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CALL FOR PAPER

Issues in Theory and Practice of Research in School Librarianship Information Literacy, Children Literature and Special Library Services.

Professor Virginia Dike: A Festschrift.

Virginia Weisell Dike is a Veteran and an erudite Professor of Librarry and Information Science at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Few teachers may be opportuned to have an illustrious career Professor V. W. Dike(for short) had. she joined the service of the university in 1975 as lecturer 11 in the Department of Education, promoted to the rank of Senior lecturer in 1982, found the Department of Library and Information Science in 1983 and rose to the rank of Professor in 1991. she was the first and for many years the Head of Department of Library Science which was later renamed Library and Information Science (LIS)

Professor V. W. Dike specialized in school libraries, children's literature, use of multi-media resources in teaching, library services and research methods especially qualitative approaches such as interview, focus group discussion, document analysis and behavioural observational techniques.

The Library school at UNN bears the stamp of Virginia Dike's wide knowledge of literature, teaching and research. her love of books and scholarship, her unforgettable experiences in volunteerism and community work in rural areas in Nigeria and Tanzania and her special interest in travels are the spices and foundations of her teaching ingenuity, steadily robbing in on those she trained, most of whom now run the departments both the library school and the Nnamdi Azikiwe Library (NAL) and its branches.

Professor V. W. Dike developed the LIS undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum of the UNN Library School. she developed for the undergraduate programme full range professional courses in LIS with academic background in Arts and Science disciplines. Beyond the library school engagements, she served as the Associate Dean of faculty of Education, and as faculty representative in the University Library Board. she was an active member of several University Senate Committee. she developed an internationally recognized model children's library at the University of Nigeria, known as Children's Centre Library (CCL) which provides both community services to the university and research support for the Library School and other University Faculties.

Professor V. W. Dike has authored many books, written many journal articles and book reviews. she has successfully supervised over a hundred undergraduate projects and over eighty postgraduate theses. she has forty-three successful PhD graduands to her credit. Professor Dike belongs to many professional associations notable among them are the Nigerian School Library of which she is the current president. she is also a Fellow and member of the Nigerian Library Association, member of the International Association of School Libraries (IASL). regular attendee of IFLA section on school libraries and four-term chair of IFLA round-table of the same section. member of IBBY, the Nigeria Academy of Education, NALISE and Librarians' Estate Association of Nigeria.

In recognition of the numerous contributions of Professor V. W. Dike, the staff and students of the Library and Information School at UNN, the Dean Faculty of Education, academic and administrative staff, the staff members of the University library, the various faculties of LIS outreach service courses and indeed the University administration and members of the Nigerian library Association, Abia, Anambra, Abuja, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Rivers, Cross-Rivers, Edo, Delta, Benue, Bayelsa, Oyo, ogun, ondo, Sokoto, Bornu, Taraba and all the states in Nigeria that also stand for the school library, have come together to honour her with a festschrift and conference focusing on her cognate area of teaching, research and library services.
The Library and Information profession is like a flowing stream, many people go to fetch water from any angle of convenience. Likewise, our heroine's contributions are multi-facetted, many people have benefited from her services. Her contributions must not be left unsung. We therefore invite all professional colleagues and friends of the LIS School and Library department past and present students, alumni, committee members and friends of the Children's Centre Library to contribute quality empirical, theoretical papers, reports, book reviews on the theme and sub-themes for publication in Professor V. W. Dike's festschrift and conference proceedings.
PART A: CALL FOR BOOK CHAPTERS

Theoretical issues in school librarianship.
Relationship between the research questions, the design and data in qualitative research.
Problems and prospects of fitting research questions, the design and data in quantitative research.
The dimensions of the background of the study in an empirical research.
The role of problem statement in an empirical study.
The role of literature review in research.
Qualitative research, methods and procedure.
The experimental research in Library and Information Science; types and design.
Qualitative research and school library.
Qualitative research and special library.
Contemporary issues in school librar research.
Digitization of school library: issue and trend
Qualitative studies in school library services in Nigeria.
Virginia Weisell Dike: a woman of substance.
The library school at the University of Nigeria, a journey of discovery, growth and development.
Research and consultancy services in university based library school: the contributions of Prof. V. W. Dike.
Including the excluded in contemporary services in Nigeria, the contributions of Prof. V. W. Dike.
Methods and materials for audio-visual resources collection in school libraries.
Methods for collaboration between the teacher and teacher librarian in school libraries.
The John and Lucy Book Cafe foundation: Building collaboration, volunteerism and community services.
Survey and research studies on children literature.
Instrumentation and research findings: two sides of a coin.

PART B: CALL FOR CONFERENCE PAPERS

Challenges and prospects of conducting empirical studies in school librarianship.
Security challenges in school libraries and the way forward.
Focusing on school library research for sustainable education in Nigeria.
Teachers assignments and library anxiety among students in Nigeria schools.
Information literacy and curriculum development in Nigeria: Best practices.
Skills needs and prospects for quality research from undergraduate students in Nigeria Universities.
Research in special collections and local history: challenges and prospects.
School library environment for promotion of literacy.
Using story hours to promote children reading interest in school library.
Strategies for library services for special groups: LIS educators experience.
Collection development in school libraries: Best practices.
Information environment and implications for writing children's literature: library educators approach.
Case studies of ICT usage among secondary school students.
School children and internet safety: purpose and guide.
Surveys on emergent information literacy role of school libraries in promoting reading culture in pre-primary school children.
Conceptual approach to information literacy.
Challenges and prospects of teaching and learning information literacy in schools.
The school time-table and library hours in Nigeria schools: Best approaches, best practices.
The school curriculum and information literacy programme in Nigeria school.
Children's literature and the school libraries in Nigeria.
Problems and prospects of indigenous children literature for the school libraries in Nigeria.
Challenges and prospects in school library environment.
Collection development for literacy programmes: challenges and prospects.
Metacognitive approaches to teaching children literature in primary schools.
Surveys on dimensions of children's literature output in Nigeria.
African children's literature needs: relevance and challenges.
Volunteerism as support for school library services.
Enriching the library experience of prison inmates, practical approach to library extension services.
Methods of promoting library services to young adults: the LIS experience.
Skills requirements of library and information science educators for information literacy in tertiary institutions of learning.
Exploring resources for improved teacher-student interactions in large classes of the School of General Studies.
Book boxes as vehicle for library services to special people (homebound, prison and hospital patients).
Public library strategies for outreach services.
Online resources for e-library in Nigeria schools.
Developing library services for prison inmates: challenges and way forward.
John & Lucy Book cafe as centre for development of volunteerism in Library and Information Science.
Developing community library services for senior citizens: methods and materials.
Library and Information services for the Artisan group.
Library and Information brokerage: issue and trends
Gender studies and school librarianship.

PAPER FORMAT

Contributors should send abstracts of not more than 150 word to email: hod.libraryandinformationsciens@unn.edu.ng before March 25th, 2017. Manuscript: both soft and hard copies required. For hard copy, A4 sheet using MS word, Time New Roman, 12points, 1.5 spacing. The title, author(s) full name, institution, position, phone and e-mail contact should appear on the cover page and abstract of the paper. Manuscripts are to be submitted as email attachment. Submissions for review will be N5, 000.00 and publication fee of N15, 000.00 for all accepted papers. A research paper should not be more than 15 pages including references. Deadline for submission of all papers is April 20, 2017. Bank account details; Diamond Bank. Account Name: Library and Information Science (LISWES). Account number: 0088414149

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Dr. F. C. Ekere