Abstract:
This paper investigated preservation and conservation practices and techniques in Polytechnic libraries in South-East Nigeria. Efforts are being made by various polytechnics libraries to preserve information resources. However, these efforts have been met with various challenges. The study was guided by five research questions in line with the objectives of the study. The design adopted for this study is a descriptive design. The population of the study consists of thirty four (34) librarians in the polytechnic libraries in South east Nigeria. The instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire. Data generated was analyzed using percentage and mean. The result were presented in tables and charts. The findings revealed that the major cause of deterioration of print materials is mutilation while that of non print resources are cracking and scratching. Al, . Cleaning/dusting, binding, photocopying, installing air conditioners and adequate security are major techniques applied by these libraries in the area of preservation. Findings further revealed that there is no written policy for preservation and conservation in these libraries. Lastly, the major constraints faced by these libraries in the area of preservation and conservation are inadequate infrastructure and inadequate funding. It was recommended that preservation policies be provided and documented and also budgetary allocations for preservation and conservation be included in the library’s annual budget.
