Fostering Literacy through Extension Services: Academic Libraries for Sustainable Development

Information literacy is the key to community learning and interaction through extension services to increase user statistics and enhance library usefulness in academic community and environment. The relationship between academic library and the community it serves can only work satisfactorily if there is a change process in access to information services. In spite of available library information services, there are clear indications that university community host do not use the library, thus, the need for more interactive approach. Promoting academic library outreach programs will provide the rural dwellers the opportunity to partake in globalization of a sustained knowledge economy. The Social Learning Theory (SLT) was used to explain the cognitive, behavioral and environmental influences of knowledge and skills acquired on problem solving. The paper highlights the need for librarians to move the library services to remote domain and attract users. The paper outline orientation, exhibitions, mobile library, library in cultural programs, reading boots, reading clubs, discussion groups as channels through which libraries in Nigeria can extend their services to support sustainable development goals in education. The study concludes that community literacy programs creates knowledge on new skills, strengthens and increases access to diverse information, thereby, bringing together different information seeking interest to improve human knowledge in the society.

Keywords: Information Literacy, Extension Services, Rural Dwellers, Outreach Programs, Sustainable Development Goals