THE ACQUISITION, ORGANIZATION, PRESERVATION AND INDEXING OF NEWSPAPERS IN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES IN NORTHERN STATES OF NIGERIA

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Date
1988-09
Authors
GAJI, RUFUS YANSHEN
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Abstract
This is a study of the acquisition, organization, preservation and indexing of newspapers in seven selected University Libraries in the eleven Northern States of Nigeria. The purpose of the study was to find out if the poor state of newspapers in University Libraries is related to the acquisition practice, the way in which staff organize, supervise, maintain, preserve and index them, or due to hardened minds of readers, with a view to suggesting alternative approaches to the methods of acquisition organizing, supervising, maintaining, preserving, and indexing, newspapers. The significance of the study is that University Libraries are looked upon as the last hope when other types of libraries fail to cope up with information needs of readers. Related literature was reviewed, Data were collected through questionnaire, interviews and physical examination of acquired newspapers, and analysed. In the main, the study found out that most libraries do not acquire newspapers published in the indigenous languages, and most libraries make little effort to fill gabs created as result of theft or mutilation. Going through current issues of newspapers by heads of sections before passing them to readers is more of current awareness purpose than checking for possible imperfection. Many libraries leave current issues of newspapers on tables for readers to consult at will, a practice that encourages theft and multilation. In most libraries, staff of other sections have direct access to back sets. However, some staff abuse this privilege by removing vi or mutilating newspapers. Newspaper indexing in University Libraries is generally lacking, and none of the two libraries indexing has produced a thesaurus for the purpose. There is a general lack of adequate space for newspapers use and storage. Libraries are yet to start preserving newspapers in microforms. Despite accumulated experiences of staff of old University Libraries, they have not performed any better than staff of young University Libraries in terms of acquisition, organization, supervision, maintenance, preservation and indexing of newspapers. There is no significant difference in their performance. The poor state of newspapers in most libraries is due to poor acquisition practice, organization, ineffective supervision, and lack of adequate space for proper storage. In the light of these findings, several suggestions were made in the form of recommendations for the improvement of newspapers acquisition, organization, preservation and indexing in University Libraries in Nigeria.
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A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF LIBRARY SCIENCE (MIS) SEPTEMBER, 1988
Keywords
ACQUISITION,,, ORGANIZATION,, PRESERVATION,, INDEXING,, NEWSPAPERS,, UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES,, NORTHERN STATES OF NIGERIA
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