PRESERVATION AND SECURITY OF INFORMATION SOURCES IN POLYTECHNIC LIBRARIES IN THE SOUTH EAST STATES OF NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

This study was designed to investigate the preservation and security of information sources in polytechnic libraries in South East States of Nigeria. This is with the aim of ascertaining the problems, the extent of book theft and mutilation, methods, effectiveness of methods, constraints and strategies for enhancement. Six objectives and research questions were formulated to guide the study. These research questions are:  What  are  the factors  that constitute  the problems  of preserving  and  securing information sources in polytechnic libraries in the south east states of Nigeria, what is the extent of book loss through theft and mutilation in these polytechnic libraries. What methods of preserving and securing information source are adopted by these libraries. To what extent are the methods adopted in preserving and securing their information sources effective. What are the constraints to preservation and security of information sources and what are the strategies for effective preservation and security of information  sources.  A descriptive  survey design  was  adopted  in carry out the study. The entire population was studied. The instruments for data collection were questionnaire, observation and interview. Out of 34 copies of the questionnaire distributed to the librarians of polytechnic libraries in South East States of Nigeria 33 copies were returned, representing 97% of the questionnaire distributed. To analyse the data, the following descriptive statistical measures were employed frequency table, simple  percentages  and  mean  (x).  The  result  obtained  from  the  analysis  of  data revealed that: The problems of preservation and security in polytechnic libraries in South East States were mutilation, theft, dust, overdue and disintegration of books, that these libraries used untrained security men to protect their information sources, that combination of methods can make the methods of protecting information sources effective, that there are many constraints and strategies to preservation and security of information  sources.  Based  on  the  research  findings,  it  was  recommended  that: libraries  should  embark  on  training  and  retraining  of  library security men,  better incentives in terms of remuneration and training of all library staff and user as to the evils of these antisocial activities in the libraries.

Background to the Study

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

Polytechnic libraries are established  to assist the polytechnic institutions  to perform  their functions and roles by selecting,  acquiring, processing, securing and preserving their information sources, which are made available to users.  Libraries are also an essential part of the organization of a polytechnic and the basis of all study and research.  The polytechnic libraries hold a very important and large proportion of the nation’s   literary  wealth   and   resources.   They  represent   the  polytechnics’   sole instrument capable of reflecting the totality of knowledge and the institutions’ major purposes  and  of relationships  and  interdependences  of its  many departments  and faculties.   The basic purpose of a polytechnic  library is to serve the needs of its students, academic staff and polytechnic community.   Therefore, the library should have a comprehensive and functional collection to serve the information needs of the users.  However, most of the vast collections of the library are made of paper based materials.  These paper-based materials are subject to deterioration within a space of time. Harvey (1993), some rare books and other library materials need to be preserved and  secured.    It becomes  necessary that  the librarians  and  other  library workers, having been aware of the problems of book preservation  and security in libraries, should be concerned with the protection of these materials.

The issue of preservation and security of information sources is very important to  the  existence  of a  library.    Harvey  (1993)  observed  that deterioration  is on  a massive  scale,  affecting  such  an  immense  volume  of  materials  in  the  libraries throughout the world, that to suggest it will become the major professional concern of the coming decades is no exaggeration.  Already the problems exist.  The magnitude of the problem is enormous.  The factors that worsen the problems vary from that of the quality of the environment in which library collections are stored, the ways of handling  these collections,  increased  use of library resources  as a consequence  of improved  education,  to  recent  awareness  of  our  cultural  heritage  inherent  in  the materials themselves.   Lincoln  and Lincoln (1987) on their part observed  that the techniques  that  have  been  developed  to  prevent  and  control  crime  are  far  more

sophisticated than the chaining of books.  The  presentation of research about library crime, disruption and deterioration  can provide insight into the problems faced by librarians and stimulate thought about the range of solutions to the problems of crime, disruption and deterioration.  Further, these problems arise from theft, mutilation, war, and vandalism of library materials.  Others are related to disaster occurrences such as flooding,  earthquake,  volcanic eruptions and fire. Therefore it becomes imperative that the librarians should inculcate preservation, conservation and restoration as one of its programmes, make arrangement for restoration of damaged materials and educate other staff towards achieving this aim.

