KSLB · PUBLIC LIBRARIES
Kano State Library Board
Thirty public service points across the State, 96,000 registered readers, and the reading rooms where a large part of Kano's examination preparation actually happens.
What the Board is responsible for
The State public library network: the Kano State Central Library, zonal libraries, LGA branch libraries and mobile library services. The Board acquires and catalogues stock, runs reading rooms and children's corners, supports candidates preparing for BECE and WASSCE, and digitises the State's manuscript and Arabic-script collections.
The Library Board is the second oldest institution in the sector, established in 1970, and the Central Library at Kofar Nassarawa opened in the same year. Its estate is not schools but service points: a central library, zonal libraries, branch libraries in local government areas, and a mobile service that reaches communities without a building of their own.
Two parts of the work deserve particular mention. The first is examination preparation: in the months before BECE and WASSCE the reading rooms fill with candidates who have no quiet place to study at home, and the Board extends hours and reserves space for them. The second is the manuscript collection — the Arabic-script holdings of this city, some of them centuries old, which the Board is cataloguing and digitising.
KSLB at a glance
30
Service points
Central, zonal, branch and mobile
96,000
Registered readers
Membership is free
420
Library staff
Librarians, cataloguers and assistants
1970
Established
With the Central Library at Kofar Nassarawa
How KSLB is organised
Three tiers, and a reader deals almost entirely with the third.
- Board Headquarters, Kofar Nassarawa — Acquires and catalogues stock for the whole network, runs the Central Library, and manages the manuscript and digitisation programme.
- Zones → Zonal Directors — A zonal director in each of the six zones, responsible for the libraries and the mobile service in that zone.
- Libraries — Thirty service points: the Central Library, six zonal libraries, branch libraries in the local government areas and two mobile units.
The network
What each kind of service point holds and when it opens. Hours are extended in the examination season, from April to July.
| Service point | Where | Hours | What it holds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kano State Central Library | Kofar Nassarawa, Kano | Mon–Sat, 8:00–19:00 | Reference collection, periodicals, the Arabic-script manuscript collection, a digital reading room and a children's corner |
| Zonal libraries (6) | Kano Central, Kano North, Kano South, Gaya, Rano and Wudil | Mon–Fri, 8:00–18:00; Sat, 9:00–14:00 | General lending stock, school textbooks in the core subjects, past question papers and study space |
| Branch libraries | Local government areas across the State | Mon–Fri, 8:00–16:00 | Lending stock, children's reading corner, examination preparation shelf |
| Mobile library service | Communities without a service point, on a published rota | By rota, one visit a fortnight | Lending stock for children and adults, and registration for new readers on the spot |
What the Library Board actually delivers
Six services, all of them free at the point of use.
Free membership
Any age
Registration at any service point with a passport photograph and proof of address. A child under sixteen registers with a parent or guardian. There is no fee and no annual charge.
Lending
Up to three items
Three items for two weeks, renewable twice unless another reader has reserved the item. A lost item is replaced or paid for at cost.
Examination study space
April to July
Reserved seating, extended hours and past question papers for BECE, WASSCE and NECO candidates in every zonal library through the examination season.
Children's corners
All service points
Picture books and readers in Hausa and English, story sessions on Saturday mornings, and a holiday reading programme in August.
Mobile service
Fortnightly rota
Two mobile units serving communities without a building, carrying lending stock and registering new readers at the stop.
Manuscripts and digitisation
By appointment
The Arabic-script and Ajami manuscript holdings of the State, catalogued and progressively digitised. Consultation is by appointment with the Central Library.
Who leads KSLB
The executive head answers to the Honourable Commissioner for Education through the Permanent Secretary. Formal correspondence should name the school and the local government area concerned.
Dr. Maryam Idris Bichi
Executive Secretary, Kano State Library Board
Ph.D (Library & Information Science)
A librarian who has catalogued the State's Arabic-script manuscript collection and led its digitisation. She has extended the network to 30 service points and opened a children's corner in every zonal library.
library@moe.kn.gov.ngMalam Usman Gambo Gezawa
Director, Library Services
M.Ed (Library Studies)
Responsible for library services across the six zones, including the mobile service rota and the examination-season reading rooms. He manages acquisitions for the whole network.
Questions readers ask the Library Board
How do I join, and what does it cost?
How many books can I borrow and for how long?
I am preparing for WASSCE and have nowhere to study. Can I use the library?
Can a school bring a class to the library?
How do I consult the manuscript collection?
Where to find KSLB
The Central Library answers general enquiries; borrowing and membership are dealt with at the service point where you registered.
- Headquarters: Kano State Central Library, Kofar Nassarawa, Kano
- Telephone: +234 908 774 1147
- Email: library@moe.kn.gov.ng
- Counter hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 16:00
- Central Library reading rooms: Monday to Saturday, 8:00 to 19:00
- Mobile service rota: published at each zonal library each month
A quiet place to read, in every zone
Membership is free and the reading rooms are open to everyone, whether or not you are in school.