The National Library of Nigeria (NLN) has announced plans to unveil a new logo and its strategic five-year plan during celebrations marking the institution’s 60th anniversary. The unveiling is set to take place later this week.
Prof. Veronica Anunobi, the Chief Librarian and CEO of the National Library of Nigeria, disclosed this in an interview with our correspondent on Sunday.
She expressed enthusiasm about the future of the library, acknowledging Nigeria’s youthful population and the challenges posed by high unemployment rates.
“We look to the future with great enthusiasm, mindful of the nation’s young population, galloping unemployment and the need to use our mandate as a bedrock to support the economic development of the country,” Anunobi said.
“While we celebrate some of these milestones, we are living today as we focus on the future.”
As part of the celebrations, the NLN will introduce a new brand identity through the unveiling of a logo that reflects both its current position and vision for the future.
According to Anunobi, “A glance at the logo and the document will provide a better explanation for the theme of our celebration: ‘The Future of Libraries in a Digital Age: Preserving Heritage, Expanding Access and Engaging Youth.’”
She further emphasized that the logo and the strategic plan for the period 2025-2030 would highlight the institution’s future direction.
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“It is also a pointer that going forward, the NLN must design education, research and cultural development programmes that will not only attract the youth but transform them as a very important and valuable asset of this nation,” she added.
In addition to the logo and strategic plan, Anunobi revealed that the NLN had already made significant strides in promoting access to knowledge.
She pointed out that the library has issued over one million International Standard Book Numbers (ISBN) since its establishment in 1974.
“Since 1974, we have issued 1,000,574 International Standard Book Numbers as well as 27,755 International Serial Numbers since its inception in 1976,” she said.
Anunobi also highlighted the library’s recent efforts to expand its role in music and other forms of knowledge production, noting that the NLN had issued International Standard Music Numbers (ISMN) for published music scores for the first time this year.
Looking forward, Anunobi shared her vision for the future of the NLN, saying the library is poised to stand at the cusp of a transformative era that will redefine its role in Nigeria’s intellectual and cultural landscape.
“The institution will continue to promote access to heritage in close relationship with stakeholders in the world of knowledge production, packaging, and ecosystem use towards national development,” she said.
The 60th anniversary of the National Library of Nigeria represents a significant milestone for the institution, which has long served as a cornerstone for education, literacy, and research in Nigeria.
Anunobi reflected on the library’s evolution over the past six decades, emphasizing the challenges and rewards of preserving the nation’s knowledge and cultural heritage.
“The journey has been both challenging and rewarding, one that is marked by the unwavering commitment to preserving the nation’s knowledge storehouse, fostering reading and literacy, and serving as a platform for access to knowledge for Nigerians from all walks of life for personal and national development,” Anunobi concluded.
