Academic Librarians’ Perception of Work-Life Balance and Self-Management Skills

Abstract

This study focuses on the work-life balance of librarians and considers significant factors that could influence this balance, such as the formulation of policies, workplace support, workload, financial assistance, work expectations and work satisfaction. This research adopted a positivist research paradigm in which a questionnaire was used as an instrument of data collection. The survey targeted Kenneth Dike Library of the University of Ibadan, which is the first university library in Nigeria. With 103 members of staff, the sample size was purposively selected. The reliability of the research instrument was tested by using Cronbach’s alpha, which yielded an overall reliability value of 0.91. The study revealed the following: (1) Work-life policy documents were not at the disposal of the librarians because they were not implemented and no good programmes that could enrich the work-life balance of librarians exist. (2) Librarians want to receive fair treatment and respect among their colleagues and be recognised when they take the initiative on their job. It is crucial to communicate the policy to librarians, whether it is included in the employee’s handbook or not; it is vital to organise a seminar to alert library staff to the importance of the policy, the benefits it provides, and its implementation procedure.