Strategic Roles of Academic Library in Fostering Sustainable Development Goals through Community Engagement

Abstract

This study critically examines the strategic roles of academic libraries in advancing sustainable development goals within academic communities through deliberate community engagement methodologies in three academic libraries in Ede, Osun State, Nigeria (Adeleke university library, Federal Polytechnic Ede library and Redeemers’ university library). Two research questions were used to guide the study. The study population consists of 32 library professionals and 22 para-professionals. Questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection while mean value was used to analyse the research questions. The findings reveal that all types of sustainable development goals are so germane to academic libraries as a result of its numerous benefits. The finding also indicates that the roles of academic libraries in promoting SDGs through community engagement in academic libraries make some transformative impacts on library service delivery. The study concludes that fostering SDGs through community engagement is a critical step towards achieving better and effective SDGs in academic libraries. These practices would enable academic libraries to make positive impacts and contribute to the achievement of SDGs by working together with the academic communities and stakeholders because any academic libraries that embrace community engagement practices will amplify their impacts on SDGs by being inclusive, responsive and sustainable knowledge hubs. The recommendations include advocating for reconfiguration of academic library operations to foreground sustainability as a core institutional value, conducting a community needs assessment to identify the needs and priorities of the researcher working on SDGs related projects and initiatives. These could be under pinned by stakeholders’ collaboration, inclusive decision-making and context-responsive service delivery.