By Adebowale Jeremy Adetayo, Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
and
Olateju Abayomi Adeleke, Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria has been facing a severe economic crisis, which has led to a sharp increase in poverty rates. The rising cost of essential commodities has further compounded the problem, making it increasingly difficult for citizens to sustain their livelihoods. In light of these challenges, librarians can play a critical role in ensuring that citizens are better equipped to cope with these economic pressures by engaging in social entrepreneurship and harnessing the library of things. By adopting collection development practices that prioritize items of critical societal relevance, librarians can build a robust library of things that can be made available to citizens through purchases, donations, and gifts. Given their customer-focused training, librarians are well-positioned to play a key role in delivering these services and ensuring that citizens have access to the tools and resources they need to sustain their daily lives. The article argues that leveraging the library of things as a social enterprise is a profitable and effective strategy for supporting the daily lives of ordinary Nigerians. To achieve this goal, policies must be developed that encourage the development of library of things and seek government support to ensure its success and expansion. By doing so, librarians can contribute to building a more sustainable and equitable future for all Nigerians.

Introduction

Nigeria, with a population of 209 million, is the world’s most populated black nation and has a low HDI of 0.532, ranking among the lowest in human development (The World Bank, 2020; Worldometers, 2021). Poverty is endemic in Nigeria, with over three-quarters of the population living below the poverty line (World Poverty Clock, 2021). Various social problems, such as banditry, unemployment, poverty, child trafficking, corruption, and out-of-school children (Maji & Itodo, 2016), have led to a rise in the cost of fundamental necessities, and as a result, some residents cannot access them. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these conditions, making it difficult for the poor to make ends meet. To address these challenges, placing an emphasis on social and ecological values could facilitate product sharing and assure the sustenance of life in society. Social entrepreneurship is one example of such a social value.

Social entrepreneurs provide novel solutions to society’s most pressing social problems, empowering different social actors, particularly those historically excluded. The rise of social entrepreneurship in Nigeria addresses the unmet social needs caused by state failures. To effect societal change, social entrepreneurs use a commercial acumen model. One such social entrepreneurial venture is the Library of Things (LoT), which offers a low-cost sharing service that can benefit vulnerable communities, including Nigeria.

The LoT is a library that houses a wider range of items that can be shared with members of the community (Back et al., 2019). The LoT can help in providing access to products, reducing waste, and promoting sustainable living. To achieve long-term sustainability, the appropriate management and control of natural resources are critical, and this aim can be achieved through community-led initiatives and increased operational efficiency. Social entrepreneurial sustainability is crucial in bringing about social change in an ecosystem in the long term. As a result, the LoT can be a tool for librarians’ social entrepreneurship in Nigeria to contribute to sustainable development goals by reducing poverty and protecting the environment.

Theoretical Framework

The input-process-output (IPO) model

The fundamental IPO model was formalized in response to Gouran (2009) independent ideas in communication and Hackman and Morris (1975) in psychology. When activated by contextual factors such as previous discussion content (input), a communicator’s relevant cognitions (including beliefs, attitudes, motives, goals, emotions, and personality traits) influence that communicator’s subsequent message (process), influencing the cognitions of a second communicator (output). However, the IPO structure customized by Kamaludin et al. (2021) for social entrepreneurship will be used for this study. The input-process-output model is chosen because it is the ideal model for studying and recording elements of a transformation process (Rogelberg, 2017).

Conceptualizing Social Entrepreneurship

The emergence of social entrepreneurship as a means of generating social value through innovative and sustainable approaches has been a significant development in recent years. Originally, entrepreneurship referred to individuals who took risks in business, but it has expanded beyond economic benefits to include social benefits. Social entrepreneurship is believed to have begun in the late 1970s with the founding of Ashoka by Bill Drayton, an organization dedicated to highlighting the work of social entrepreneurs. However, academic papers on this subject did not exist until the early 1990s, when the concept of social entrepreneurship was first defined in a book that described social entrepreneurs as change agents with ties to the public sector (Waddock & Post, 1991).

