SOURCES OF INFORMATION MATERIALS IN NIGERIAN ACADEMIC LIBRARIES

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background to the Study

This research is therefore focused towards investigating the sources of information materials in Nigeria academic libraries for the users to certify their need.

Public libraries are libraries that is accessible by the general public and is generally funded from, public sources such as taxes. It is operated by libraries and library paraprofessionals, who are also civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries the first is that they are generally supported by taxes (usually local, through any level of government can and may contributed).

They are covered by a board of serve the public interest; they are open to all and every community member can access the collection. They are entirely voluntary in that no one is ever forced to use the services provided and public libraries provide basic services with out charged.

Public libraries exist in many countries across the world and are often considered an essential pan of having an educated and literate population. Public libraries are distinct from research libraries school libraries and other special libraries in that their main need (rather than the need of a particular school, institution or research populations) public libraries also provide free services such as preschool story time to encourage early literacy, quiet study and work areas for students and professionals or book clubs to encourage appreciation of literature in adults public libraries typically allows users to take books and other materials off the premises temporarily.

They also have reference collections and provide computer and internet access. Aguolu (1989) materials that libraries are social agencies designed to conserve knowledge, preserve cultural heritage, provide information, support education and research, and serve as fountains of recreation. These responsibilities are executed in a number of ways. Public libraries acquire conventional material as well as specialized and unconventional material that have research and education value.

Public libraries are libraries found in institutions of higher learning like the polytechnics, universities, college of education, etc. academic libraries worldwide may differ in size and sophistication but they have one common objective to provide information resources to facilitate teaching, learning, research and community service embarked on by the parent institutions. They are libraries that are integral and part and parcels of an institution.

The Webster's international dictionary of English language defines information as a commodity valuation resource which is explicable as cotton machinery, mineral resources, human resources and which can be wisely use to produce more goods for the consumption of the society. Information is defined as that which constitute message of human experience that is, what is transmitted, a signal or stimulus. Information can be viewed as an embodiment inter-related or structure related which are required as well as to take appropriate decisions.

Barrister Oduagwu, states that the term information is often understood to mean different things, claiming that the definition of the nature of information is a scientific problem in its own right and has constantly engaged the effects of information scientist. He then stated that information could thus be defined as that grade of organization of a receiving system that is generated under certain conditions as a result of transferring a grade organization from another that is the source system. In addition Oduagwu asserted that information is an essential resources in modern society, that helps medium professionals to embrace contemporary changes and developments in their various field of endeavour.

Sources of information material can be described to be those materials where information can be gotten from in the library. The academic institution s rely heaving upon the availability of adequate quantity and quality of information material s and resources. Without current

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1.2 Brief History Information

Cross river state is coastal state in south Eastern Nigeria, named after the cross river, which passes through the state located in the Niger Delta, Cross River state occupies about 20, 156 square kilometers. It shares boundaries with Benue state to the North, enugu and Abia state to the West, to the East by Cameroon Republic and to the south by Akwa Ibom and the Atlantic Ocean. South eastern state was created on may 27, 1967 from the former eastern region Nigeria by the General Yakubu Gowon regime, its name was changed to cross river state in the 1976, state creation exercise by then General Murtaala Mohammed regime form south Eastern state.

The Present day Akwa-Ibom state was exercise of September 1987 by the regime of General Ibrahim Babangida. Its capitals is calabar, its major towns are akampa, biase, calabar, South ikom, obubra Odukpani, Ogaja ugep, obudu, Obankilu, akpabuyo, Ofutop,Iso-Bendghe and boji.

The state has been previously governed by many governors and administrators including Udoakaha J. Esuene , paul omu, tuned Elegbede Clement Isong, Donald Etiebet, Daniel Archibong Ibim Princewill, ernes Atta, Clement Enri, Ibrahim kefas, Gregory Agbeneni Umar- Farouk Ahmed, Christopher Osondu, Donald Duke and Lyel imoke. The current governor is Ben Ayade who came into power on the 29th may, 2015. The cross river state public library was established in 1978 few years before the Ibrahim Babangida college of Agriculture was created. The library suffered accommodation problem for five years.

It started with a few numbers of books selected and ordered by the chief librarian and donations from other voluntary organizations. This volume formed the nucleus of what can be seen today as the cross river state public library. The library is presently operating in a four story building at No 10 calabar road. AKA library complex with the PMB 1155. It also has more than 9857 titles in its holdings, journals, local newspapers and magazines etc. The library have the following section, administration, technical service Acquisition section, cataloguing and classification section, circulation section and also provides the following services.

Adult literacy, public library extension services, provision of information needs and recreational activities etc.

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1.3 Objective of the Study

The purpose for which this research work is carried out there are enormous. But the most cardinal of them includes;

1. To ascertain the ways Nigerian public libraries obtain information materials.
2. To determine ways by which Nigerian public libraries can improve materials resources.
3. To aid Nigerian libraries obtain better and cogent information materials.

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1.4 Research Questions

This is intended to provide answer to the following question.

• What are these information source materials?
• What are the importance of information source material in the academic library?
• Does an academic library need information source materials?
• How could the use of this library material be enhanced?
• What are the benefits of this information source material to the academic library users?

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1.5 Scope of the Study

This research is based on the study of the sources of information materials in the Cross River library. The study is reviewed in other to fine out the nature, standard, problems and prospects of the libraries sources of information materials. The study will vigorously attempt to enumerate the source of information material and its importance in the development of the Cross River library in cross River state.

It will also deal with the activities and role such information source material such as the journals, articles, books, magazine and newspaper, diaries, memoirs, autobiographic and mostly the internet, etc.

Recommendation will be made on how to improve and get more of the information source materials in the library.

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1.6 Significance of the Study

This study will be of numerous values when successfully carried out such as;

1. It will improve the standard of Nigerian libraries in the international sphere.
2. It will aid public libraries lay hand or have access to quality information.
3. Minimize the promulgation of poor quality information into the Nigerian public libraries.

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1.7 Definition of Terms

Sources:

Place from which information or ideas are derived. In translation a source text is the original text that is to be translated into another language.

Library:

A library is a collection of sources of information and similar resources, made accessible to a defined community for referencing or borrowing. It provides physical or digital access or materials and may be a physical building or room, or a virtual space or both.

Public Libraries:

Library that is accessible by the general public an is generally funded from public sources, such as taxes it is operated by librarian and library paraprofessionals who are also civil servants.

Information Materials:

That which informs i. e an answer to question as well as that from which knowledge and data can be derived ( as data represent values attributed to parameters real things or abstract concepts) As it regards data, the information's existence is not necessarily coupled to an observer is not necessarily coupled to an observer ( it exist beyond and event horizon for example) while in the case of knowledge the information requires a cognitive observer.