ABSTRACT

Library and information science, as a profession, is rapidly changing with a lot of challenges and new expectations for the professionals. The rate of unemployment in the society has been a major challenge, which has also made graduates to start looking for positions to adapt and face the challenges. Library and information profession is a noble profession that pursues its goals to make its graduates employers of labour and at the same time equip them with the entrepreneurial skills and career options that will make them become self -employed and also employers of labour. One of the career options is the production, sale and repairs of all kinds of library equipment. Library equipment business is a vital and rich avenue where myriads of opportunities in librarianship can be fruitfully exploited to provide employment for graduates of library and information sciences. It is seen as the most viable business area, which if pursued, will make the graduates employers of labour. With the position of libraries in our educational institutions, especially in higher institutions, the library equipment business will thrive because there is always great demand for library equipment by these institutions. This is more important as it contributes to the credibility of institutional libraries during accreditation exercise. On the other hand, most primary and post-primary schools in the nation have now discovered the need for the establishment of libraries in their schools. With this development, library equipment will be needed by these schools to enable them set up their school libraries. Thus, many information centers are in great need of library equipment. The business is lucrative if managed professionally and will yield profit for the business manager. This chapter will x-ray the practical ways to adopt in starting the library equipment business: its production, sale and repairs; and as such, provide a suitable option for graduates of library and information science who are not employed or needs to be self-employed.