A Survey of the library services offered by Kenya National library services, Kakamega branch to primary pupils and teachers within Kakamega Municipality

Abstract

This study is a survey of the services the Kenya National Library Services (KNLS) gives to primary teachers and pupils within the Kakamega Municipality. The sample of the study was composed of ten schools and Kenya National Library services, Kakamega branch. Data was collected by means of three instruments namely questionnaires, interviews and observations.

The findings of the study can be summarized as follow: that a reasonable number of teachers and pupils are registered users of KNLS (60.7 per cent) and 58 per cent respectively). KNLS materials are not up to date and relevant to the present educational system, and that the users are ignorant of the effective approaches of access to KNLS resources.

On the whole, KNLS has not been able to meet the teaching and learning needs of teachers and pupils because it has given very little consideration to the present school curriculum.

It has been recommended that for KNLS to play a more effective educational role, it has to improve its facilities in terms of the quality and quantity of stock, space and relevancy to the school curricula. at the same time, there is a need for closer co-operation and coordination among the teachers, parents and the librarians in satisfying the book needs of the pupils.