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Complete Project – SURVEY OF THE PRESERVATION AND CONSERVATION OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION RESOURCES IN COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN CROSS RIVER STATE

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Table of Content

Abstract

Chapter One: Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study

1.2 Statement of the Problem

1.3 Objective of the Study

1.4 Research Questions

1.5 Research Hypothesis

1.6 Significance of the Study

1.7 Scope of the Study

1.8 Limitation of the Study

1.9 Definition of Terms

1.10 Organization of the Study

Chapter Two: Review of Literature

2.1 Conceptual Framework

2.2 Theoretical Framework

2.3 Empirical Review

Chapter Three: Research Methodology

3.1 Research Design

3.2 Population of the Study

3.3 Sample Size Determination

3.4 Sample Size Selection Technique and Procedure

3.5 Research Instrument and Administration

3.6 Method of Data Collection

3.7 Method of Data Analysis

3.8 Validity of the Study

3.9 Reliability of the Study

3.10 Ethical Consideration

Chapter Four: Data Presentation and Analysis

4.1 Data Presentation

4.2 Analysis of Data

4.3 Answering Research Questions

4.4 Test of Hypotheses

Chapter Five: Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation

5.1 Summary

5.2 Conclusion

5.3 Recommendation

References

APPENDIX

QUESTIONNAIRE

ABSTARCT

This study was carried out to examine the preservation and conservation of library and information resources in colleges of education in Cross River State. The study was specifically set to investigate the nature of deterioration of information resources in the library of colleges of education in Cross River State, identify the causes of deterioration of information resources in the library of colleges of education in Cross River State, ascertain the techniques used in the preservation and conservation of information resources in the library of colleges of education in Cross River State, and identify the barriers hindering effective preservation and conservation of information resources in the library of colleges of education in Cross River State. The survey design was adopted and the simple random sampling techniques were employed in this study. The population size comprise of librarians in Federal College of Education, Obudu, and Cross River State College of Education, Akampa. In determining the sample size, the researcher conveniently selected 86 respondents and all were validated. Self-constructed and validated questionnaire was used for data collection. The collected and validated questionnaires were analyzed using frequency tables and percentage, while the hypotheses was tested using Chi-square statistical tool. The result of the findings reveals that the nature of deterioration of information resources in the library of colleges of education in Cross River State includes; mutilation of library information resources, broken spine of books, vandalization of information resources, book becoming torn, and brittle library materials. Furthermore, the study showed that the barriers hindering effective preservation and conservation of information resources in the library of colleges of education in Cross River State includes; inadequate funding, insufficient trained personnel, harsh environment, administrative bureaucracy, obsolete or non-existent hardware and software, poor network connectivity, and inadequate infrastructure. The study recommends that an improvement in the storage environment should be paramount. This involves the storage of information resources in an environment in which the storage temperature and humidity levels are controlled. Air conditioning is perhaps the most efficient method of bringing about this. To mention but a few.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Preservation and conservation are essential library activities which when well implemented has the capability of sustaining and promoting library activities for a very long time. However, preservation is often used interchangeably with conservation, besides, there is a subtle difference between the two. Preservation suggests that natural resources will be left undisturbed, while conservation usually indicates some resource management.

The process of preservation and conservation are applied to safeguard the library materials from further decay and deterioration. Preservation is the process in which all actions are taken to check and retard deterioration where as conservation includes proper diagnosis of the decayed materials, timely curative treatment and appropriate prevention from further decay. In effect, these two terms could be used inter-changeably. In other words, ‘Preservation’ and ‘Conservation’ depicts the activities which libraries use for the maintenance and sustenance of library resources and facilities which could be human or material. However, Anjaiah (2008) stresses that “the words” preservation and conservation” are often used interchangeably to mean: the process of keeping an object safe from harm or loss, damage, destruction or delay, and maintaining it in a reasonably sound condition for present and future use. He maintained that these two words are different, though interrelated and overlapping connotations. As a result of this, Harvey (2013) also explained that the terms “Preservation and “Conservation” have been used interchangeably in library literature until the last few years. He maintained that currently, conservation is the more specific term and is particularly used in relation to specific objectives while “preservation” is a broader concept covering conservation as well as actions relating to protection between “Preservation and “Conservation”. He explained that preservation applies to various strategies for preserving the intellectual content” while “Conservation” is primarily concerned with ensuring that the original artifact is maintained and secure”. Similarly, the New International Webster’s Comprehensive Dictionary (1996) also stressed that to conserve, defend, guard, keep, maintain, sustain among others are synonyms for preservation”.

