest edition that can benefit students in their quest and search for knowledge.
Undoubtedly, the library borrowers' cards is one of the library's achievements, which enable students to borrow books for their intellectuals' consumption. But nowadays, Borrowers' cards are given out at the beginning of every session as usual but students do not know the cards worth anymore,one then wonders its usefulness when there are no books or new books for students to borrow with their cards. It seems the library has forgotten its ancient landmarks.
With the view of raising the standards of Obafemi Awolowo University to one of the best in Africa and the world at large, so much needs to be done on her Library, with the long time aim of enriching students' minds and putting them on the same pace with their counterparts in other world's renowned universities.
This library needs to be critically scrutinized by the university management, such scrutiny is expected to bring about proper stocking and equipping the Library well to standards. Funds for these projects can be derived from either internal revenue or from funds allocated to the university from the federal government.
Since books in various shelves are old and cannot aid any student embarking on project, what then is the usefulness of the library other than serving as a stunning structure beautifying the university environment?
Hezekiah Oluwasanmi Library requires urgent and undivided attention of the university management. Oluwasanmi should be made a monument for knowledge acquisition. This will put the university at par with what is obtainable in other top universities of the world.
Great Ife will be great again! God bless OAU, God bless Nigeria.
Edache Mathew is a Student of the Obafemi Awolowo University and a member of the OAU Peeps Team
Nice one
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