The Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos (UNIJOS), Prof. Hayward Mafuyai, said on Tuesday that the institution needs ₦1.5 billion to build a modern library at its permanent site.
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Mafuyai, who spoke when he inaugurated the remodeled Bauchi Road campus library, said the modern library would be ranked as one of the best in the world when completed.
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The library was remodeled after it was gutted by fire in 2013.
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He said that he had since inaugurated a committee to go round first generation universities and outside the country toward arriving at a model library for the university.
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"We charged them not to limit themselves to what they can see, but also to be futuristic so that the library will stand the test of time," he said.
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He said that the committee's report indicated that the institution would require more than one billion naira for the project while more money would be required in view of fresh developments.
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The vice chancellor said that the new library would have both e-library and printed books component to enhance teaching and learning.
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"We hope to create an open space where students can discuss, have some liberty and enjoy some other interactions while they are reading," he explained.
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Mafuyai said that the school had increased its budget to get more current books while the old ones were removed to where people could access them on request.
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In his remarks, Dr Stephen Akintunde, described the library as the heart of the university.
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"If the library is healthy, there will be more productivity in the system," he said.