Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

The accessibility of special collections during the COVID-19 pandemic was a matter of concern for libraries and their users due to the specific nature of special collections compared to other information sources in libraries. This study therefore investigated the accessibility of special collections in university libraries in the South South zone of Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic. The population of the study included 233 librarians in federal, state and private universities in the zone. The study adopted an online questionnaire and there was a total of 197 respondents. The findings show that special collections were accessible to library users through library websites, institutional repositories, CD-ROMs and flash drives during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. The study reveals some of the challenges affecting the accessibility of special collections during the COVID-19 pandemic in university libraries in Nigeria and recommends ways of enhancing the accessibility of special collections during a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords

Special collections accessibility COVID-19 pandemic university libraries South South Nigeria

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Ali

Gatiti

(2020) The COVID-19 (corona virus) pandemic: Reflections on the roles of librarians and information professionals. Health Information and Libraries Journal 37(2): 158–162.

Anunobi

Onyebinama

(2011) ETD initiatives in Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO): Successes, challenges, and prospects. In: Proceedings of the 14th international symposium on electronic theses and dissertations, Cape Town, South Africa, 13–17 September 2011. South Africa National Research Foundation. Available at: http://dl.cs.uct.ac.za/conferences/etd2011/papers/etd2011_anunobi.pdf

Apeji

EAD

(1986) Special collections in Nigerian academic libraries. Annals of Library Science and Documentation 33(1–2): 13–19.

Chukwu

SAJ

Emezie

Emerole

, et al. (2018) Digitization in a Nigerian university of technology: Issues, challenges and way forward. International Journal of Library and Information Science Studies 4(2): 6–12.

Claremont College Library (2022) Accessing and using special collections materials. Available at: https://library.claremont.edu/sca/accessing-and-using-materials (accessed 26 May 2022).

Duke University Libraries (2020) Closing of Duke University Libraries. Available at: https://coronavirus.duke.edu/2020/03/closing-of-duke-university-libraries/

Emasealu

(2019) Automation of academic libraries and web-development: A reverie or reality. International Journal of Knowledge Content Development and Technology 9(1): 43–56.

Emasealu

Umeozor

(2021) Availability and remote accessibility of academic library services in Nigerian universities during the COVID-19 lockdown. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal): Article 6787. Available at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/6787 (accessed 12 May 2022).

Hinchliffe

Wolff-Eisenberg

(2020) Academic library response to COVID19: The first 24 hours of survey data. In: Ithaka S+R. Available at: https://sr.ithaka.org/blog/academic-library-response-to-covid19 (accessed 13 May 2020).

10.

IFLA (2020) COVID-19 and the global library field: Key resources for libraries in responding to the coronavirus pandemic. Available at: https://www.ifla.org/covid-19-and-libraries#services (accessed 13 May 2020).

11.

Ishtiaq

Sehar

Shahid

(2020) Information dissemination during Covid-19 and lockdown: The role of university libraries of Sindh, Pakistan. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal): Article 4280. Available at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/4280

12.

Jagboro

Omotayo

Aboyade

(2012) Digitization of library collection in developing countries: The Hezekiah Oluwasanmi Library experience. Library Philosophy and Practice: Article 823. Available at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/823

13.

Kwanya

Stilwell

Underwood

(2015) Library 3.0: Intelligent Libraries and Apomediation. Kidlington: Chandos.

14.

Omeje

Sambe

Onah

(2016) Use of special collections in Nigerian university libraries: A case study of Nnamdi Azikiwe Library, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Information and Knowledge Management 6(7): 38–42.

15.

Omeluzor

(2020) Evaluation of integrated library system (ILS) use in university libraries in Nigeria: An empirical study of adoption, performance, achievements, and shortcomings. Evidence Based Library and Information Practice 15(4): 49–67.

16.

Omeluzor

Nwaomah

Molokwu

, et al. (2022) Dissemination of information in the COVID-19 era in university libraries in Nigeria. IFLA Journal 48(1): 126–137.

17.

Omeluzor

Oyovwe-Tinuoye

(2016) Assessing the adoption and use of integrated library systems (ILS) for library service provision in academic libraries in Edo and Delta states, Nigeria. Library Review 65(8–9): 578–592.

18.

Onifade

(2020) Library services during COVID-19 period: Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta experience. International Information and Library Review 5(4): 320.

19.

Oyovwe-Tinuoye

Omeluzor

Ijiekhuamhen

(2021) Influence of ICT skills on job performance of librarians in university libraries of South-South, Nigeria. Information Development 37(3): 345–358.

20.

Panezi

(2014) Legal challenges for online digital libraries. Revista d’Internet, Dret i Política/Revista de Internet, Derecho y Política 19: 18–34. Available at: https://www.raco.cat/index.php/IDP/article/download/n19-panezi/395439

21.

Pearson

(2020). Covid-19’s impact on libraries goes beyond books. Available at: https://www.wired.com/story/covid-19-libraries-impact-goes-beyond-books/

22.

Purdue University, Libraries and School of Information Studies (2022) Primary sources in archives and special collections: What is a special collection? Available at: https://guides.lib.purdue.edu/c.php?g=352889&p=2378065 (accessed 21 May 2020).

23.

Smith College Libraries (2022) Library services during COVID-19. Available at: https://libraries.smith.edu/library-services-during-covid-19 (accessed 26 May 2022).

24.

State Library of New South Wales (2022) Access to special collections policy. Available at: https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/about-library/legislation-and-policies/access-special-collections-policy (accessed 26 May 2022).

25.

University of Adelaide (2020) University Library response to COVID-19. Available at: https://www.adelaide.edu.au/library/university-library-response-to-covid-19 (accessed 13 May 2020).

26.

University of the Pacific (2020) Library response to COVID-19. Available at: https://www.pacific.edu/university-libraries/library-response-to-covid-19.html (accessed 13 May 2020).

27.

University of Washington Libraries (2022) Special collections. Available at: https://www.lib.washington.edu/specialcollections (accessed 21 May 2020).

28.

Yaya

Adeeko

(2016) Digitization of educational resources in Nigerian academic libraries: prospects, challenges and the way forward. International Journal of Information Research and Review, 3(1): 1594–1600.

Supplementary Material

Please find the following supplemental material available below.

For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.

For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.

0.00 MB

0.45 MB

Accessing special collections during the COVID-19 pandemic in university libraries in Nigeria

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References

Supplementary Material