Freelance Librarianship: A Source of Income for Unemployed Library and Information Science Graduates

Abstract

There is no doubt that information brokering is an emerging profession in Nigeria and other African countries. There is a need for LIS students to develop various ways to become job creators, rather than job seekers, which can be achieved via entrepreneurship. This study discovers how libraries and library and information science graduates can become entrepreneurs in through its service delivery and will also suggest possible recommendations that will help Libraries and information science graduates become entrepreneurs in through its service delivery by revealing the statistical trend of unemployment from 2006-2016, and gives a light on how library and information science can be linked to entrepreneurship. The study also buttresses some opportunities for library and information science graduates in the area of business and entrepreneurship in Nigeria. Conclusively, the study provides prerequisites needed by librarians before freelancing. Recommendations based on universities and librarian’s variables were made on how to create employment for graduates in Nigeria. The study also identified some limitations that can be worked upon in the future.