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The library profession is in a period of change. Moving from conventional library practices and services to the modern technology and tools based sources and services, created changes in the roles they play. To provide more and more innovative services and to cope with the changing scenario of the library and its services has forced library professionals to equip themselves with better skills for their survival. This paper discussed three requisite skills, for librarian to function in the 21st century, in marketing of library services and resources for optimal utilization. And these are categorized as Professional, Technical, & Personal skills. The paper discusses marketing library services and resources as a concept, benefits of marketing, such as boosting the level of Library's patronage by users, promotion of resources; user awareness, improving the library's reputation were mentioned. Strategies for marketing which include making a library website, emailing users, setting up exhibits and displays of new arrivals, using flyers and posters, planning user education, offering electronic access to information, and planning library week were also explained. Challenges in marketing library services and resources in academic libraries in Nigeria include; lack of fund, Ineffective marketing strategies, lack of marketing policies, shortage of experienced staffing, and infrastructure limitations. Starting with an introduction to library marketing and related literature, the paper draws its conclusion and recommendations were made such as professional development for librarians involved in library marketing, librarians upgrading their technical skills, librarians should enhance their ability to trouble shoot new technology, keep abreast with new technology among others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge management is an essential area of activity in organizations. It harnesses valuable information resources for the benefit of patrons and success of 21st century academic libraries. Academic libraries have important role in updating its practices in knowledge management which increases enviable technological devices and sophiscated system of storage and retrieval. Thus the paper highlights the concept of knowledge management, knowledge application management, knowledge dissemination management, knowledge management skills for information professionals, importance of knowledge management in academic libraries and knowledge management tools. Thus the paper posits that academic libraries adopt knowledge innovation management, in order to deliver library services through innovative library technology to ensure they remain relevant in the 21st century. It was recommended among others that knowledge management practices should be inculcated into academic libraries in the provision of library services and information dissemination to patrons. Also, information professionals should constantly update their skills and competencies in order to be key players in knowledge management phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines re-inventing Nigerian civil service for effective service delivery in the 21st century. The use of secondary data was adopted as well as eloquent testimonies of the bad state of civil service as concrete evidence of inefficiency in the civil service. In analyzing the data, descriptive statistics and qualitative technique were employed. Findings reveal that the Nigerian civil service is one of the significant legacies left by the colonialists which serves as a functional tool required to put the nation on the path of recovery that could match the rising expectation of the people savouring the euphoria of independence which necessitated the reforms in the civil service. In spite of this reform, the civil service is faced with such challenges such as acute obsolescence of method, frequent postings and reshufflings of top administrators, problem of adequate and appropriate office accommodation, lackadaisical attitude of lower cadres etc. The paper therefore suggests that for effective and efficient service delivery of the civil service in the 21st century, there is the need to redesign services and deliver them digitally, organize in-service training courses for the junior cadres; and restore confidence and morale among the working force in the public service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In dealing with the language learning and teaching, curriculum planners, researchers, teachers and learners are often inducted into both traditional and non-traditional methods. The traditional methods, which are rooted in linguistics, focus on syntactic rules, memorization based on the lexicon, and practice in oral and silent reading. On the other divide, non-traditional methods embody the creative approach, where imagination elements such as music, dance, art (logo), theatre, dreams and creative writing are effectively embraced. This paper focuses on imagination methods as the key that opens the gates to all education without strictly delimiting the scope of the methods to language learning and teaching alone. However, language and effective communication are sine qua non in learning and teaching processes as well as in all human endeavours. The paper examines "Enter- Educate" methods, which are reminiscences of imagination methods in action in the health communication programmes. The paper highlights the multimedia approach through popular radio and television programmes that are very instrumental, effective, motivative and reachable to adults, youths and children as well as taking care of their individual differences in terms of cognitive abilities and development. The paper reveals that various popular musicians, comedians, actors and producers have played and continue to play prominent and active roles in entertainment education towards enhancing healthy behaviour in Nigeria. The paper concludes that for the entertainment and education to harmoniously and simultaneously achieve the target goal of learning or improved behavioural change, the diverse linguistic interests and the popular language of the target audience must be considered in using imagination methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines librarians' Information Communication Technology (ICT) competency in the 21st Century using federal university libraries in Southern Nigeria as a case study. The total population for this study comprised of 362 librarians from eighteen (18) federal university libraries in Southern Nigeria. Total enumeration technique was adopted because of the small and manageable size of the population. The data collected were analyzed using simple percentage/frequency counts and weighted mean. Findings from this study revealed among others that computers, printers, E-mail, CD-ROMs, mobile phones, photocopiers, Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS), Internet connectivity, scanners, power point projectors and integrated library management software are available for use by the librarians in federal university libraries in Southern Nigeria; ICT skills such as skills to power on and off a computer system, skills to browse the web, skill to download files from the Internet, skills to navigate and use library automation software and its modules such as OPAC, skills to send and receive emails, skills to copy to and from a CD-ROM and flash drive/hard discs among other necessary skills are all needed by librarians to be able to properly utilize 21st Century ICT facilities and that the competency level of librarians on the use of 21st Century ICT facilities in federal university libraries in Southern Nigeria is high. Recommendations made based on the findings of the study include: The government should increase budgetary allocations to academic libraries across Nigeria so that university library administrators can purchase and maintain ICT facilities that will be useful in providing ICT related services to library users, as this will allow for effective information service delivery in the 21st Century among others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]