Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Date of this Version
Spring 3-30-2024
Document Type
Article
Abstract
Modern libraries are increasingly being redefined as places to get unrestricted access to information in many formats and from many sources by providing a tremendous amount of information with a variety of digital tools. The study focused on digital preservation practices in federal university libraries in Southwestern Nigeria. A survey design of the qualitative type was adopted. All federal university libraries in the region were sampled. Data was collected through interviews conducted with the heads of the Digital Preservation Units or their representatives. Data were analysed thematically. All the universities have adopted digital preservation. The libraries preserve born-digital resources, research data, annual reports, journal articles, institutional records, thesis and dissertations, conference proceedings, past questions, inaugural lectures, grey literature, and Newspapers. The libraries employed short-term and long-term preservation strategies such as Technology preservation, Refreshing, Replication and Migration. None indicated the use of Emulator. The most commonly used technologies are Hard disk drives (HDDs) and cloud-based storage. Several challenges hinder effective digital preservation, which include inadequate funding, intellectual property issues, lack of skilled staff and infrastructure, and administrative bottlenecks. Sufficient funds need to be provided by the universities for effective digital preservation. Also, universities need to have a functional policy on digital preservation to ensure the long-term accessibility and usability of digital resources.
