CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0            BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Library is an institution housing a collection of books and non-book materials like the audiovisual equipments  in a systematic manner for easy receival by he users. The primary aim f he library is to provide and preserve the information for users.
Chukwuma (2004), use of library states that “library is a place where professionally selected and acquired books and non-book materials are processed and orderly arranged ot make for easy location, retrieval and use”.
Eyisi (2011), foundation of library states that “library is a collection of sources, services and the structure in which it is housed which is organized for use and maintained by a public body, an institution or a private individual”. There is need therefore, for any library to acquire information materials that would satisfy the need of us users and also preserve these information materials for posterity. This study will therefore, focus on the preservation of library materials in the Kenneth Dike E. library Awka.
According to New enclopedia Britannica, preservation is defined as “planned management natural resources or the total environment of a particular ecosystem to prevent exploitation destruction or neglect and to ensure the future of that resources”.
Boochaarden (1955), simple defined preservation as action taken, anticipated, prevent, stop or retard deterioration”.
Preservation of library material in the public libraries is the act of keeping both books and non-book materials safe from the destructive effects of sunlight, human handling, animals and others insidious enemies of library material such as book-worms and moulds.
The deterioration of information materials is not a recent phenomenon. Research predicts that all paper base records may face imminent ruin if nothing is done to preserve them.
Williams (1970) noted that was everything in the library collection is deteriorating today was deteriorating yesterday and will continue to deteriorate tomorrow although we ought ot retard the process”.
According to Akwabro (198) “the issue of preserving library materials stared as for back as 668-626 BC  in Assyria Egypt and China where knowledge was recorded in papyrills and palm leaves which were mostly used in Egypt then were special rooms and some people were employed to take proper care of them, chains were usually used to hold the table by typing them to he reading tablets.
A preservation programme provides a complete protection services beginning with systematic cleaning of the collection at suitable interval. However, the entire collection will have to pass through repair, rebuilding, replacement, microfilm or new stabilization process. To ensure that library methals remain available to be presented to future generation of library usere. Libraies should engage in a variety of preservation efforts such as conserving the original material and the transfer of information form original materials to more durable formats.
This can be achieved by appointing a conservator who will be expert in weather preservation, insection control, mold and footing as well as blinding and lamination, such a person must be expert in photograph reproduction; he guard against all chemical unstabilized articles especially the atmospheric condition and protects the books against excessive exposure to sunlight. He must know the problems of housing manuscript, maps and sheet music.
Materials in the library face a lot of problems in the course of their preservation. Unfortunately, even when the custodians of these material become aware of these of these problems, they may be handicapped by the relative unavailability of expert advice on which procedures to follow in conserving these material.