A Life Devoted to Knowledge

In this article, the author recounts his experiences during his period of service at the University for Development Studies (UDS) Library. This work is dedicated to Mr. S. N. Amanquah, formerly of Balme Library, Legon for mentoring several Cataloguers in both public and private Universities in Ghana. We honour all our trailblazers!

When I joined the UDS Library in 1994, I had no prior knowledge of librarianship. Fate, however, placed me in the right environment at the right time. Mr. S. N. Amanquah of Balme Library, who was then on sabbatical at UDS, had started a training programme for Library Assistants. At the directive of the then University Librarian, Alhaji Ibrahim K. Antwi, a mentor to countless librarians in Ghana and Nigeria, I was admitted into the programme despite my lack of basic library skills.

Mr. Amanquah made a remark that has remained with me to this day: “Since you don’t teach old dogs new tricks, your blank mind is an advantage. I can make you a cataloguer”. Within a month, I was ready to serve. From that point until my retirement in 2015, my career with UDS Library was largely dedicated to cataloguing and classifying books, work that began manually but transitioned into the digital age with online cataloguing.

The Librarian as a Knowledge Builder

Cataloguing and classification taught me that librarianship is more than shelving books or managing collections. It is about reading books technically, extracting their essence, and ensuring that knowledge is easily retrievable. Over time, some of this knowledge sticks, equipping the librarian to assist patrons more effectively, whether with literature reviews, citation editing, or research support.

I also discovered another dimension. The librarian as a teacher. Beyond my daily work, I assisted in training new staff and students on attachment to the library. Knowledge, I realized, is not merely stored in books but shared through mentorship and guided practice.

Exposure Beyond Borders
My career also exposed me to international experiences that broadened my understanding of librarianship. I was privileged to work briefly with the British Council in Tamale during their outreach programmes. In 1999, I even stood in as staff for their Information Hub while their officer in-charge went on leave. It was under the guidance of mentors like Madam Nina Chachu, later the Librarian at Ashesi University that I came to appreciate a striking truth. A good librarian must know everything, or at least know where to find everything.

This was further reinforced in 2013, when I benefitted from the Dutch Government’s Niche Project, which sponsored my study visits to South Africa and the Netherlands. At the Information Training and Outreach Centre for Africa (ITOCA) in Centurion, South Africa, I gained skills in information literacy. My visit to libraries in Maastricht, Amsterdam, Leiden, and The Hague opened my eyes to a universal principle. Librarians are investigators. They search for information, evaluate it critically, and present it in ways that make it useful to others.

The Librarian as a Writer
Everyone who knows me will tell you that I write a lot. I have a passion for writing. For me, it is more than a hobby. The investigative skills of librarianship also sharpened my flair for writing. The discipline of searching, evaluating, and organizing information enabled me to write effortlessly on diverse subjects. I published articles in The Statesman, BBC Focus on Africa Magazine (earning £80 per article), and The Northern Advocate. My piece “After Wuako What Next?” written at the height of the Dagbon Crisis, reminded me of the librarian’s moral responsibility. To remain balanced, to present facts with integrity, and to offer insights that foster dialogue.

Librarians and the Knowledge Economy

In today’s world, where information is recognized alongside land, labour, capital, and entrepreneurship as a key factor of production, librarians stand at the heart of the knowledge economy. They guide researchers, support teaching, and facilitate learning. Yet, too often, their role is overlooked.

A well-trained librarian is versatile. The skills of information organization, evaluation, and dissemination can be reoriented to fit into virtually any field of human endeavor. As I have often said, “Librarians are the backbone of all research endeavours.”

Librarians Never Rest
Though I retired from active service in 2017, my journey with knowledge did not end. Today, I continue to proofread theses for graduate and postgraduate students, polish research articles for refereed journals, and refine citations. I assist researchers in locating materials across various fields and edit literature reviews to strengthen their academic work.

This ongoing service is a testament to one truth. Librarians never truly retire. The skills of information searching, organizing, and presenting remain relevant long after formal duty ends. A librarian’s devotion to knowledge does not stop with retirement, it only deepens.

Recognizing the Librarian’s Role

My journey from an untrained recruit in 1994 to a cataloguer, trainer, writer, and lifelong learner underscores one truth. Librarians deserve greater recognition. They are not passive custodians of books, but active facilitators of knowledge creation. They empower researchers, support educators, and guide students.

If teaching, learning, and research are the three pillars of academia, then librarians are the quiet but indispensable foundation on which these pillars stand. Indeed, librarians never rest; they live .

FUSEINI ABDULAI BRAIMAH
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