Abstract:
This study assessed the effectiveness of staff development programmes in academic libraries of
Tanzania. Specifically, the study focused on the effectiveness of staff development practices in
academic libraries. It also sought to ascertain the challenges hindering the effectiveness of staff
development practices in academic libraries in Tanzania. The study involved Mzumbe University
Library and Sokoine University of Agriculture Library respectively. Data collection was through
questionnaires and interview.
The findings of the study revealed that training needs revolved around activities that the
respondents did on a continual basis; such as cataloging and classification, data entry, library
software skills, communication skills as well as Information and Communication Technology.
The majority of staff needed training to improve their work performance. However, such
opportunities were limited due to various reasons, the major one being insufficient or lack of
funds for professional development. The findings also revealed that the skills and knowledge
acquired did reflect the training needs or the gaps in staff skills and knowledge in relation to their
activities, training was positively related to improvement in job performance and provision of
services. The study also revealed various challenges hindering the effectiveness of staff
development programmes at the surveyed libraries, including lack of funds to support staff
development, lack of time to attend training, inadequate staff and few times mismatch between
training and needs. This study recommends increasing of budgetary allocation to support staff
development, employment of more staff, seeking more support from donors, and basing training
on training needs assessment.
