Information Managers as Change Agents in achieving Sustainable Development in the 21st Century

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of information managers and libraries in accomplishing Nigeria's sustainable development goals in the 21st Century. The paper explored the notion of sustainable development, examines the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including their respective targets. It identifies and discusses the role of libraries and information managers (librarians) in achieving SDGs, as well as the philosophy of information theory of communication as proposed by Claude Shannon (1948).  Libraries all over the world offer a variety of products and services that support the accomplishment of all 17 SDGs. Libraries are secure, friendly spaces at the heart of communities, fostering reading and providing free access to information. Libraries are vital instruments in society, and they play a critical role in accomplishing long-term development goals. Citizens must be well informed if Nigeria's sustainable development goals are to be met and sustained. This can be accomplished by selecting, processing, organizing, and disseminating information based on the parameter of development as indicated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and organizing training programs or forums where issues such education, environmental, climate change, gender inequality and health issues can be discussed, and so on.