CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
The earliest and most fundamental responsibility of academic library is the conservation of knowledge. An academic library according to Akpata (1979) and Edoka (1992), refers to a library that caters :or the needs of those enqaged in academic pursuits in higher institutions like the universities, colleges of education, of technologies and polytechnics. It has to do with a library that takes care of the people engaged in academic and research work in the institutions of higher learning. This group comprises the students, academic and administrative staff in those institutions. Since a library of such nature serves many people, it becomes a focal point.
Academic library acquires various types of human communication records, organizes and stores them for later use. Librarians in it were therefore employed to preserve those records by locking them and restricting usage. They cared less whether people asked for and mads use of them or not. Even the few materials made use of were used only in the library and under the strictest surveillance of the librarians. Librarians never thought of free access to, or lending of their materials to their users. They were only interested in collecting, storing and conserving materials for the future generation. In essence, the security of library materials was upper most in the minds of their earliest librarians. Hence, Wilson (1982) writes of the tasks of the earliest librarians as: to devote his time and leisure to increasing the library in his charge, If he neglects increasing the collection let him at least take care not to reduce it by losing the books committed to his care or letting them perish in any way. He must suspect and beware of those enemies of books. He is to repair bindings destroyed by age, remind readers to treat books decently, keep them in a fixed and safe place. The introduction of printing and the massive quest for education following the Renaissance led to the change in the professional attitudes of librarians towards their collections. According to Nzotta (1 982), the pendulum swung to the other extreme and the emphasis shifted to dissemination rather than preservation.
Librarians began to allow users open access to their book stacks and encouraged their use. User education then emerged. The proliferation of researchers in the universities and project work in schools greatly increased the use of libraries and thus posed threats to traditional library materials. Traditional library materials here refers to all the print materials like books, manuscripts, maps, drawings, photographs, journals, newspapers and magazines. By this definitions computer and all audio-visual materials are excluded while all the paper-based materials remain the focus. Paper materials from the largest stock of academic libraries. Hence Akussah (1991) observes that the information world stand the imminent risk of losing so much of its precious writer: heritage following the deterioration of paper records. Over-use became a major threat to books for the greater the use, the more vulnerable the volumes. Increased accessibility also increased threat from thieves and other delinquent readers. Open access to academic library collection led to the increased demand for the use of these traditional library materials which is paper materials. The search for ever cheaper paper to meet the increased e demand led in the later part of 19th century to the manufacture of paper from ground wood pulp. The sizing agents used for the bleaching leave sommcids in the paper. When these acid papers, according Shahani and Wilson (1987) are exposed to light and heat, they begin to hasten their I' deterioration and embitterment. The inherent poor quality of modern paper is one of the greatest problems of all traditional materials in an academic library. In addition, poor environmental and storage conditions contribute significantly to the deterioration and destruction of paper-based records in any academic library. In the face of all these threats, many people have become apprehensive of the survivability of these traditional library materials for future use.
For instance, William (1 982) observes: Everything .in the library collections is deteriorating today, was deteriorating yesterday, and will continue to deteriorate tomorrow.. . . Library lovers having noticed this threat, and the usefulness of preservation have alerted the world. Different actions requisite to retarding deterioration process and ensuring preservation have also been identified. Further efforts are being made nationally and internationally to find out more solutions. According to Akussah (1991) at the International Conference on the preservation of Library Materials held in Vimna, Austria in April, 1986, it was recommended that member associations should urge national policy-making bodies to establish guiding principles for the formulation and implementation of national programmes for the preservation of library materials. The above is an indication of concerted efforts being made to root out deterioration. Research organizations like the International Federation of Library Association (IFLA) have at so established their own programmes on preservation and conservation (PAC) of libraries. African university libraries have had good knowledge about conservation. This occurs through the publications, training facilities and seminars of some research institutes, councils and associations like IFLR. Yet no comparable development has been made in the area of practical preservation and conservation. This is affirmed by lgbinoba (1993) who also asserts that to his knowledge, no African university library has appointed a conservation librarian. Academic libraries in Africa including Nigeria pay more attention to the acquisition of library resources than to preservation. This has made our academic libraries the homes of embrittled, variegated and mould infested books, magazines, journals, newspaper and other print materials (Oliobi, 1987). Hence, Wilson (1981) observed: Libraries today are hospitals for sick books in which with very few exceptions not nearly enough is being done to treat the patients…books are not lasting as they ought and should. Academic libraries acquire, process into retrievable form and make available the information contents to the academic community and the public for their teaching and research work.
Academic libraries in Nigeria in fulfilling the above functions are facing pressures due to overuse and other abuses from the users. With the colossal amount being spent on our academic libraries one just expects that adequate planning be put in place to preserve the records in them from deterioration and destruction. The decline in the growth of valuable and up-to-date collections in our academic libraries due to budgetary constraints, and the effects of global inflationary trends call for serious preservation measures in our academic libraries.