ROLE OF UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES IN ENHANCING OPEN KNOWLEDGE, CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION, DEMOCRACY, AND GOOD GOVERNANCE IN SOUTH-EAST, NIGERIA.

Abstract

The interaction between open knowledge, civic education, democracy, and good governance is fundamental to socio-political development. University libraries serve as crucial facilitators in promoting these elements by providing unrestricted access to credible information resources. This study examined the role of university libraries in South-East Nigeria in enhancing open knowledge, promoting citizenship education, supporting democratic principles, and fostering good governance. The study adopted a qualitative research design using a phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of university librarians. The population comprised all the 60 librarians in the ten public university libraries university in South-East Nigeria. The sample size consisted of 60 librarians selected using purposive sampling technique. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed thematically to identify key insights and challenges. University libraries significantly enhance open knowledge through institutional repositories and collaborations with open-access initiatives. However, poor digital infrastructure, and copyright restrictions hinder access. Libraries promote civic education and democratic values by providing resources on governance, human rights, and citizenship responsibilities, yet low student engagement and lack of curriculum integration limit effectiveness. Furthermore, libraries curate credible information, counter misinformation, and promote political literacy, though censorship, limited digital literacy, and funding constraints remain challenges. In conclusion, libraries support good governance by providing access to research materials and policy documents, but outdated resources and weak collaboration with policymakers reduce their impact. University libraries are essential in fostering informed citizenship, democracy, and good governance. it was recommended amongst others that uuniversity librarians should integrate information literacy and civic education modules into compulsory courses and orientation programs; make library workshops credit-bearing where feasible.