ACCESSIBILITY AND UTILIZATION OF LEGAL DEPOSIT MATERIALS IN NATIONAL LIBRARY OF NIGERIA.

ABSTRACT

This  study  was  designed  to  determine  the  accessibility  and  utilization  of  legal  deposit materials in the National Library of Nigeria. The objectives were to find out the types; the extent of accessibility; methods of accessibility; nature of users; the extent of utilization; the purpose of   utilization; the constraints associated with the accessibility and utilization; the strategies that could enhance accessibility and utilization of the legal deposit materials in the National Library of Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was used for the study and multi-staged sampling technique was applied. The first stage was purposive sampling while the second stage and third stage were simple random and proportionate (stratified) random sampling technique, 1% of the registered users (218) and 40% of library staff (52) in seven branches of the National Library of Nigeria were used as sample size. Fifty-two (52) (copies of the questionnaire were distributed to the library staff while forty-seven ((47) were returned (ie 90.4%) and two hundred and  eighteen (218) copies were distributed to the library users while two hundred and five  (205) copies of the questionnaire  were returned  (ie 94%). In

analyzing the data obtained, frequency counts, simple percentages, and mean  x were used as the statistical methods. The findings revealed that there are different types of legal deposit materials in the National Library of Nigeria; that few are accessible to a great extent; that the methods  of  accessibility  includes  through  the  staff,  catalogue  kardex  and  indexes;  that different category of users make use of the few accessible materials to a great extent and for different purposes; that there are some constraints associated with accessibility and utilization of the legal deposit materials  such as poor bibliographic  services, closed access given to users. poor quality of materials submitted by publishers and poor digitization of materials among  others.  Many strategies  were  suggested  by the  library  staff  and  users  that  could enhance  accessibility  and  utilization.  They  include  granting  of  monitored  open  access, provision  of  adequate  bibliographic  services,  accepting  of  only the  perfect  copies  from publishers and  digitization of these  legal deposit materials. Based on the findings,  it was recommended that  the National Library Act should be reviewed, enlightenment , adequate funding and power supply should all be provided, purchasing of materials not submitted and adequate bibliographic services like indexes, abstracts and online  catalogue should also be provided.  Open  access  under  close  monitoring  should  be  given  to  users  to  encourage maximum                              accessibility                              and                              utilization.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Different libraries exist for different purposes. These purposes include function, type of users and the reason for establishing the library. These account for the major differences in libraries. Okiy in Tinuoye (2010) asserted that the main reason libraries exist is to provide the right materials to meet the information needs of their users. The type of users who make use of a library; the kind of services rendered by it; the type of collection it has and the general intention of those who established the library clearly distinguish one type of library from the other. The types of library include: the national, public, school, academic, private and special libraries.

National libraries are regarded as the apex libraries in a country. Uwaifo  (2010) acknowledged   that  national  libraries   are  established   and  maintained   by   the  national governments of countries. They serve as the preeminent repository of  information for that country.  Unlike public libraries,  these rarely allow citizens to  borrow books. Often, they include      numerous,      rare,      valuable      or      significant      works.      According      to Recommendation   concerning   the   International   Standardization   of   Library   Statistics by United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO (1970), national libraries are:

responsible  for acquiring  and  conserving  copies  of all  significant publications published in the country and functioning  as a `deposit’ library,  either by law or under other  arrangements.  They will also normally perform some of the following functions: produce a national bibliography;  hold and  keep up to date a large and representative collection of foreign literature including books about the country; act as  a  national   bibliographical  information  center;  compile  union catalogues; publish the retrospective national bibliography. Libraries which may be called `national’ but whose functions do not correspond to the above definition should not be placed in the `national libraries’ category.(p5)

This type of library exists in different parts of the world. In the United States of America (USA), it is called Library of Congress. This is regarded as the nation`s oldest federal cultural institution.   www.loc.gov. Other countries like New Zealand, Britain, South Africa.etc also have their national libraries.  They mostly serve the same purpose in these countries all over the world. In Jamaica, for instance,  the National Library is  concerned  primarily with the collection and preservation, organization and provision of access to all publications relating to Jamaica. It does not lend, nor register people. (http://www.nlj.gov.jm).  They are therefore regarded  as depository  libraries  for  these  countries.  They  are  established  by the  act  of parliament. In Nigeria, It is called National Library of Nigeria.

