CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Academic libraries are mainly libraries within institutions of higher learning including universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. They are billed to support the teaching, research and extension services of parent institutions.
Large part of funding comes from government grant. Academic libraries start as far back as 16th and 17th century in Europe and America.
Therefore, in this study, the researcher will consider book as reference books and non-fiction book.
Reference Books: According to Harrods libraries glossary, reference books is a book such as dictionary, encyclopedia, gazettes, yearbooks, directories, atlases which are compiled to supply definite piece of information of varying extent and intended to be referred to rather than read through. Reference books are usually comprehensive within scope, condensed in treatment and systematically arranged to facilitate ease of use. They are not read chapter by chapter they are not borrowed for home use rather they are consulted by the librarian.
Non-fiction Books: This is the prose writings that deal with facts (as distinct from novels, stories, etc, which deal with unreal people and events, it includes books in various sport areas. Donna Norton is of the view that one should start from who’s who to how to. Examples of reference books encyclopedia, dictionary and text books.
The first three laws of library science by S.R. Ranaganathan emphasizes the importance of a book in the library. The first is that books are meant for use, second, to every reader his book and third to every book its reader, with this special emphasis and importance according to book, it is therefore necessary that books are acquired in any library. In academic libraries, the notion of book acquisition is of prime importance of greater importance too is the method and source through which books are acquired especially fro academic libraries. When the image are what the collection of the library is made up we will not address our minds to the fact that the bulk of this is the various volumes and title of books displayed conspicuously on the library’s shelves. In other words, the book is an essential and important constituent of the academic library to be precise. In academic libraries in Imo State, effective consideration is given to book materials. A lot of books are acquired in academic libraries through various methods and sources.
Evans (1974) definition of acquisition incorporate some of these methods. According to Evans, acquisition is the process of securing materials for the library collection whether by purchase, as gifts or through exchange programme.
There are other methods involved and the acquisition librarian must explore all these method and utilize sources that will be advantageous to him to acquire books for his library. This statement emphasizes the most obvious activity in academic libraries. This activity and its importance is summed up in Fatuji (1982) statement that to provide a plentiful supply of goods and useful books in the college library’s raison d’etre.
Since the academic library feels all the social forces of education, research and services, it provides information materials necessary for aiding this activity by utilizing greatly all available methods and sources for its acquisition of books.