Article
Factors influencing the choice of
librarianship as a course of study at
the diploma level in Ghana
Information Development
26(4) 314–319
ª The Author(s) 2010
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DOI: 10.1177/0266666910376209
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Theodosia S. A. Adanu and John-Oswald Amekuedee
University of Ghana
Abstract
The study investigated the factors that influence the choice of librarianship as a course of study at the diploma
level in Ghana. The study also sought to find out if interest had been engendered in librarianship after enrolling
for the course and whether the students intended pursuing the course further to develop a career in librarianship. The population surveyed was the Diploma I & II classes of the Department of Information Studies, University of Ghana who were admitted in 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 academic years. Using data obtained through
questionnaires, the study sought for information relating to their background, factors influencing the choice of
librarianship, interest in librarianship and pursuing librarianship as a career. The findings revealed that various
factors account for the choice of librarianship. These factors were mainly external with an opportunity for further education being the most prevalent. Other factors included association with librarians, experience in
library work, a liking for books and the need for career change.
Keywords
librarianship, library education, career, diploma students, Ghana
Most library science diploma students in Ghana do not start out with a love for
librarianship, but develop a liking for it during the course.
Introduction
In Ghana, professional education in librarianship may
be acquired through a diploma programme, an undergraduate or postgraduate programme. The University
of Ghana is the only institution that offers training in
librarianship in Ghana. After the diploma and undergraduate programmes one is considered a paraprofessional librarian and works in a library as a Library
Assistant. The designation on completion of the postgraduate programme is as Professional Librarian.
Training in librarianship in Ghana began as far back
as 1944 and lasted for one year, after which there was
a long break. It eventually took off again in 1961
under the auspices of the Ghana Library Board. In
1965, library education moved to the University of
Ghana and was run as a university programme in the
then Department of Library and Archival Studies. In
2001, the Department of Library and Archival Studies
was renamed the Department of Information Studies.
Library education in Ghana has evolved and undergone changes that have had implications for all the
programmes run in the Department. One such change
was the abrogation of the certificate programme which
was offered initially and was replaced with the diploma
programme. This led to the revision of the entry
requirements for the diploma programme. The diploma
programme is currently offered at the Accra City Campus, the external degree center of the University of
Corresponding author:
Theodosia S. A. Adanu, Senior Assistant Librarian, Balme Library,
PO Box LG 24, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
Email: theodosia@libr.ug.edu.gh
Adanu and Amekuedee: Choice of librarianship as a course of study in Ghana
Ghana, Legon. This programme has gained popularity
and attracted many people over the years.
Background to the study
Prerequisites for offering the diploma in librarianship
have changed over the years. Before, the prerequisites
for a diploma in librarianship were at least 3 year’s work
experience in a library and a certificate in librarianship.
The certificate in librarianship has since been terminated
and is no longer offered. Currently, the entry requirement to the diploma programme no longer includes work
experience in a library. According to the University of
Ghana Admissions Brochure, the minimum requirement
for admission to diploma programme is:
Passes in all the core subjects at the Senior Secondary
School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) and two
electives at a minimum of grade E. The core subjects
include Core English, Core Science/Integrated Science, Core Social Studies/Life Skills.
Candidates shall be required to pass a competitive
Entrance examination conducted by the University of
Ghana, and an interview (where prescribed by the
department)
This has given rise to a variety of students with different educational backgrounds and even work experience enrolling for the course. The diploma in
librarianship was offered at the Department of Library
and Archival Studies, University of Ghana, Legon until
2005. It is currently one of the courses being offered at
the Accra City Campus, the external degree center of
the University of Ghana, Legon, located at the Accra
Workers’ College. According to the University handbook (University of Ghana, 2001), the target group is:
Persons who are normally qualified for university
education but who, for various reasons, prefer not
to study as full-time external students.
Persons who are considered ‘‘Mature’’ and capable of pursuing degree programmes but who do not
possess the requisite university entry qualification.
Applicants who fall into this category are required
to be at least 30 years of age at the time of submitting
application. They are also required to pass a series of
examinations conducted by the university which is
intended to test intellectual capability and promise
rather than knowledge of a particular subject.
Studies at the Accra city Campus are part-time/
off-campus. This has made it easier for many more
to enroll.
315
The observation is that with the change in admission
requirements for the diploma in librarianship there has
been an upsurge in the number of applicants, hence an
increase in intake. Also the average age of the students
appears to be younger than previously.
Literature review
Various studies have been carried out on the factors
that influence the choice of librarianship as a career.
