More Than a Campus Resource: How Tekena Tamuno Library Reaches Beyond Its Walls

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Opening Doors to Lifelong Learners

When one thinks of a university library, the image is usually of rows of stacks and quiet study rooms reserved for enrolled students and faculty. At Redeemer’s University, the vision for the Tekena Tamuno Library (TTL) stretches beyond that, striving to be a public resource for the wider community, a space where knowledge is shared and learning is accessible to all, not just those inside the halls of academia.

Under the banner of SDG 4’s call for lifelong learning and public access to education, the library at RUN is a quiet but potent gesture: an academic gateway offering virtual services to off-campus users, digital resources, and specialized services that recognize the thirst for knowledge beyond matriculation.



From Virtual Walls to Real Access

Much of how the library extends its reach is through its virtual and digital infrastructure. TTL provides access to millions of electronic resources, both open access and proprietary databases, including platforms like EBSCOhost, JSTOR, ScienceDirect, and more. What’s key is that this access is not strictly limited to those physically on campus: users of the virtual services “can also access the e-library from the comfort of their homes, offices, hostels and off-campus,” via access codes distributed within the university community.

While the library’s physical collection and borrowing privileges are reserved for RUN students, academic and non-academic staff, the digital outreach de facto opens doors to a broader audience who can engage with journals, theses, electronic texts, references, and institutional repository materials.

Moreover, the library maintains an institutional repository (RUNIR) which houses published and unpublished work, as well as past university examination papers dating back to 2006. These materials are accessible online and serve as a public archive of the institution’s intellectual production, one that benefits not only university constituents but external researchers and learners as well.



Services That Stretch Beyond the Stack

TTL’s repertoire of services includes reservation, document delivery, and interlibrary loan services. These mechanisms, while primarily serving internal patrons, can also be points of connection for external institutions (such as community libraries, schools, or individuals) to request materials not locally held.

In addition, TTL offers fee-paying services like bindery, reprographics, and printing, which could be accessed, under certain policies or permissions, by non-students and community users, supporting their learning or research needs.

Though TTL does not formally offer open, unrestricted borrowing to the general public, borrowing rights remain exclusive to RUN’s students and staff, the library’s digital portal, repository, and remote access capability all contribute meaningfully to SDG 4’s aim of expanding access to education and information.



Bridging the Gap: Challenges and Future Possibilities

Challenges to broader public access include:

  1. Borrowing restrictions: Because “loanable materials” are restricted to students and staff, the general public can’t physically take books home.
  2. Access codes and authentication barriers: While off-campus access exists, it’s often gated through university credentials or codes, limiting full public reach.
  3. Awareness: External communities may not even know that parts of the library’s digital resources are open to them — outreach would be necessary.
  4. Resource constraints: Expanding physical access (reading space, staffing, security) to non-university users can impose demand pressures.

Opportunities for deeper impact:

  1. Public reading hours or community user registration: The library could pilot certain hours or days when community scholars are allowed in-person access to reading rooms or reference sections.
  2. Open educational resources (OER) and MOOCs: TTL could develop or host OER modules, open lectures, or workshops for external learners.
  3. Publicizing repository materials: Ensuring RUNIR’s contents are widely searchable and promoted to local schools, researchers, and the public.
  4. Partnerships with local schools or public libraries: TTL might lend expertise, share materials, or host joint workshops to bring its resources closer to the community.


A Narrative of Shared Knowledge

In a world where information is often gatekept, Redeemer’s University’s library model whispers a different message: that knowledge should not be confined to matriculation cards and student IDs. Through TTL’s digital reach, open repository, and supportive services, an external teacher, a curious student from a nearby town, or a community researcher can tap into academic resources that were once out of reach.

By doing so, the library contributes to the SDG 4 indicator of providing free access to educational resources for those not enrolled in the university, especially through its virtual and repository services. As RUN charts its course forward, expanding the physical inclusivity of TTL would strengthen its role as a knowledge hub — one that sees learning not as a privilege, but as a shared public good.

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