National Libraries do not carry out any activities on their own. Their primary function is to collect indigenous materials emanating from the country. This function is guided by the instrument regarded as the legal deposit law. The National Library of Nigeria (NLN) Decree No. 29 of 1970  stipulates  in Section 4(1) that the publisher  of  every book published  in Nigeria  shall within  one  month  after  the  publication  deliver  at  his  own  expense  to  the National Library, three (3) copies of the book for permanent preservation and one of which shall be sent by the Director to the Ibadan University library. This is called legal deposit Law. It is given as instrument to the  National Library authorizing it to collect these indigenous materials.

The National Library through the Legal Deposit provision of Decree No. 29 of 1970 became the nation’s depository for the entire publishing output in the country. The library is to acquire, assemble and preserve for the use of citizens, the intellectual output of the nation in all spheres of human endeavours. The decree specified number of copies of all published materials in the country that should be deposited. They include twenty-five (25) copies of all federal  government  publications,  ten  (10)  copies  of  state  governments  and  corporate

organizations  in  the  country,  three  (3)  copies  of  commercial  publications.  It  is  also  a depository library for the United Nations and OAU publications.

The materials so collected by the national library for preservation, conservation and utilization by the citizens and others are called legal deposit materials. The National Library of Nigeria by this law is the depository of legal deposit materials though it sends a back up copy to Kenneth Dike Library, University of Ibadan as stipulated in the decree. This is also in line with the Legal  Framework  for  National  Legal  Deposit  Scheme  by the  International Federation  of  Library  Associations  and  Institutions  (IFLA).  In  Section  7.3.4.1  of  the framework,  the  guideline  stipulates  that the  national library of the country,  or any other national institution playing a similar role should be the depository.

Tracing the history of the legal deposit law in Nigeria, Ezema (2009) recounted that it originated  from  the  1950  Publication  Ordinance  which  named  The  University  College, Ibadan and The Secretariat Library in Lagos as the two depository Libraries in the country. Also the Eastern and Western Region in 1955 and 1957 respectively enacted separate laws on legal deposit. Internationally, origin of Legal deposit system dates back to 1537 when King Francois 1 of France issued The “Ordonnance de Montpellier”. According to Chapter Two of IFLA guideline on History of Legal Deposit, this Royal Decree forbids the sale of any book without first having deposited a copy in the library of his castle. The purpose of the decree was to allow the King collect and gather the current and future production of all editions of books “which deserves to be seen” in other to ensure that it will always be possible to refer to the original work as published and not modified.

Legal deposit materials, therefore, are those acquired by law by some libraries for permanent preservation, proper processing and dissemination to the public. These materials are mostly indigenous and they emanate from authors and publishers within a  geographical area. Some libraries are designated by law to receive and preserve these  materials. Edoka

(2000).These  libraries are called depository libraries. Legal deposit according to  Prytherch (1995) is a method whereby certain libraries are entitled by law to receive one or more copies of every publication which is printed or published in the country. These depository libraries are mostly federal academic institution, public libraries and national libraries.

The National Library of Nigeria is established by law to carry out the functions of legal depository. It is the library of libraries. National libraries are regarded as the apex libraries in a country. It serves as the national information bank as rare, valuable, and all published work are preserved in it. According to Adewunmi (2008), the objectives of the National Library of Nigeria Decree include:

(a) The provision  of necessary support for intellectual  efforts  in all activities  directed  at progress and development.

(b) Ensuring a free flow of knowledge between this nation and others, thereby securing a place for the nation in the community of nations that depend on recorded  knowledge  and information for survival in a world of rapid advancement and competition of ideas.

(c) Ensuring availability of comprehensive and as near complete a collection of resource as possible,  materials  in existing  knowledge  in the  world  and  ensuring  full access  to  such resources both within and outside the nation’s boundaries.

These legal deposit materials are indigenous materials published within the country and those published  about the country outside the country.  They are of different  types.  They include printed materials while access to the password is given to the National Library by the publishers into the digital or electronic copies .They are lawfully acquired free of charge from publishers and authors of any intellectual  work. The  materials  include books, magazines, journals, films, newspapers,  government publications, oral recordings or documentaries etc

.Arua  (1997)  and  Owen  (2007)  posited  that  books,  journals,  newspapers,  government

publications  are  collected  and  preserved  for  posterity  through  the  legal  deposit.  These materials could be literary, collective, distinct or documentary work.