By definition therefore, preservation of library activities has been defined as the totality of the steps necessary to ensure the permanent accessibility of a particular material forever. Suman (2008) defined preservation as the transfer of information to another medium, such as microfilm and electronic materials. However, the new international Webster’s Comprehensive Dictionary (1996) defined “preservation” as “a noun for the word preserve which means to keep in safety or to keep from destruction. Similarly, Wikipedia (2009) defined “preservation” as the branch of library and information science concerned with maintaining or restoring access to artifacts documents, different from conservation which refers to the treatment and repair of individual items to show decay or restore them to useable state. In the same view, Harrods librarian glossary also defined “preservation” as the managerial and financial considerations including storage, techniques and methods involved in preserving library and achieve materials and the information contained in them”. Ogbodo (2004) also stressed that “preservation” involves all the measures taken to guarantee the safety of prints and nonprint materials in the libraries. Similar, Ania (2007) explain that “preservation is a means of taking care of library materials to avoid deterioration. Okonkwo (2009) was not left out as he also defined “preservation” as “the totality of measures for maintaining the integrity of document and the information contained in them which 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, “conservation is also seen as an occurrence of improvement by virtue of preventing loss or injury or other change. Similarly, Popoola (2003) defined conservation as policies and operations embarked upon by the managers of libraries and with the aim of increasing the life span of their information resources by preventing damage or remedying deterioration. He further explained that it may also be seen as direct physical intervention arresting or showing down deterioration of library resources. However, Harrison (1992) stressed that conservation is about good house-keeping, learning how to handle and store resources to do the least damage, not subjecting it to unnecessarily heavy use and ensuring that back-up or safety copies exist. Therefore, conservation is a preventive but active measure, for doing something to the material, not putting it in the wrong environment, not handling or touching the surface or running material through faulty equipment which will scratch and damage it.

Generally, available literature has shown that libraries and their resources are essential tools for education and these resources are generally ephemeral (short life span) and as such because of the constant use they undergo every day in libraries especially in university libraries, they are bound to tear and wear. But despite these facts, they are bound to be used.

In view of the above, one of the main problem facing University of Calabar libraries of Nigeria as a whole is lack of funds. Robert (2003) explained funding as the process of raising money or capital for any kind of expenditure. University libraries in developing countries such as Nigeria are facing major funding problems due to non-growing or even decreasing appropriations from the university administration and other funding agencies. As a result of this Carole Dyal (2008) explained that subject specialists, bibliographers, and departmental/subject divisional librarians are directly responsible for the intellectual composition of the collection that these staff members are in the best position to know an items intrinsic value to the collection as a whole, and its expected use. Unfortunately, she said that these professionals are often unaware of preservation and conservation options that can protect materials and prolong their use despite that the preservation and conservation treatment of the collection should be their direct concern since physical access is as critical to patron satisfaction as bibliographic access. She went ahead to explain that the emphasis on preservation and conservation practices does not extend beyond “rare” books, even though irreplaceable items and materials of permanent research value are found on the open shelves of most libraries.

Moreso, the current situation in these university libraries is that they cannot order for new materials because of lack of funds and the materials they have within are out-dated, detoriated, as a result of over handling and lack of maintenance. However, these made universities materials in these University of Calabar libraries to be mainly by donation and strict purchase. Therefore, there is need for us to preserve and conserve what we have by providing a cover or jacket to the material immediately it arrived, by laminating some of these materials, by binding the materials, by ensuring a regular dusting and clearing of the materials, by ensuring proper handling and maintenance of library resources, by ensuring reformatting–photocopying, micro-films and digitization and so on because the past is the foundation of the future.

Preservation and conservation of library materials are done to safeguard the library materials from further decay and disfiguration. Sule and Ademu (2005) observed that preservation and conservation practices of library materials leads to the security of man’s recorded knowledge. Through the process of preservation and conservation, man has been able to keep intact the records of the past, the present into safe places. These ensure the continued and effective exploitation of resources in any given library. Moreso, preservation and conservation practices ensure the continued supply of information for the research purposes and for posterity. When there is a good preservation and conservation practices on library materials, efforts will not be a waste on replacement. Materials which should have been expanded on replacement are channeled to the acquisition of new resources to enrich the existing collection. The life span of the collections, books, journals, monographs, audio-visuals etc are safeguarded through the instrument of preservation and conservation.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The deterioration of library information resources in recent times is alarming. Preservation and conservation of information resources in academic libraries play a vital role that cannot be overemphasized. Preservation prevents deterioration of information resources and elongates the life span of information resources. However, the rate at which information resources are getting deteriorated is unabated. The situation may lead to wear and tear, bad shelving, dust particles and growth of biological and chemical agents.