Many of the studies date back to the 1970s and
1980s. In a later study, Bello (1996) mentions that
according to the literature, factors that ‘‘spur one into
librarianship’’ may be divided into three main categories, namely, external, professional and extrinsic.
In his work, he presents three hypotheses of factors
that influence the decision to take up librarianship.
They are as follows:
H1: that the choice of librarianship is externally
influenced directly or indirectly by one or more of the
following: parents; friends; mass media; employer;
and counseling.
H2: that the choice of librarianship as a career is
professionally influenced by factors such as: stability; secure future; social status, and prestige of the
profession; satisfactory earnings; and acquisition of
knowledge.
H3: that the choice of librarianship is influenced
by self-expressed values such as: the use of one’s
special ability; aptitude; creativity; and the opportunity to work with people.
He finds the first two hypotheses were accepted
and the third neither accepted nor rejected.
In a related study, Deeming and Chelin (2001)
studied the reasons why people have changed career
in order to become members of the library profession.
Some of the factors they cite as having influenced
career change to librarianship are, issues with previous career, context of life as a whole, the nature of
library work and the influence of other people. They
summarize the factors as internal and external.
A recent study undertaken by Issa and Nwalo (2008)
investigated the low preference for library and information science as a first choice course of study by the
undergraduates of Nigerian library schools. The study
revealed that the majority of the students ended up in
the library school as a last resort.
One external factor helping to determine the choice
of librarianship as a career is the influence of individuals. These individuals may be librarians, parents,
316
friends or teachers (Reagan, 1958; Anwar, 1973;
Dewey, 1985, as cited in Bello, 1996). This is corroborated by Bello (1996), Deeming and Chelin (2001)
and Issa and Nwalo (2008).
Other factors identified in the literature serving as
an external lure to librarianship as a profession and
therefore a choice for study include the printed media,
audio-visual media, exhibitions and conferences as
well as work experience in libraries and information
centres (Reagan, 1958; Harthway, 1977; Nzotta,
1983; Rottstein, 1985, as cited in Bello, 1996; Issa and
Nwalo, 2008).
A lot has been written on library education in
Ghana but the literature is silent on the diploma programme specifically and the reasons why this channel
is used as an entry point into the profession. It is
hoped that the research will throw more light on factors that motivate the study of librarianship at the
diploma level in Ghana and establish to what extent
they agree with earlier studies.
Statement of the problem
The researchers are of the opinion that many of the
students pursue the course, not because they are interested in pursuing a career in librarianship, but
because they see it as a wonderful opportunity for
furthering their education. They, therefore, use it as
an avenue or stepping stone to achieve their ambitions or dreams. The study, therefore, seeks to examine factors that influence the choice of the diploma in
librarianship.
Objective
The main objective of the study was to find out the
reasons why a large proportion of students with no
background in library work would choose to pursue
the course. The study also looked at the factors that
influenced the choice of librarianship. Other aspects
that were considered include whether any interest in
librarianship had been gained after enrolling for the
course and whether there were any intentions of pursuing the course further.
Methodology
The survey method was adopted for this study. The
population surveyed was the diploma classes of the
Department of Information Studies, University of
Ghana, who were admitted in the 2005/2006 and
2006/2007 academic years and were in years 2 and
Information Development 26(4)
Table 1. Response rate according to gender.
Gender
Diploma 1
Diploma 2
Total
Male
Female
Total
12
19
31
14
25
39
26
44
70
1 respectively. The population size was 120. The sample for the study was 70. The stratified sampling
method was used to make sure each group was represented. To select the required number for each group
simple random sampling was used. The instrument for
data collection was the questionnaire.
Findings and discussion
Response rate
All the 70 questionnaires distributed were returned.
This represents a response rate of 100 percent. This
was due to the fact that questionnaires were administered and collected by instructors in the classes.
Responses were then coded and processed using the
Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).
For easy interpretation, descriptive statistics were
used. This consisted mainly of frequencies and
percentages. Cross tabulations were also done. The
chi square test was used to investigate the presence
of associations between the variables. A p value of
less than 0.05 was considered to be statistically
significant.
Out of the 70 responses, a breakdown revealed that
26 were from male respondents and 44 from females.
Table 1 indicates a cross tabulation of gender and
course year. The females dominated in each level.
With a p value of 0.809, a chi square test showed
no significant difference in gender distribution at each
level.
The average age of respondents was between
17 and 25 years; 61.4 percent of the respondents fell
into this age bracket. This corroborates the authors’
observation that most students enroll at a younger age
and do not come in as mature students. The highest
educational qualification for the majority of the
respondents was Senior Secondary School Certificate
Examination (SSCE). Forty-seven of the respondents
left school between 2000 and 2005. This explains why
majority of the students fell within the 17–25 age
bracket. Indeed, 57 students, representing 81.4 percent
of the respondents, indicated that they were not mature
students.
