Challenges and Prospects on the Accessibility of Periodicals in Selected Academic Libraries in Zaria, Nigeria

Abstract

The importance of serials in the academia is stressed regularly by librarians. This study investigated the challenges and prospects on the accessibility of serials in two selected prestigious monotechnic libraries in the popular city of Zaria in Nigeria. The objective of the study was to help find solution to the problem of inaccessibility to serial publications by students and lecturers. First, the study seeks to ascertain the types of serials in the study libraries. Secondly, to find out the factors handcuffing the accessibility of the serials and thirdly, the possible ways of restoring easy access to serial publications of the libraries in question. The population of the study was the entire serial librarians in the two case study institutions, which stood at ten (10) from Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology, Zaria and nine (9) from Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria. The study adopted a mixed method approach, using observation, questionnaire (SLQ) and interview to collect data from the serial librarians in the institutions under study. Findings of the study revealed the type of serials available in the two studied centers to include journals, newspapers, magazines, annual reports, memoirs, proceedings, monographic series, bulletin, and government circulars among others. The study found certain challenges obstructing the accessibility of serials which included inadequate funds to subscribe for serial publications, delay in the processing of new issues, mutilation, stealing and disorganization of serial publication by users and epileptic power supply, etc. And last but not the least, a finding indicated vital results on the possible ways to restore easy accessibility of serials in the two studied libraries, and this included the need for academic librarians as purely the serial staff and, the usage of automated security system in serials management of the libraries.