.           These legal deposit materials are of immense value to the country due to the type of information they contain. Ifidon and Ifidon (2007) opined that they are useful for research. They are also  important  in the bibliographic  control  of publications  both  nationally  and internationally.  This  is achieved  through  the publication  of the  National  Bibliography  of Nigeria (NBN) by the National Library of Nigeria.

According to the decree establishing  the National  Library of Nigeria,  it is the  giant memory of the nation. In line with this, the Legal deposit materials  help in  retrospective searches by users as a lot of these materials are rare and old .They are  used as reference materials  in  court  subpoena  in  the  case  of  litigation,  authentication  and  certification  in government offices. Government documents, serials and monographs are useful in this case.

Legal deposit materials are very important in collection development. This is because the  depository  or  national  library  does  not  spend  money  in  acquiring  them.  They  are deposited freely by the publishers. Ifidon and Ifidon (2007) opined that if full advantage is taken of it (legal deposit materials) as is the case of developed countries, the collection can be swelled  significantly.  They also  contain  current  information  and information  on different disciplines.

Lawyers also make use of it as the Certified True Copy (CTC) for conflict resolution among authors in the court of law. It is the only copy accepted in the court and a librarian from the National Library of Nigeria usually goes with the material for  subpoena. This is because it is the copy regarded as authentic.

Students also find the legal deposit materials useful in their educational pursuit. Ezema and  Okafor  (2009).  Civil  servants  are  also  great  users  of  the  legal  deposit  materials particularly the government publications. The official gazettes are used for certification and

authentication in government offices. They serve as credentials for leave of absence, first and second appointments, date of promotion, transfer of service, etc. These records are of great use in these government offices.

Other users of the legal deposit materials are current affairs seekers and job seekers. These  people  seek  information  on  job  placements  and  current  happenings  contained  in newspapers. Ajidahun in Owairu (2010) stated that despite the importance of newspapers, the prices are beyond most individual purchasing power. Hence, most Nigerians rely on libraries that  offer  free  services  to  keep  abreast  of current  information.  The  National  Library of Nigeria is one such library and the legal deposit materials are library resources that serve this great purpose.

Bibliographic   control  is  useful  in  providing   information   on  the  existence   of information  bearing  materials,  identifying  the  works  contained  in  them,  systematically pulling together these information resources, and producing lists and  access points to their retrieval.  This  makes  for  easy access  and  utilization  of the  materials.  The  legal  deposit according to Line and Line (1979) helps the national  libraries fulfill international  goal of Universal  Bibliographic  Control  through  the  local  bibliographic  control.  It achieves  this through  the  legal  deposit  or  by Cataloguing-  in –Publication  (CIP)  Data  in  Library  of Congress, for instance, or through collection development policies which target book markets in other nations. National Library of Nigeria also  provides  Cataloguing  –in  –  Publication Data for these legal deposit materials.

Another function of the legal deposit is that it is the nation’s memory or information bank. The legal deposit materials have a lot of potentials in them as  indispensable  library resources. They educate, inform and equip the users. This also gives the users the springboard to contribute effectively to the society. They make Nigeria distinct as a country and give her an identity in the committee of nations. This is in line with Okwilagwe in Ola and Osagie

(2011) who posited that books record a people`s experience and artifact. For instance  The Nigerian Yearbook published and printed by ‘Times Press (Nigeria)’, Apapa contains all that one needs to know about Nigeria. Chinua Achebe`s Things Fall Apart bears the culture of a particular group of people, the Igbos in Eastern Nigeria. The legal deposit materials help to advertise the Nigerian indigenous authors and publishers internationally through the standard numbers given by the National Library of Nigeria. These include the International Standard Book  Number  (ISBN),  International  Standard  Serial  Number  (ISSN),  and  International Standard Music Number (ISMN),

Apart from the aim of    preserving books for future generations, other objectives of the legal deposit system include the constitution of a national bibliography and accessibility for research purposes  of a collection of the nations published  materials.  Adrienne (2005) buttressing this opined that the purpose of the legal deposit is to preserve and provide long- term access to the national intellectual heritage. This is the hallmark of a good library.

A library is a place where information  bearing materials are acquired,  processed, organized, preserved and disseminated for use by patron. For a library to be relevant to the users, information bearing materials are readily acquired and made accessible to the clients or patrons of the library. These materials can be obsolete for retrospective searches and current for research.  These  make  the materials  valuable  to  the users.  Consequently,  information bearing materials are indispensable in a good library. Uwaifo (2010) buttressing this, opined that  information  resources  are  selected,  acquired  and  organized  by  library  staff  so  that information seekers or library clientele can have quick and easy access to them. According to him, a good library is one that  has  a combination of print (book) and non-print or audio- visual materials.

