The Association of Government Librarians (AGL) has called on both the national and county governments to prioritise the recruitment of librarians and information officers to address acute staffing shortages that have crippled library operations across the public sector.
Speaking at the close of a professional workshop in Kisumu, AGL National Chairman Joshua Minga lamented that many government ministries and agencies currently operate without qualified librarians, while others have been forced to shut down their library services altogether.
“It’s really a challenge when you discover that almost half of government ministries have nobody manning their libraries. Some have even closed down,” said Minga.
He noted that the association draws its membership of over 320 professionals from national government ministries, county administrations, Parliament, and the Judiciary. However, he warned that the ageing workforce and limited recruitment of young professionals threaten the sustainability of the profession.
“If you look at our members, most are nearly 60 years old. There’s going to be a very big gap soon,” he observed.
Minga further decried limited budgetary allocations to library services, saying chronic underfunding has led to poor infrastructure and the closure of public libraries.
“The perception that people don’t read has made it difficult to get adequate funding for libraries,” he said.
The Kisumu workshop, held after the association’s annual conference in Mombasa, focused on adapting Artificial Intelligence (AI) in library and information services. Themed “Who stole from whom? AI or libraries?” the meeting sought to demystify fears that AI would render librarians obsolete.
Minga said members had gained confidence in using AI tools to enhance efficiency and service delivery.
“AI is actually an intern; it doesn’t know everything. It’s us who will use it to make our work easier. So, AI is an assistant, not a replacement,” he explained.
He also expressed concern over the low participation of county government representatives, attributing it to lack of facilitation for officers to attend professional development workshops.
“We had only three or four participants from counties out of 47. That shows how much counties are neglecting library services,” Minga added.
The association now plans to compile resolutions from the Kisumu workshop and submit them to the Head of Public Service, calling for urgent recruitment, improved funding, and policy reforms to strengthen library and information management across government institutions.
Speaking during the same occasion, the Kisumu County Commissioner Benson Leparmori urged Kenyans to embrace reading as a way of revitalising the country’s library system.
“Our reading culture as a country is very poor. Most of us only read for exams or interviews, and this must change,” he said.
He affirmed that librarians play a crucial role in information access and preservation, pledging government support to ensure the sector thrives.
By Chris Mahandara