Adanu and Amekuedee: Choice of librarianship as a course of study in Ghana
317
Table 2a. Cross tabulation between course year and reason for choosing diploma in librarianship
Reason for choosing diploma in librarianship
Diploma
1
Diploma
2
Total
One or
both
parents a
librarian
Contact/
closeness
with a
librarian
Prior
experience
in library
work
Career
change
Liking
for
books
Only
course
qualified
for
Opportunity
for further
education
Total
1
1
7
4
2
0
16
31
4
3
7
1
3
1
20
39
5
4
14
5
5
1
36
70
Table 2b. Cross tabulation between gender and reason for choosing diploma in librarianship
Reason for choosing diploma in librarianship
Male
Female
Total
One or
both
parents a
librarian
Contact/
closeness
with a
librarian
Prior
experience
in library
work
1
4
5
1
3
4
11
3
14
Factors that influence choice of librarianship
Respondents were asked if they had worked in a
library before enrolling for the course. Fifty-two of
the respondents (74.3 percent) had had no prior work
experience in a library. Eighteen (25.7 percent) had,
however, worked in a library prior to enrolment.
These figures clearly show that the majority of the
respondents had no idea what library work involved
and were not influenced to do the course because of
previous work experience in a library. Tables 2a and
2b illustrate clearly the responses given when the
respondents were asked what factors influenced their
choice for librarianship as a course of study. For many
of them (51.4 percent), in either the first or second
year of study and whether male or female, it was an
opportunity to further their education. Another major
factor that influenced the respondents’ choice for
librarianship was prior experience in library work.
Fourteen (14) respondents, representing 20 percent,
embarked on the course for this reason, a significant
number of whom were male (p value 0.016). Others
(12.9 percent) enrolled in the course because they had
related closely with a librarian as a parent or otherwise. This is a widely accepted factor in the literature.
Career
change
Liking
for
books
Only
course
qualified
for
Opportunity
for further
education
Total
0
5
5
1
4
5
0
1
1
17
19
36
31
39
70
For others also (7.1 percent), a liking for books led
them to pursue librarianship. There was no statistical
significance established for level and reason for
choosing diploma in librarianship. The findings
reveal that the factors that influence the choice of
librarianship are more external than professional
or extrinsic and corroborate the findings of Bello
(1996) and Deeming (2001). The details of the
external factors, however, vary.
Interest in librarianship
The study sought to ascertain if respondents had any
interest at all in librarianship before embarking on the
course. A little over 50 percent of the respondents
indicated that they had an interest in the course.
Table 3 reveals that, since embarking on the course,
64 respondents, representing 91.4 percent, had developed interest in librarianship. It would be interesting
to conduct further research to discover what it was
that led to an increased interest in the subject. It was
significant to note that it made no difference whether
they were in Diploma 1 when they had just started the
course or in Diploma 2 when they were in their final
318
Information Development 26(4)
Table 3. Cross tabulation between course year and gained interest since entering the programme?
Gained Interest since entering the programme?
Course year
Diploma 1
Diploma 2
Total
Yes
No
Not sure
Total
27
37
64
0
2
2
4
0
4
31
39
70
Table 4. Cross tabulation between course year and any regrets pursuing diploma in librarianship
Any regrets pursuing diploma in librarianship?
Course year
Diploma 1
Diploma 2
Total
No
Not sure
Total
29
39
68
2
0
2
31
39
70
Table 5. Cross tabulation of course year and intention to pursue a career in librarianship
Do you intend pursuing a career in librarianship?
Course year
Diploma 1
Diploma 2
Total
Yes
No
Not sure
Total
18
27
45
4
6
10
9
6
15
31
39
70
year. However, more students in Diploma 2 had
gained more interest in the programme (p value of
0.014). In Table 4 it is observed that the fact that interest had been gained in the course of study explains
why there were no regrets by both Diploma 1 and 2
students about selecting librarianship as a course of
study. There was thus no statistical significance.
Although it was obvious from the findings that the
students had developed some interest in librarianship,
the findings further revealed that librarianship was not
topmost on their list as a course of study. Many of
them (60 percent) indicated that they would have preferred pursuing a different course if they had had that
option. This confirms that the main reason for
embarking on the course was simply to further their
education. This is corroborated by Issa and Nwalo
(2008).
