1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
The goal of any library and information center is to provide library and information materials to the library users. The library is not complete without information materials to meet the needs of the libraries users.
Federal polytechnic library Nekede, their very nature is net up to attached to the parent institution of higher learning.
1.2 Background of the study
According to the library colorsary, they are those library or libraries arranged for the universities and all other institution of higher learning. They are also libraries that are established, maintained and administered in a university, polytechnic or all other parent institution of higher learning to meet their educational objectives of their parent institution to serve as a parent institution or a support unit. According to (U.N.E.S.C.O) an academic library can be defined as an institution of higher learning such as polytechnic, universities college of technology, arts and science, agriculture and education, plus advanced colleges (etc) are as varies and distinctive as the parent institutions which they serve. An academic library has a qualified staff with a special training in a particular subject or methodology and offers specialized and usually personalized services.
The established fact is that academic libraries are the library or libraries in junior colleges and in four years colleges and they are more specialized libraries in the colleges within the polytechnic and the other parent institution of higher learning devoted to their parent institutions of academics activities.
The library users are usually undergraduates, graduates, academic and non academic staff, and accredited research workers. It has in its stock all research facilities, documentaries, bodes and at times books in antiquities and incunabula, works on science and humanities abound. Academic libraries receive grants, endowment, subventions as sources of their income.
In each kind of parent institution, the purposes, staff, building, programme of services extent and nature of the curriculum, the size of the faculty, and student body, the methods of institution, the variety of graduate offering, the amount of financial support and whether or not the library is a part of an area, state, or regional co-operative system in which certain materials equipments and service may be shared.
As a repository of knowledge, the library has a very vital role to play in dissemination of information materials and in order to properly perform their role. It is important of preserved and stored, so as to enhance effective use of the library and information materials in a particular place until it is needed.
It aims at promoting quick access, location and retrieval of materials in the libraries and information center without adequate storage, location and retrieval become difficult. Storage basically means, intended to safeguard materials for their further use in an academic libraries. According to Mr. Uche Onuoha C. (PhD) (1992-2000), defined storage as a source from which document or information or specified description may be supplied, a receptable for information.
Preservation on the other hand, is the act of keeping library and information materials in it original state or condition without damage. It is an important process or activities in any libraries. Library and information materials get damaged, mutilated or deteriorated over time due to used, misuse or non use and careless storage. When this happens, the need arises for the affected library and information materials to be restored or repaired.
This then brings about restoration which aims at bringing back materials to former standard form. Storage and preservation of library and information materials. It is the library helps to preserve the life span of the materials. It is specific or collective measures taken for the repair, restoration, protection and maintenance of the library and information materials to make them last longer. According to (UNESCO) in their own vocabulary, preservation means adequate facilities for the care, protection and maintenance of achieves of what ever kind.
The above definition expresses the deliberate planned or thoughtful preventing, guarding or protecting of library and information materials for posterity. With the prolonged life or information materials, it is possible to one generation to another. However, in most academic libraries storage and preservation library and information materials are not given adequate rector and a representation of the academic broad management of federal polytechnic, Nekede is under the research investigation revealed that polytechnic has many divisions. The security department, technical department, marketing department, library and documentation center which is headed by Chief librarian.
The library exists in recognition of the need to communicate scientific and technological information to its staff, industry and other interested parties. Acquisition of books and other information materials are on these academic areas: technology, ceramics, agriculture, chemistry, physics, engineering and electrical chemistry. The information materials come mostly in form of journals, parents, standard, translation and technical reports.
It has a stock of over ten thousand (10,000) publication covering a wide range of subjects in science and technology. More so, these information materials are acquired through exchange, loans, and gifts or by purchase.
They exchange materials from international bodies like the national technical information service (NTIS) and association of academic librarians' information Bureau (A.A.L.I.B) loans from other libraries like the cocoa research institute library and gift from business men who patronize their products.
Since it inception, it has provided numerous services to users such as helping in research acquiring materials, documenting abstracting and indexing the information materials from journals, making it easily accessible for users. Another great work of federal polytechnic library, Nekede is that it mounts overhead and slide machines for seminars.
1.3 Statement of the Problem
Federal polytechnic library Nekede, constitute an important segment in the nation's library system. They are unique in nature, purpose, users and even their resource. Federal library is known to be the parent institution in the collection of library and information materials. Library and information materials grow as a result of expansion in knowledge.
These library and information materials require proper storage and preservation of library and information materials lead to quick identification, location and retrieval of library and information materials and as such information that are well being come and since paper which is the chief source of printed materials in the library is subject to deterioration, wear and tear, due to a number of factors such as biological, chemical and physical agents, the pertinent question is how to preserve these materials to prolong their lives as to serve more generation.
With the present state of preservation technology. The only economically feasible method of preserving library materials in nearly every case is by some form of reprography or reproduction. This is why preservation is said to be action of keeping from injury of destruction.
1.4 Types of Information Materials
An academic library being a library with selective collection of resources acquires with book materials and non-book materials.
According to Dr. Umunna (PhD), 2008:6, he defined book materials as the non-periodical printed publication of at least 49 pages exclusive the cover page.
Which staff are involved in the storage and preservation of the materials and to what extent are they adequate?
What are the problems that hinder effective storage and preservation of library and information materials in the library?
In what ways can the storage and preservation of library and information materials in the library understudy be improved?
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