EFFECTS OF FUNDING, STAFF TRAINING, PRESERVATION AND BIBLIOGRAPHIC CONTROL ON NEWSPAPER UTILISATION IN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Newspapers are sources of information on topical and current issues, stocked by libraries for use but due to their nature, they are susceptible to deterioration much faster than other printed materials. University libraries, therefore, have the challenge of preserving newspapers for posterity, quick access and use. Existing studies have dealt with newspaper preservation but there is a dearth of studies on effects of funding, staff training, preservation and bibliographic control on newspaper utilisation. This study, therefore, investigated effects of funding, staff training, preservation and bibliographic control on newspaper utilisation in university libraries in Nigeria.

The survey research design was adopted. The stratified random sampling technique was used to select 14 (out of 25) federal and 15 (out of 28) state universities from all public universities in Nigeria in 2010. Twenty-nine serial librarians and 50 users from each of the selected universities participated in the study. The instruments used were two questionnaires, one for the serial librarians and the other for the users, interview checklist and observation schedule. The questionnaire on serial librarians had scales on funding (r=0.65), staff training (r=0.68), preservation and bibliographic control (r=0.71), while that of the users had scale on newspaper utilisation (r=0.71). Two hundred copies of 16 titles of different national newspapers were sampled and inspected in each of the universities to verify their level of deterioration. Nine research questions were raised and six hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data collected were subjected to descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment correlation, multiple regression and content analysis.

There was a significant relationship between preservation of newspapers and newspaper utilisation (r=0.264,p<0.05), newspaper utilisation and bibliographic control of newspapers (r=0.514,p<0.05); and between newspaper utilisation and funding of newspapers (r=0.516,p<0.05). There was no significant relationship between newspaper utilisation and staff training on preservation. Funding, staff training, preservation and bibliographic control of newspapers jointly influenced newspaper utilisation in university libraries in Nigeria and accounted for 3.2% of the variance on newspaper utilisation. The four factors when combined made significant contribution to newspaper utilisation (F(4;24)=4.37,p<0.05). The contributions of these factors were as follows: preservation (?=0.308), bibliographic control of newspaper (?=0.227), funding (?=0.117) and staff training (?=0.025). Funding of newspapers in federal university was (x=N500,000) and state (x=N100,000). The interview revealed that newspaper subscription and preservation were not adequately funded and staff training in both federal and state universities was inadequate. However, funding of newspapers in federal universities was relatively better than in state universities. It was revealed that majority of users from all the universities consulted newspapers frequently. Observation guide showed that newspapers were not well preserved to provide quick access to them in both federal and state universities.

Funding, staff training on preservation and bibliographic control positively influence the shelve life of newspapers in both federal and state universities. Therefore, university librarians should sustain and improve on preservation and bibliographic control of newspapers to extend their shelve life and provide quick access to them due to their role as information resources.