ABSTRACT

This study investigated the collection development processes in Nigerian university libraries. Two public university libraries in Benue State were investigated (Benue State University and Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi). The study adopted descriptive survey research design and six research questions guided the study. While six null hypotheses were formulated and tested using t-test at 0.05 level of significance. The total population for this study is fifty three (53) academic librarians. Twenty two (22) from Benue State University library while thirty one (31) from the Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi. The instrument for data collection was questionnaire titled: Collection Development Processes in University Libraries. (CDPUL).The instrument was face validated by three experts and to ascertain the reliability of the instrument, Cronbanch alpha formula was used which yielded a coefficient of 0.63. A total of fifty three (53) questionnaire were distributed to the academic librarians and fifty one (5l) were returned. Data collected were analysed with mean and standard deviation to answer the six research questions raised for the study while t-test statistic was used to test the six null hypotheses that guided the study. Based on the data collected and analysed, the study identified the collection development processes amongst which are; community analysis, collection development policy, selection, acquisition, evaluation and weeding. Also identified are the techniques used for community analysis which includes; interviews with members of the community, the use of survey methods, through focus group discussion among others. Types of collection development policy include; written and unwritten policy. The selection criteria included; resources of current scholarly interest, periodicals, indexed imprint. The identified acquisition methods used in the university libraries are: through purchase, membership of organisations and professional bodies, donations/gifts, legal deposits and a host of others. The finding also identified the challenges encountered in the collection development processes which include: inadequate financial supports, high cost of exchange rate, high cost of import duties on foreign books ordered among others. Based on the findings, the study recommended that: University administration should earmark adequate funds to enable libraries to acquired current and relevant information resources to serve the user community, university library management should organised regular library resources evaluation to ensure that collection development processes are effective, resources of scholarly interest are given priority while selecting information materials, there should be training and retraining of acquisition staff and vendors for enhanced competence in their jobs.