Generally literacy is considered to be ability to read; speak and compute at a certain level. The only important means to achieve this is by becoming a good reader. Therefore, there must be existence of library facilities to facilitates and provide appropriate relevance materials/ resources to enhance reading.
According to Obaitan (2004) Library is described as a collection of books and other forms of records, housed, organized and situated to meet broad and varying needs of people, for information, knowledge, recreation and aesthetic enjoyment.
Omojume (1993) defines library as an enabling factors to obtain spiritual inspirational, and recreational activities through reading. Therefore, it provides the opportunity of interaction with the society’s weather and accumulated knowledge.
Islam (2004), also defines a library as an instrument of self education, a means of knowledge and factual information, a centre of intellectual recreation, and a beacon of enlightenment that provides accumulated, preserved knowledge of civilization which consequently enriches one’s mental vision, and dignifies his habit behavior, character, taste, attitude, conduct and outlook on life.
2.4 TYPES OF LIBRARY
PUBLIC LIBRARY
'Public library' denotes the type of library service which is operated for the general community and administered almost exclusively by district councils. Funding is derived from the local area, and standards of service are determined entirely by the governing authority. Williams (1974).
According to Encyclopedia Britannica(2010) "Public libraries are now acknowledged to be an indispensable part of community life as promoters of literacy, providers of a wide range of reading for all ages, and centers for community information services. Yet, although the practice of opening libraries to the public has been known from ancient times, it was not without considerable opposition that the idea became accepted, in the 19th century, that a library's provision was a legitimate charge on public funds. It required legislation to enable local authorities to devote funds to this cause. Public libraries now provide well-stocked reference libraries and wide-ranging loan services based on systems of branch libraries. They are further supplemented by traveling libraries, which serve outlying districts. Special facilities may be provided for the old, the blind, the hearing-impaired, and others, and in many cases library services are organized for local schools, hospitals, and jails. In the case of very large municipalities, library provision may be on a grand scale, including a reference library, which has many of the features associated with large research libraries.
The role of public libraries in relation to society, continuing education in particular, is explored and explained in McKeon (1976). It is examined also by Levett and Braithwaite (1975) who charged the public library system with having increased rather than reduced the gap between information rich and information poor.
ACADEMIC LIBRARIES
According to the Association of College and Research Libraries (2010), "Library systems at Post-secondary schools generally consist of a main library plus several branch or special libraries. The larger the environment often defines the quality of the library in terms of the strengths and size of the research collection. Concentration of the main and branch libraries is frequently on the needs of specific fields or departments of study at a research level. The needs of academic library users fall on a spectrum, with use of introductory research materials and instruction in the research process at one end and primary source materials and highly specialized research services at the opposite end. Because the strong emphasis on research can create an intimidating environment for many undergraduate students, undergraduate library services focus on introductory materials and instruction. Although undergraduates use materials from all parts of the research collection, the library should provide services, resources, and instruction specifically designed to educate and inform them and to enable them to become more self-sufficient researchers. The separate undergraduate library, where it exists, provides a designated place in which undergraduates are the primary focus, for whom the space is specifically designed, and in which they are not displaced by faculty or graduate students. In order to achieve the desired level of service, it is important to have specific library staff members who understand undergraduate needs and who are devoted to undergraduate services."
Wikipedia (2010) describes an academic library as, " a library which serves an institution of higher learning, such as a college or a university — libraries in secondary and primary schools are called school libraries. These libraries serve two complementary purposes: to support the school's curriculum, and to support the research of the university faculty and students. The support of teaching requires material for class readings, and for student papers. In the past, the material for class readings, intended to supplement lectures as prescribed by the instructor, has been called reserves. In the period before electronic resources became available, the reserves were supplied as actual books or as photocopies of appropriate journal articles.
SPECIAL LIBRARIES
According to the Online Library Learning Center's Glossary (2010) a special library is, "A library which is part of a company, organization, or other group. The special library meets the needs of the specialized group.
According to the International Group of Ex Libris Users 1.1 definition (2010), "Special libraries cater to specific professional or academic groups whose information needs are defined by a particular subject or activity. Special libraries, sometimes referred to as information centers, are located in a multitude of settings, including international organizations, advocacy organizations, government agencies, professional associations, large corporations, medical and/or health institutions, law firms, not-for-profit organizations, research centers, and college campuses."
Special libraries are most comprehensively described by Kuhithan (2003). However, there is a dearth of recent material about types of special library or individual libraries within the sector. By coincidence the only up-to-date accounts refer to libraries which are working on opposite sides of the circle.
Paul (2002), also added that Special libraries offer unique opportunities to work in places such as corporations, hospitals, the military, museums, law firms, advertising agencies, professional associations, private businesses, and the government. Many special librarians/information specialists now work outside the typical library setting and have a non-library job title. Special libraries can serve particular populations, such as the blind and physically handicapped, while others are dedicated to special collections, such as the Library of Congress or a presidential library.
NATIONAL LIBRARY
The National Library acts as the central library of the state and one of the most important cultural institutions. It protect national heritage preserved in the form of handwritten, printed, electronic, recorded sound and audiovisual documents. The primary task of the National Library is to acquire, store and permanently archive the intellectual output of Poles, whether the works of citizens living on Polish soil, the most important foreign works, or publications related to Poland and published abroad.
Following this fundamental function, the National Library is also responsible for a number of tasks that are of crucial importance to peoples’ culture. Serving as the literary output, the National Library is also a national bibliographic agency, a large research library focusing on the humanities, as well as a nationally and internationally recognized centre of preservation and conservation. It also fulfills a surpassing role in research, documentation and methodological activity in bibliography, library science and reading, and related areas connected with the social circulation of the book. It is a library specifically established by the government of a country to serve as the preeminent repository of information for that country. Unlike public libraries, these rarely allow citizens to borrow books. Often, they include numerous rare, valuable, or significant works.