Pursuing librarianship as a career
The study revealed that the interest of the respondents
in librarianship had grown over the months to the
point where the majority of the students were willing
to pursue librarianship further. All this was in spite of
the fact that the predominant reason why they
enrolled was simply as an avenue for further education. When asked if they had any intention of pursuing
librarianship further, Table 5 reveals that 45 respondents representing 64.3 percent responded in the affirmative, fifteen (21.4 percent) were uncertain and 10
(14.3 percent) indicated they would not pursue librarianship further. A p value of 0.385 was established
after a chi square test was carried out showing no statistical significance in the views of both Diploma 1
and Diploma 2 students concerning their intention to
pursue a career in librarianship.
The general impression given by respondents of the
course was that it was very useful. Sixty respondents
(85.7 percent) said they had found the course very
useful and ten (14.3 percent) mentioned that it had
been quite useful. Nobody thought it had been a complete waste of time. This perhaps accounts for why
many of them were willing to develop their career
in librarianship further. Armed now with the
Adanu and Amekuedee: Choice of librarianship as a course of study in Ghana
knowledge of what the course entailed, they were
better able now to make an informed choice of developing further a career in librarianship. This corroborates Deeming and Chelin’s (2001) findings that the
choice of librarianship as a second career was based
on knowledge about the nature of library work.
Conclusion
The factors that influence the choice of librarianship
as a course of study at the diploma level are varied.
They are mainly external with the primary factor
being an opportunity for further education. A few factors are association with individuals, especially librarians, either as parents or otherwise. Other factors are
prior experience in library work, the need for a career
change and a liking for books. These findings confirm
previous studies to a large extent. Although the students do not start out with a love for librarianship, the
majority of the students develop the liking and do
remain in the profession. Those who remain are a
valuable asset to libraries in Ghana and form the
essential middle level work force, bridging the gap
between the professionals and the non-professionals.
For this reason the diploma in librarianship cannot
be discontinued since it provides an essential workforce for libraries in Ghana.
319
Harthway, H.M. (1977) Entering the profession. Library
Association Record, 73 (1): 199.
Issa, A.O. and Nwalo, K.I.N. (2008) Factors affecting the
career choice of undergraduates in Nigerian Library and
Information Science Schools. African Journal of Library,
Archives. & Information Science, 18 (1): 23–31.
Nzotta, B.C. (1983) Choice of librarianship as a career: The
case of the post-graduate class of 1978. Nigerian
Library Journal of Library and Information Studies,
1(1): 8.
Reagan, A.L. (1958) A study of factors influencing college
students to become librarians. PhD dissertation, University of Illinois, 1958. cited in Bello, M.A. (1996) Choosing a career: librarian? Librarian Career Development,
4 (4), 15–19.
Rottstein, S. (1985) Why people really hate library schools.
Library Journal, 110 (6): 46.
University of Ghana (2001). Handbook for non-degree
(certificate/diploma) students: 2001–2003.
About the authors
References
Theodosia S. A. Adanu is a Senior Assistant Librarian
responsible for Electronic Resources at the Balme Library,
University of Ghana, Legon and teaches part time at the
Department of Information Studies in the same university.
She attended the University of Ghana, Legon where she
obtained a B.A. (Hons), a Post Graduate Diploma and an
MPhil in Library Studies. Contact: Balme Library, PO Box
LG 24, University of Ghana, Legon. Email:
theodosia@libr.ug.edu.gh
Bello, M.A. (1996) Choosing a career: librarian? Librarian
Career Development, 4 (4): 15–19.
Deeming, C. and Chelin, J. (2001) Make your own luck: a
study of people changing career into librarianship. New
Library World, 102(1160/1161): 13–25.
Dewey, B.I. (1985) Selection of librarianship as a career:
implications for recruitment. Journal of Education for
Librarianship, 26 (1): 16–24.
Fosu, V. K. Cataloguing rules in Ghana: a country report.
Available
at:
http://www.imeicc5.com/download/
IME-ICC5_COUNTRY_REPORT_GHANA.pdf Accessed
27 May 2009.
John-Oswald Amekuedee attended the University of
Ghana and the University of Oslo, Norway. He obtained
a BA (Hons), both a graduate diploma and an MPhil in
Library Studies from the University of Ghana. He also
obtained a Cand. Philol. degree, from the University of
Oslo. Currently he is a Senior Assistant Librarian at the
Balme Library, University of Ghana and teaches on apart
time basis at the Department of Information Studies in the
same University. Contact: Balme Library, PO Box LG 24,
University of Ghana, Legon. Email: joamekue@ug.edu.gh