Information sources can be in print or in electronic version, and they are vital and  delicate.    The  way they are  handled  can  affect  the  life  span  of the  records contained in them.  These records must be preserved and secured for future purposes. Feather, (1997), information sources are also materials consulted for knowledge about a topic, a theme, an event, a date, a number, a place or even a word. Some information source lend themselves to quick and easy use and are called reference sources (Aina,

2004).  Other  types  of information  sources  are;  Journals,  official  publications  and statistics,   theses   and   dissertations,   internet   sources,   non-book   material   like cartographic  materials,  sound  recordings,  motion  picture.  All  these  information sources are stored in the library to provide the information that the uses need.

Information  on  the other  hand  is all published  and unpublished  knowledge from a source to meet human needs for decision making and for meaningful existence (Folurunso, 2004).   Information is indispensable, an ingredient for social, economic, industrial, political and technological advancement.  It is a stimulus and responding to it prompts us to act the way we do (Afolabi,  2003).   Information  is not only an instrument for change, growth and development but also data meant for answering or meeting  users’ queries.   Igbeka and  Atinmo  (2002) opined  that information  is an important tool and a valuable resource required for the realization of any objective or goal set by individuals.  Therefore acquiring and using information is critical and sine qua non to excelling in one’s responsibilities.

Information  sources  in  our  polytechnic  libraries  should  be  preserved  and secured because of the importance of the information contained in them.  Levy (2003)

pointed out that written documents help us to conduct financial transactions, build bridges   and   skyscrapers,   send   greetings   and   express   love,   run   factories   and corporations.   He asserted  that our documents are agents helping us to make and maintain a meaningful workable culture.

There  are  also  other  reasons  why  information  sources  in  our  polytechnic libraries should be preserved and secured.      In a developing country like Nigeria, there is a dearth of valuable publications.   It often takes a long time to purchase information sources from overseas due to high exchange rate of our local currency in comparison with dollars and pounds. In addition, paltry financial allocations are made to polytechnic libraries.  These resources are inadequate and reproduction facilities are expensive (Banjo, 1982, Abifarin, 1992).  The importance of preservation and security of these information sources cannot be over emphasized.

Preservation is a means of taking care of library materials to avoid deterioration (Aina, 2004). There are many enemies of books which may attack or destroy library materials. These include climatic conditions such as humidity, aridity, and ultraviolet rays, biological agents such as book worms, ants, rodents and natural hazards such as fire,  flood  and  war.    According  to  English  Folkdance  and  Songs  Society (2009) preservation  refers  to  the  totality  of  measures  for  maintaining  the  integrity  of documents and the information contained in them. It includes all the managerial and financial   considerations,   storage   and   accommodation   provisions,   staffing   level policies, techniques and methods involved in safe guarding documentary materials.

On the other hand, security of information sources deals with measures taken to guarantee the safety of information  sources in our libraries.     Aguolu and Aguolu (2002) are of the view that the advent of open stack encourage browsing and faster dissemination of knowledge to all, but it exposes library collections to more pilfering, mutilation and other antisocial acts. Many borrowers ignore the due date of return of books borrowed and are undeterred by fines attached to late return of books.

Information is a vital organizational tool and an important business resource. Benedon (1992) was of the view that because of today’s advance in technology and dependency upon communication, information has joined capital, labour and materials as the ingredients for successful enterprise. Unfortunately, as important as information

is, effective preservation and security of information sources have been accorded a low priority in many polytechnic libraries. It is therefore little wonder that when a library building goes up into flames, the information it houses is destroyed and there is little  protection  programme  for  these  materials  (Alegbeleye  1993).    Libraries  are social institutions created to conserve knowledge, preserve cultural heritage, provide information aid education and research and recreation (Aguolu and Aguolu 2002). The above  objectives  of  the  library  can  never  be  achieved  if  librarians  allow  the information sources in their care to be stolen or deteriorate.

