Professional Assessment of Library Resources for Comparative Literature Study at State Universities in North East Nigeria

The quality of library resources for comparative literature study, particularly access to world literature texts outside the Anglo-American canon, is a critical determinant of the depth and breadth of comparative literary education at university level, and its systematic assessment at state universities in the North East has not previously been conducted. This study professionally assessed library resources for Comparative Literature study at Gombe State University, University of Maiduguri, and Adamawa State University. A professional library assessment methodology was employed, combining structured inventory reviews of each library's literature holdings using a purpose-developed world literature coverage checklist, interviews with six head librarians and four Comparative Literature teaching staff, and a survey of 90 literature students on their resource access experiences. Assessment dimensions covered African literature from all geopolitical zones, Asian literature, Latin American literature, European literature beyond the British canon, literary theory texts, and comparative literature journals. Results showed that African literature holdings were adequate for 62 percent of standard comparative course requirements but were heavily oriented toward South West and South East Nigerian writers. Non-African world literature holdings were satisfactory in only 29 percent of cases. Electronic database subscriptions providing access to comparative literature journals were absent from all three institutions. The study recommends a North East university library consortium for shared world literature resources, targeted acquisition funding, and NUC mandated minimum library standards for institutions offering literature programmes at all levels.

Keywords: library resources, comparative literature, North East Nigeria, state universities, world literature access