CAPACITY BUILDING INITIATIVES IN PRESERVATION TECHNIQUES: A CASE STUDY OF NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

The librarians are often encouraged to maintain and keep their collections accessible through digitization as their stock in trade is their collection. This study examined capacity building initiatives in preservation techniques in selected libraries and assessed the level of training received by different library staff. Four university libraries were randomly selected and a descriptive survey method using a selfdeveloped questionnaire. The respondents comprised librarians and non-librarians. A total of one hundred and twenty copies of questionnaires were distributed, but a hundred and twelve was retrieved and used for the analysis. The study revealed that there were no professionals to manage the preservation section of the university library and as such, most institutions make do with Para-professionals like binders, technicians and library officers etc. Analysis from the respondent’s show that Universities in Nigeria are not exposed to capacity building in preservation. Finally, regular trainings are vital for the development of all staff and for any university to stand out amongst others; there must be provision for usual capacity building of both faculty and staff.

Keywords

• Capacity Building
• Professional/Librarian
• Para-Professional/NonLibrarians
• Preservation
• Academic Library.