Management of Special Collections in A Period of Reduced Funding.
ABSTRACT
The objective of this research was to investigate the management of the Special Collection Division in a period of reduced funding in Nnamdi Azikiwe Library, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Six research questions were framed to guide the study. It was a case study.
The population comprise of all the users of Special Collection Division, the Library Staff working there and the University Librarian himself. A sample population was made of 14 staff and 75 users of different categories.
Questionnaire and oral interview were the instrument use for data collection while data collected was analyzed using frequency tables. The major findings of the study were as follows.
There is a lack of bibliographic tools for processing of the resources, there is inadequate resources that are acquired and stocked for users, users are frustrated as a result of lack of learning resources they need and few learning resources are acquired for teaching and learning.
A number of recommendations were made that could help alleviate the condition such as provision of more space for better organization of materials, taking acquisition tour to fill gaps in government document from Nigeria and paying for United Nations Documents.
Introduction of information technology in the management of Special Collection, recruiting more hands to handle materials organization and services in the division, prudent management of available resources as well as customer-oriented services, among others.
TABLE CONTENTS
Title page
Certification
Approval page
Dedication
Acknowledgement
Table of contents
List of Tables
Abstract
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Statement of the Problem
Purpose of Study
Significance of the Study
Research Questions
Scope of the study
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Definition of Concepts
Methods of Special Collection Acquisition in Academic Libraries
Organization of Special Collections
Users Services in Academic Libraries
Problems of Special Collection Management Academic Libraries
Summary of Literature Review
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
Area of the Study
Population of the Study
Sample and Sampling Technique
Method of Data Collection
Instrument for Data Collection
Validation of the Instrument
Method of Data Analysis
CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
Research question one
Research question two
Research question three
Research question four
Research question five
Research question six
CHAPTER FIVE: Discussion, Conclusion, Recommendations
Conclusion
Implications of the Study-
Recommendation
Limitation of the Study
Summary of the Study
Suggestions for Further Research
References
Appendix
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
The quality of the management of any organization, whether it be a corporation, a government agency or a museum has a great deal to do with ultimate success of the group involved Mount (1984).
This certainly holds true for libraries including those devoted to special collections.
There is un-doubtable general agreement that the degree to which Special Collection Division achieve high standard of performance in dealing with their users especially during period of reduced funding depends chiefly upon the administrative ability of the library managers.
Special Collection according to Love and Feather (1998) are collection of materials, which are distinguished by their age, rarity, provenance, subject matter, or some other definition characteristics.
They are a traditional feature of many academic libraries, and an important resource for primary research in the humanities and the historical social science.
According to Harrods’s Librarian Glossary (1995) special collections are a collections of books connected with local history, celebrities, industries etc or on a certain subject or period or gathered for some particular reason in library which is general in character.
REFERENCES
Alex, I.I. (2002). “Problem of Collection Development in Polytechnic Libraries in
Nigeria: a case study of Abia State Polytechnic Aba, Abia State”, Unpublished B.Sc. Thesis, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Anafulu, Camelius (1988). “Library: the custodian of information”. The statement, October 31, p.5
Bahr, A.H. (1982). Book theft and Library Security System. 1981-1982. New York Knowledge Industries.
Baker, David (1997). Resource Management in Academic Libraries. London: Library Association Publishing.
Balarabe, A.A. (1995). Nigerian University Libraries and the World Bank Loan. Third World Libraries 5(2): 32-33, Spring.