Education
The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, has urged Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to adhere to the standard for publishing and legal deposit compliance in Nigeria.
Adamu gave the charge during a sensitisation workshop on International Standards for Publishing and Legal Deposit Compliance in Nigeria’’ on Thursday in Abuja.
The minister was represented by Mr Joel Ojo, the Director, Tertiary Education Services in the ministry.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Act establishing the National library of Nigeria stipulates that authors and publishers should deposit copies of publications to the National Library.
State governments and their agencies are required to deposit 10 copies and the Federal Government and its agencies, 25 copies of all types of literature with the National Library of Nigeria within one month of publication.
The minister noted that government documents such as policy documents, statistical studies, reports of commissions of inquiry, and hearing on government policies produced yearly were not in the public domain.
“When government publications are not deposited in the library, the benefits from public access to them are denied and that access is needed for effective implementation and monitoring of government programmes and activities.
“It is therefore necessary for copies of documents published by MDAs to be deposited in the library for public use.
“In addition, the formats of publication of government documents are expected to conform to publishing standards which by nature are internationally ascribed and described,’’ the minister said.
Adamu said that the workshop would enable participants gain access to tools for bibliography control services in Nigeria as well as collect and build the intellectual heritage by National Library for posterity.
Prof. Zainab Alkali, the Board Chairman, National Library of Nigeria, earlier said the workshop was aimed at creating awareness on the importance of publishing standards in federal MDAs.
Akali also represented by Alhaji Abdullahi Sanusi, a board member, said that the workshop was aimed at ensuring that MDAs deposited publications with the National Library of Nigeria.
She, however, noted that publications without the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) or International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) could not be listed in the National Bibliography of Nigeria.
“What this means is that the publications and their authors will remain unknown nationally and internationally, if they are not issued with the ISSN or ISBN and deposited in the National Library.
“The advantage is that deposited materials can easily be accessible to the public when the need arises.
“When properly presented and made available for public consultations, they will serve as basis for further research and information for posterity.’’
Mr Boniface Nwosu, former Director, Collection Development and Processing Department, National Library of Nigeria, stressed the importance of the ISSN and ISBN.
Nwosu said that without the standard numbers, such publications would not be recognised.
He said that the National Library by law had the right to charge to court defaulters who did not deposit the required number of copies with it.
Nwosu, however, said the national library had not charged any defaulter to court, but would continue to sensitise and persuade publishers and MDAs, who were the major defaulters, to comply with the law.
“The National Library has more problems with the MDAs, when you go to them, because of the protocol, most of them prefer to sell whatever they publish than to give to the library,’’ he noted.
Nwosu said the biggest challenge of the National Library was funding and called on the Federal Government to look into the issue as well as ensure the speedy completion of the new library project.
NAN reports that awards were presented to National Open University of Nigeria, National Assembly and the NNPC for complying with the required legal deposit of 25 copies of publications to the National Library. (NAN)
– Dec. 13, 2018 @ 19:12 GMT |
Tags: legal deposit standard Minister task MDAs on compliance with publishing
