Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Date of this Version
2022
Document Type
Article
Abstract
Abstract
Academic libraries provide access to information resources to support the school’s curriculum and research need of lecturers and students. The libraries provide wide range of resources such as books in print form, audio, video recordings, visual and electronic resources. The provision of these resources helps to address the information needs of users. However, the security of the information resources has become a major concern in academic libraries. Poor security provision for the prevention of thefts of information resources in academic libraries especially in Nigeria is posing a great problem in the area of book theft and mutilation. This study therefore, examined the influence of deviant behaviours on information resources’ safety in public academic libraries in Ogun State, Nigeria. The study adopted a survey research design. The population of study comprised of one hundred and fifty seven librarians in public academic libraries in Ogun State. The study adopted a total enumeration in gathering the data for the study. The data collection tool was structured and validated questionnaire. Based on the descriptive analysis, the study revealed that the level of library information resources safety in Ogun State was high as indicated by the Grand (Mean = 2.64). The result further reveals that the deviant behaviours prevalent in the library are book theft (M=2.50), tearing off book pages (M=2.46) and vandalism of information resources (M=2.25). The study concludes that deviant behaviours are a factor that that can influence the safety of information resources in public academic libraries.