Statement of the Problem

Libraries often suffer losses of their stocks due to a variety of reasons.  These include:  poor  quality of  paper,  poor  quality  of book production,  poor  attitude  of respect,  inadequate  funding,  temperature  and  relative  humidity,  light  intensity, biological  agent  acting  on  book  materials,  human  causes  fire  and  flood,  lack  of disaster  control  planning,  lack-a-deistical  attitude  of librarians  to preservation  and security and decisional conflicts.

Unavailability of information sources in the library leads to users’ frustration while information sources lost is a financial waste to the library.  Most of the materials destroyed are very expensive to acquire or replaced and more importantly contain vital information which may not be acquired by the library once lost. This therefore has created a need for in-depth investigation into the various methods used in preserving and securing information sources in polytechnic libraries in south east Nigeria.

In spite of many benefits derived from effective preservation and security of information sources in the libraries, polytechnic libraries may still be backward in the methods they adopt in protecting their information sources.  The current situation in the  polytechnic  libraries  with  regard  to  preservation  and  security  of  information sources is not known.   However, to the best of the researcher’s knowledge, no such study has been carried out on polytechnic libraries in South East States of Nigeria and this justified the need for this study.  Based on the foregoing therefore, the problem of this  study put in the  form  of a question  becomes:  What  methods  do polytechnic

libraries in the South East States adopt in preserving and securing information sources in their libraries?

Purpose of the Study

This  study aims  at examining  the  preservation  and  security of information sources in federal and state polytechnic libraries.  The specific objectives of the study were:

(1)      To  identify  the  factors  that  constitute  problems  of  preservation  and security  of  information  sources  in  polytechnic  libraries  in  Southeast States.

(2)      To determine the extent to which book loss through theft and mutilation constitute problems in polytechnic libraries in South East States

(3)      To identify the methods adopted in preserving and securing information sources in polytechnic libraries in South East States.

(4)      To determine the effectiveness of methods adopted in preserving and securing  information  sources  in  polytechnic  libraries  in  South  East States.

(5)      To  examine  problems  encountered   in  preserving  and  securing  of information sources in these libraries in the South East States.

(6)      To  proffer   strategies   for     effective   preservation   and   security  of information  sources  in  these  polytechnic  libraries  in  the  South  East States.

Research Questions

The following research questions will form the major basis upon which this study was carried out.  They are:

(1)      What  are  the  factors  that  constitute  the  problems  of preserving  and securing information sources in polytechnic libraries in the South East States of Nigeria.

(2)      What  is  the  extent  of  book  loss  through  theft  and  mutilation  in polytechnic libraries in South East States?

(3)      What  methods  of  preserving  and  securing  information  sources  are adopted in polytechnic libraries in South East states to combat the problems?

(4)       To  what  extent  are  the  methods  adopted  in  preserving  and  securing

information  sources  effective  in  polytechnic  libraries  in  the  South  East

States?

(5)       What  problems  are  encountered  in  preserving  and  securing  information sources in these polytechnic libraries?

(6)      What are the strategies adopted for effective preservation and security of information sources in these libraries?

Significance of the Study

This   study  is   expected   to   be   significant   to   researchers   and   scholars, management of polytechnic libraries, users made up of students,  lecturers and the polytechnic communities, librarians and library workers, State and federal government responsible for funding the polytechnic and their libraries.

The findings of the study will be useful to researchers and scholars that are interested  in preservation  and  security since the work will highlight  strategies  for enhancing library preservation and security.  It is also expected that the management of libraries will find the results of the study useful for the improvement of preservation and security of information sources in their libraries.

The findings of this study will be useful in ensuring more availability of library resources, since it will highlight strategies for effective preservation and security. If information sources are adequately protected users will have access to the information sources that they need.  This situation could also eliminate users and workers’ frustration that  may  result  from  inadequate  protection  of information  sources.  Furthermore,  the findings of this study will be useful to government, polytechnics and funding bodies to allocate  adequate  funds  for  the  preservation  and  security  of information  sources  in polytechnic libraries.

Scope of the study

This study with regard to content scope dealt with preservation and security of information sources in polytechnic libraries. These information sources are both print and non print material in the libraries. The geographic scope covered  all the five polytechnic libraries in South East States on of Nigeria.

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