Though deterioration of library information resources has become a global phenomenon and as such, many experts continue research on preservation and conservation of information resources. Several studies (Oluwaniyi, 2015; Agboola et al., 2015) carried out on the preservation and conservation of library materials. Based on the knowledge of researchers, it seems none of the studies exclusively examined the preservation and conservation of information resources in private university libraries. Therefore, this study examined the preservation and conservation of information resources in selected private universities in South-west, Nigeria.

1.3 Objectives Of The Study

The main study objective is to examine the preservation and conservation of library and information resources in colleges of education in Cross River State. while the specific objectives of the study include;

Investigate the nature of deterioration of information resources in the library of colleges of education in Cross River State.
Identify the causes of deterioration of information resources in the library of colleges of education in Cross River State.
Ascertain the techniques used in the preservation and conservation of information resources in the library of colleges of education in Cross River State.
Identify the barriers hindering effective preservation and conservation of information resources in the library of colleges of education in Cross River State.

1.4 Research Questions

The study will be guided by the following questions;

What are the nature of deterioration of information resources in the library of colleges of education in Cross River State?
What are the causes of deterioration of information resources in the library of colleges of education in Cross River State?
What are the techniques used in the preservation and conservation of information resources in the library of colleges of education in Cross River State?
What are the barriers hindering effective preservation and conservation of information resources in the library of colleges of education in Cross River State?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

Ho: There is no effective preservation and conservation of information resources in colleges of education in Cross River State.

Ha: There is an effective preservation and conservation of information resources in colleges of education in Cross River State.

1.6 Significance Of The Study

The findings of the study are of immense benefit to the following: Library administrators, the staff in Binding section as well as other researchers.

The findings of the study is expected to be of interest to the university or college librarian by ensuring that they understand the true state of the library materials as they will see that they share duties properly to each sections of the library and see that they monitor and punish the defaulters accordingly. The findings of this study are expected to be beneficial to the heads of different units in the library as it will help to reveal to the state of preservation and conservation methods that will enable them to improve on saving the library materials from destruction.

Moreover, the information generated by the study will be of help to the binding section as they will enable them to understand the need to bind library materials as soon as they arrive to the library before sending them to their various shelves in order to give longevity to the materials. Moreso, the information generated by the study will be of help to institutions and organizations as it will provide a framework for the preservation and conservation programme in their libraries.

In addition, other researchers will benefit from the findings of this study as it will highlight them to the strategies of preservation and conservation practices in the collage of education.

1.7 Scope of the Study

This study is structured to generally examine the preservation and conservation of library and information resources in Colleges of Education in Cross River State. The respondents of this study will comprise of Librarians in two selected Colleges of Education in Cross River State, which includes;

Federal College of Education, Obudu.
Cross River State College of Education, Akampa

1.8 Limitation of the Study

The major limitation experienced in this study is the Pension Fund Administrators itself. Most of the information provided by the Legacy Pension Manager required explanation as to the reason behind such activities and actions. Nevertheless, there is always solution to a problem the problems were to an extent surmounted. There is also a limitation to textbooks, Journals and other materials in the library which are relevant to this study. I have to source for some materials outside the library. In addition, there was insufficient time for the study. In fact, it is very difficult for a student to go for a research work at the detriment of his lectures. This affects the expected quality of the research work. Furthermore, inadequate finance has an effect on this research work due to the current situation of the economy which makes prices of things very high viz-avis the cost of transportation the pension fund administrator to obtain relevant materials to this research work were very expensive.

1.9 Definition Of Terms

Library

A library is a collection of sources of information and similar resources, made accessible to a defined community for reference or borrowing

Preservation

Preservation is the actions associated with maintaining the library and archival materials for use either in their original physical forms or in some other usable form. Preservation and conservation are often used interchangeably to mean the process of keeping an object safe from harm or loss, damage, destruction or decay and maintaining it in a reasonably sound condition for present and future use.

1.10 Organization Of The Study

This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows. Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), historical background, statement of problem, objectives of the study, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study, definition of terms and historical background of the study. Chapter two highlights the theoretical framework on which the study is based, thus the review of related literature. Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding. Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study.

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