Today, social entrepreneurs use innovative solutions and limited resources to generate social value by capitalizing on opportunities to meet unmet social needs (Peredo & McLean, 2006). Social entrepreneurship research should distinguish between social entrepreneur, social entrepreneurship, and social enterprise (Mair & Martí, 2006). A social entrepreneur is the creator of social innovations and solutions aimed at bringing about a specific social change in the intended community. A social enterprise is defined as a financially independent and sustainable business that produces value for the targeted underprivileged population and network.

Social entrepreneurship is a process in which social entrepreneurs may combine resources such as human, financial, and material resources in a creative way to serve and meet an unmet social need that cannot be supplied by the traditional welfare system. To create social impact, it is important to comprehend the broader picture beyond acute social problems and understand the various interdependencies within the broader social system (Haldar, 2019). Social enterprises create jobs during an economic downturn and promote economic growth by developing innovations to solve existing challenges (Erro-Garcés, 2020). By combining resources and comprehending the broader social system, social entrepreneurship has the potential to create jobs, promote economic growth, and provide social goods for society. In essence, social entrepreneurship attempts to create a business model that addresses current societal issues, combining the commercial focus of traditional corporations with charity or philanthropic goals that produce social value.

Library of Things

The Library of Things is a sharing economy concept that promotes access to products rather than ownership. These libraries offer a variety of items such as tools, toys, musical instruments, electronics, and creative supplies that local community members can borrow. Typically funded by local authorities or charitable grants, LoTs encourage borrowing durable items rather than purchasing them, promoting sustainability and sharing (Back et al., 2019; Baden et al., 2020). However, research on borrowing behavior, particularly as an alternative to ownership, is underdeveloped and requires further study (Söderholm, 2016).

Despite the high interest in sharing instead of owning, few structured sharing options are available (Ameli, 2017a). Nevertheless, public libraries have been proposed as potential centers for sustainable community development (Edwards, 2018). Libraries can act as platforms for sharing and networking, promoting sustainable behavior and entrepreneurship. The LoT is an essential initiative that can contribute to the development of local communities. By identifying the drivers of social entrepreneurship, policymakers and other stakeholders can create an environment that encourages and supports social entrepreneurship, contributing to the growth of sustainable communities.

Harnessing library of things for sustainable livelihood of Nigeria citizens through Social entrepreneurship

Librarians, driven by the needs of their immediate community, can leverage the LoT as a tool for social entrepreneurship even without prior experience in the field (Oltmann, 2016). Social entrepreneurs also often start without any previous social entrepreneurship skills but with a clear understanding of their social missions, they learn and grow from their social networks to bring about change (Irawan et al., 2019). The fundamental goal of social entrepreneurship is to effect long-term change in people’s lives.

To implement the LoT in Nigeria, this paper proposes the adaptation of the IPO (input-process-output) model as a strategy. Figure 1 depicts the input, process, and output phases of the IPO model. The input column includes social, economic, behavioural, and governance dimensions of social entrepreneurship. The process phase entails the social business operations, which are described by a logic model. The output of these operations is social impact, which can be assessed using social return on investment or the balanced scorecard. Monetizing social value or understanding non-financial impact can enhance sustainability through the input-process-output model.

Input Phase

Four critical dimensions have been established to define social entrepreneurship, including social, economic, behavior, and governance. The social dimension within the realm of social entrepreneurship is distinguished by its social purpose and sense of altruism (Kuznecova, 2016). In the context of this study, the social goal is to make it easier to share essential items with the community, particularly those who cannot afford to buy them. The economic factor is the second dimension mentioned in identifying a social entrepreneur. Social entrepreneurs must apply tactics to achieve economic efficiency while preserving a social goal (Costa & Pesci, 2016). For this study, the economic dimension consists of responsibility, wealth generation, innovation, new possibilities, and financial independence (Alegre et al., 2017; Kadir & Sarif, 2016). Libraries will use LoT to create a win-win situation where users have access to items at a reduced cost, and libraries will earn money (Adetayo & Hamzat, 2021).