Accessibility  of these  materials  is what attracts  users to  the  library.  A user  who hurries to the library as an information pool or bank turns back in disappointment if his or her

information need is not met by the library. A good library collection mirrors the information needs of all the patrons in the community and is made accessible to them. A library that is well stocked with valuable information bearing materials that are not made accessible to the patrons is just a book store. Bello (2009) corroborating this opined that a library is regarded as the memory of human race, a means not just of obtaining access to required information- important as that may be – but of giving the users independent access to all kinds of ideas and information. This is because providing a user with a variety of access points to the needed information is one of the hall marks of a good library. Better a library with a few accessible information materials than another with many materials that are not accessible. According to Ola and Osagie (2011)  libraries serve as content and knowledge repositories by collecting and  providing  access  to  books,  journals  and  other  recorded  information.  By  acquiring, repackaging  and  providing  access  to  information,   libraries  can  ensure  that  the  right information is available and in the form that the users can understand.

The National Library of Nigeria provides also access points to the legal  deposit materials. These according to Owen (2007) include consultation with staff, indexes, library catalogue, and abstracts. According to Nsibirwa, Hoskins and Stilwell (2011) the guarantee of access to legal deposit materials depends on factors affecting  legal deposit libraries  in South Africa.  These  factors  as identified  by these authors  include  implementation  of the Legal  Deposit  Act;  other  legislation  affecting  access   to  legal  deposit  collection  and preservation of materials; and methods of accessing the materials.

In Nigeria, some of these factors are evident and they affect proper utilization of the legal deposit materials in the depository libraries. The National Library of Nigeria does not legally  allow  access  to  users  who  are below  eighteen  years  of  age.  It  is  regarded  as  a reference library. Consequently, materials are not loaned out but are used within the library. Personal materials are not allowed in the library. The users only come with writing materials

and a nationally certified and recognized identity card .According to Ola and Osagie (2011) the users are not allowed physical contact with the materials. The legal deposit collection is kept  under  close  monitoring.  This  seems  to  limit  the  accessibility  of  the  legal  deposit materials in the National Library of Nigeria though it is empowered to assemble and maintain a comprehensive collection whose access is unrestricted to both citizens and foreigners alike. The users receive materials after submitting call numbers of the materials through the legal deposit librarian. This hampers on the users choice of materials and removes the possibility of browsing  through  related  legal deposit  materials.  This  restriction  perhaps  negates  the essence of the Nigeria Freedom of Information Act which stipulates that every Nigerian has a legal right to access information, records, and documents held by government establishment.

The National Library of Nigeria is made up of seven (7) departments with five  (5) regarded  as professional  i.e. offering  library services.  One of the five (5)  departments  is called Public Services Department. This is where the legal deposit materials are kept .They are accessioned  and processed at the National headquarters in Abuja and then sent to the branches for preservation,  accessibility and dissemination.  The department coordinates the state branches spread out in the capitals of twenty –three states and the FCT.

The National Library of Nigeria has a policy that guides the transfer  of the  legal deposit materials to state branches. One copy is sent to the state where the book is published after it has been processed at the Abuja headquarters. The presence of other libraries in the designated state determines the subject of the legal deposit materials that will be sent from the central pool. For instance, few medical and law materials will be  sent to Enugu state branch. This is because of the presence of medical libraries in University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) and the orthopaedic hospital and the  presence of special libraries in the courts and law  faculties  in the universities  established  in the  area.  These  are alternative libraries for Enugu state users. This is so  done because of the limited number of the legal

deposit materials. It is not normally enough for the the whole branches. Such materials will be  sent  to branches  like Gombe  State branch  where  there  may not be medical  and  law libraries present. These legal deposit materials are arranged in three divisions at the branches. These  include  the  Nigerian  Collection  division  for  monographs,   Serials  division  for newspapers,  magazines  and  other  periodicals  and  Government  Documents  division  for government publications.

The government documents are classified using a home-made scheme adopted from the Library of Congress classification scheme. The class numbers on the documents begin with the letters OD DT. Where OD stands for Official Document and DT is the LC number for Africa History. The monographs have NC (Nigerian Collection) super imposed on their individual LC class numbers. These numbers aid retrieval of the materials by the library staff.

