The National Librarian and Chief Executive Officer of the National Library, Prof. Chinwe Anunobi, stated that the library has issued over 26,000 International Standard Book Numbers to publishers across the country so far in 2024.

She also disclosed that Nigerians, particularly researchers, no longer need to visit the headquarters to obtain ISBNs, International Standard Serial Numbers, newspaper publication indices, or other services, as these can now be accessed via the National Library of Nigeria’s website and social media platforms.

Anunobi noted that the library has branches in 33 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory, while Kebbi, Zamfara, Delta, and Anambra States are still in the process of providing land for the establishment of library offices.

Speaking exclusively with our correspondent on Friday, Anunobi said, “When I began my role on 14th September 2021, my goal was to build and strengthen bridges. Now, I want to see how we are maintaining these bridges despite various challenges. Tomorrow marks my third year in office as the National Librarian. Over these three years, we have faced both internal and external challenges, which I refer to as ‘all odds’. External challenges, such as the fuel price hikes, which have impacted staff mobility, are beyond the management’s control. Internally, we face issues such as limited staff strength. However, we remain undaunted.”

She added, “The National Library of Nigeria can be counted among the agencies contributing positively to the nation. We are fostering unity as a family, building the capacity of our staff. We recently employed 103 staff members who will assist in strengthening these bridges. We are also adopting automated processes. We now have over 20,000 titles deposited in the National Library of Nigeria from the 36 states of the federation and the FCT.”

“The international community and artificial intelligence now refer to the National Library of Nigeria for information. If you are searching for information from a newspaper, you no longer need to manually browse the pages. Simply visit the index on our website to access any information published online by the newspaper. From January to September this year, we have issued more than 26,000 ISBNs.”

“You no longer need to visit the National Library of Nigeria to access the information you require. We have a virtual library and have subscribed to ProQuest for e-books. We also provide an Online Public Access Catalogue.

Additionally, we are compiling a compendium of numerals and alphabets in our indigenous languages, along with other digital services at the National Library of Nigeria. It has been three eventful years, and we are hopeful of overcoming our challenges, especially with the considerable support we are receiving from the Honourable Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman.”