1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
The Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri was established by edit No 16 of 1978. It opened for classes on the 19th December 1978 at a temporary site in the premises of the government trade centre along Egbu road, Owerri with initial of 275 students. In 1980, the college of education as was its name then was moved to its permanent site in Nekede Owerri. The name of the college was later changed to Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri.
In 1987 by the edict No 6 of 1987, it was further renamed Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri by the federal government Amendment decree of 1993 of 1st January 1993. Its motto ”knowledge and skill for service” which has been demonstrated by the quality of graduates and professional that the school has produced over the years. The polytechnic offers full and part time National diploma (ND), Higher National Diploma (HND) and certificate programmes.
Background
Academic libraries are the heart of the learning community providing a place for students and faculty to do their research and advance their knowledge (Simmonds,2011) however, one major challenge that academic libraries has been facing with is security problems, that is how to secure their valuable resources collected overtime.
Akinfoladirin (1992) observed that one of the serious problems that have bothered libraries from the earliest time to the present is how to ensure the security problems of library materials especially against their theft and mutilation.
Bello (1998) asserted that not all thefts are committed by patrons; some library staff takes materials from the library without ducking them out. This kind of theft according to Lonazon (1996) is one of the hardest to prevent since library employees know how to defect the security system. it is important to ensure that the security is performed as seamlessly as possible without interfering with the library's objective of providing a user friendly environment.
1.1 Statement of the Problem
It had earlier been stated that library is the heart beat of every institution, if the reference tools are provided, it is not provided the way it should be. This research work therefore was undertaken to carry out a detailed research on improvement and recommendation of reference tools available for use where it is appropriate.
The Problems Under Study Include:
- Inadequate resources provided
- Staff and users not making good use of the resources
- The users are not keeping to the instruction received or given
- Resources are not properly organized.
1.2 Objectives of the Study
Users may come into the library, consult the main catalogue and falsely assume that they have searched the entire contents of the library. The catalogue may confirm the holding of a periodical (magazine or journal) but not its contents, a poetry collection but not individual poems, the table of an author's collected works but not individual news stories, indexes and abstracts are created and becomes extremely useful tolls to more fully reveal detail resources not covered in the more general catalogue.
The study aims at achieving the following objectives:
- To identify the reference tools available in the library of Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri.
- To ascertain the services provided by Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri Library.
- To identify the factors that militates against the federal Polytechnic library.
- To make recommendations for better position of reference tools in Federal polytechnic Nekede Library.
1.3 Research Question
The following research questions become important in this study.
- What types of reference tools are available in Federal Polytechnic Nekede Library?
- What type of reference services are provided by Federal Polytechnic Nekede Library?
- What are the problems associated with the acquisition of reference tools?
- Are the subject areas adequately covered by the available reference tools?
1.4 Scope of the Study
Reference tools for youth is an essential book for school and libraries as well as reference librarians and Paraprofessionals working in children's and young adult services, professors and instructors will find it useful as a textbook for library and information studied courses.
The research centers on academic library reference tools. This study is designed to concentrate and expose the problems hindering the adequate reference tools provided by the library under study.
1.5 Significance of the Study
There are those who stand to benefit from this study. They will include among others staff of the library. Staff will benefit from the resources effectively for the benefit of the users. The users of the library will benefit from the services and resources provided by their parent institution if accepted the institution given by the librarian in charge of the services.
1.6 Operational Definition of Terms
I have no great opinion of a definition; (uncertainty and confusion) Burke (1751). To avoid uncertainty and confusion, the following terms and concepts that appeared at the various parts in this study assume the following meaning in this research.
Resources: Are materials provided for library users and they are informed through books and non- book materials.
Services: Is the act of giving instruction and guides to library users for them to get the right books at the right time for successful research.