The second dimension, behavior, is an essential component in identifying a social entrepreneur, as it encompasses various characteristics, such as culture, identity and image, cognition, entrepreneurial behavior, business-like behavior, courageous behavior, and individual traits (Kamaludin et al., 2021). Librarians already have ethical standards, and these norms should be embraced as behavior for LoT. Furthermore, the governance dimension is critical to achieve social entrepreneurial sustainability, as it encompasses social impact activities and relationships between customers and beneficiaries (Santos et al., 2015). If the LoT is implemented in a functional library, the existing library hierarchy will take precedence. However, a special collection librarian and other subordinates must be assigned to oversee the LoT’s daily operations.

Process Phase

Social Business Operations: To operate a social business for LoT, the logic model technique is utilized. The Logic Model is a systematic and visual approach that depicts how a program theoretically operates to achieve the intended goals (Kellogg, 2004; Rauscher et al., 2012). The model aids in fostering responsibility on the part of social organizations, which is becoming increasingly important as LoT operate in a more result-oriented manner. The logic model outlines the critical program components in achieving a desired social mission by outlining the inputs, actions, outputs, results, and effect (Kellogg, 2004).

Sharing has the potential to save energy and resources, and LoT can help to reduce the culture of owning things. Libraries of Things must achieve certain criteria to be successful, including user-friendly opening hours and a diverse selection of items for a large number of users. The ideal LoT provides essential items 24 hours a day to decrease the user’s work as much as feasible. There are three traditional library approaches that are vital to the success of the social business operation of LoT. These include collection development, references services, and online platforms.

Collection Development: The collection development practice includes a wide range of activities such as user needs assessment, policy formulation, selection procedures, acquisition, evaluating the current collection, weeding out and storing parts of the collection, and resource sharing planning (Reddy & Chandraiah, 2017). To obtain resources for LoT, there are three ways: purchase, donation, and middleman.

Purchase entails buying the item using funds generated by social entrepreneurs. This method is generally costly and demands a significant financial commitment. As a result, this would necessitate help from other parties such as banks, parent organizations, or the government. A donation, on the other hand, is a gift made by people or corporations. This necessitates the social entrepreneur collaborating with several organizations equally concerned with citizens’ social needs. The last approach is intermediary, in which LoT acts as an intermediary between people who want to share their products with others. In this situation, the LoT does not control the item; instead, it serves as a platform for linking consumers with donors (Ameli, 2017b).

The collection development policy must specify the borrowers’ policy and liability waiver to ensure compensation if goods are damaged or lost. Furthermore, many consumer items are of inferior construction quality and deteriorate rapidly when subjected to the heavy use that a lending business requires (Opsomer, 2017). These items must be weeded out.

References services: Reference services are an essential componengt of any library, including those that implement LoT. Reference services involve assisting patrons with their inquiries, whether in-person, over the phone, or through electronic communication channels (Adetayo et al., 2023). In an LoT project, librarians must provide reference services regularly to meet the needs of users. This may involve setting up a dedicated reference desk where patrons can ask questions and receive assistance. However, librarians must also use technology to ensure that reference services are mobile and accessible to users in real-time. For example, librarians may use mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and notepads to communicate with patrons and provide them with the information they need.

By having a dedicated reference desk within the library of things, users can receive personalized assistance and guidance on how to effectively use the available items. For instance, if a user borrows a complex electronic gadget, such as a drone or a virtual reality headset, the reference librarian can provide hands-on demonstrations, offer step-by-step instructions, and answer any questions the user may have. This assistance ensures that users can navigate the functionalities of the items safely and maximize their potential, promoting a positive and fulfilling experience with the library of things.

In addition to providing real-time assistance, librarians must also ensure that users can access reference materials remotely. This may involve digitizing reference materials and making them available through online databases or other electronic platforms. Librarians can also use social media and other online communication channels to promote reference services and engage with users.

Online Platform

An LoT project should include an online platform to ensure that patrons can access library resources and services from anywhere, at any time. The online platform may include a variety of features, such as the ability to search and browse the library’s collections, request and renew materials, and receive alerts about borrowed items. The platform may also allow users to interact with other patrons and librarians through social media and other online communication channels.

For instance, through the online platform, users can check item availability, book desired items in advance, and receive notifications when they are ready for pickup. Additionally, the platform can provide detailed item descriptions, user reviews, and instructional videos, empowering users with the knowledge and insights they need to make informed borrowing decisions. Moreover, the platform can facilitate user forums or discussion boards, allowing users to share experiences, seek advice, and collaborate on projects related to the items in the library of things. This seamless online experience enhances accessibility, convenience, and community engagement, making the library of things a valuable and user-friendly resource for all.

To ensure that the online platform is effective, librarians must carefully design and develop the platform to meet the needs of users. This may involve conducting user research and testing to identify the features and functionality that users find most useful. Additionally, librarians must promote the platform and provide training and support to help users get the most out of it. Overall, the online platform is an essential component of an LoT project, enabling libraries to reach a broader audience and provide users with convenient, accessible access to library resources and services.

Challenges of a library of things in Nigeria

Introducing a Library of Things in Nigeria poses several challenges due to the country’s complex society and challenging business environment. While some of these difficulties are common to libraries in general, others are specific to the LoT model, primarily because of the high cost or fragility of some of the items that are part of the LoT inventory.

One of the primary challenges is the lack of capital. Many librarians in Nigeria may not have the financial resources to fund the LoT project, as pointed out by Adetayo and Hamzat (2021). This lack of capital makes it difficult for them to secure funding, even from alternative sources such as bank loans. Entrepreneurs in Nigeria often lack the required collateral to obtain bank loans, and this makes them appear not creditworthy to the banks, as noted by Ufot (2021).

Another significant challenge is the theft of items, which is prevalent in Nigeria. The country is experiencing an increase in the rate of human abduction, especially in the northern regions. There is also a high rate of theft in various settings, including homes, workplaces, and on the road, particularly in the southwest region. Poverty exacerbates this situation, leading to the proliferation of various forms of burglary, including cybercrime. Therefore, librarians must ensure that appropriate security measures are in place to prevent the theft of items.

A third challenge that librarians must consider when implementing an LoT in Nigeria is the potential damage to items. Borrowed items are susceptible to damage due to repeated use; electrical gadgets are especially prone to damage due to the unstable power source, which may result in power surges that harm the gadgets. Patron mishandling of items can also lead to damage, and other people surrounding the borrowed item may accidentally cause harm to it. As a result, librarians must factor in the possibility of damages when making agreements with patrons and ensure that the items are well maintained.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the implementation of the LoT in Nigeria presents an opportunity for librarians to engage in social entrepreneurship, which can help mitigate the impact of price hikes on the masses. While the challenges in Nigeria are numerous and often complicated, librarians can use their collection development and customer service training to acquire products and meet the community’s needs. However, they must be aware of the potential risks and challenges that come with implementing LoT, such as theft, product damage, and budgetary restrictions. To overcome these challenges, librarians can adopt best practices used in conventional libraries, such as handling missing items. Furthermore, government assistance and supportive policies are crucial to the success of social enterprises in Nigeria. Therefore, parent organizations, communities, and the government should work together to help address the financial difficulties of LoT implementation. With the proper support and best practices, the LoT can help improve the lives of ordinary Nigerians by providing access to a wide range of products and mitigating the impact of price hikes.

Funding: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Conflict of Interest: none

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