The legal deposit materials are kept under closed access and strict surveillance. Owen (2007) and Ola and Osagie (2011)). This is to allow the materials stand the test of time. In assessing the materials, the users submit the call numbers got from the catalogue to the staff who retrieves the materials .The users are not allowed physical contact with the legal deposit materials. This is because the National Library of  Nigeria  is regarded  as a reference  and research library. It does not lend, nor register people.

When these materials are not submitted as expected of the publishers, the National library staff go out for what is termed, legal drive. This happens when the library staff go to the different publishing houses to lawfully collect these materials  from  the publishers who fail to submit the legal deposit copies. This is to ensure availability.

The   National   Library   of   Nigeria   is   established   to   ensure   availability   of   a comprehensive collection in different formats and provides full access to it generating a free flow of information among nations. Also its vision is to produce an informed citizenry. This

it does by collecting  and making  available  and accessible  the legal deposit materials  for adequate utilization by the citizenry.

From the above, the place of National Library of Nigeria in the management of the legal deposit materials cannot be overemphasized. It is equipped by the Federal Government of Nigeria to acquire and maintain the legal deposit materials and make them accessible to the public for effective utilization. This is expected to give rise to national development in all spheres of endeavour.

These legal deposit materials are of great benefit to the country. One of the functions of the National Library of Nigeria is to maintain it in such a way that it will serve as the “giant memory” of the nation, its intellectual treasury, its learning and remembering process. Hence, the need for the Nigerian government to empower the National Library of Nigeria, as the  national  depository,  to  make  them  accessible  to  the  patrons  for effective  utilization. Anything short of this may be of grievous consequences to the nation and to the citizenry as the country may relapse into a loss of her cultural heritage, national memory and identity.

This is because the legal deposit materials may not be accessible enough for effective utilization by the public. It is against this background that the researcher is investigating the accessibility and utilization of legal deposit materials in the National Library of Nigeria. Statement of the Problem

The legal deposit materials form a large constituent in the collection of the National Library  of  Nigeria.  They  are  of  great  benefit  in  bibliographic  control,  research,  study, learning, entertainment and knowledge transfer from one generation to another. They are also veritable authority during litigation,  subpoena and authentication  for Certified  True Copy (CTC).They showcase the nation`s cultural heritage. They draw a lot of users to the library. These include lawyers, students, researchers, civil servants, legal practitioners, tourists etc.

However,  it  has  been  pre  –  observed  by  the  researcher,  through  on-  the-  job experience  that legal deposit materials  seem not to be adequately accessible  for  effective utilization  by these  users.  The  National  Library  of Nigeria  seems  not  to  live  up  to  its expectation  in acquiring  and making  accessible  these materials to  satisfy  the information needs of the users. Perhaps, if this matter is not urgently addressed, it may lead to total failure of the nation`s process of information preservation and dissemination. The knowledge of the labours- of- the -heroes past may never be transferred to the younger generation. This may lead  to  a  citizenry  who  are  alienated  and  are  not  versed  in  the  nation`s  indigenous information. This may also be contrary to the advocate of Adetayo in Oyewusi and Oyeboade (2009) that if Nigeria is to advance and the young people are to grasp the opportunities now open to them, they must be given access to books, periodicals, technical data and opinion, which will bring them into contact with cultural, scientific, technical and social ideas.

Finally, the researcher`s extensive search of literature shows that within the context of this research, few in-depth studies have been carried out on the accessibility and utilization of legal deposit materials in National Libraries. This study is therefore being carried out to fill this gap.

Purpose of the Study

The general purpose of the study was to investigate the accessibility and utilization of legal deposit materials in the National Library of Nigeria. Specifically, the study intends to find out:

1.   the types of legal deposit materials in  National Library of Nigeria.

2.   the extent of accessibility of the legal deposit materials in National Library of Nigeria.

3.   the methods of accessibility of legal deposit materials in National Library of Nigeria

4.   the categories of the users of the legal deposit materials in National Library of Nigeria,

5.    the extent of utilization of  the legal deposit materials in  National Library of Nigeria.

6.   the purposes of utilization of legal deposit materials in National Library of Nigeria

7.   the constraints associated with accessibility and utilization of legal deposit materials in

National Library of Nigeria.

8.   the strategies that could be adopted to enhance the accessibility and utilization of legal deposit materials in  National Library of Nigeria.

Research Questions

The following research questions were formulated to guide the study:

(1) What are the types of the legal deposit materials in National Library of Nigeria?

(2) What is the extent of accessibility of legal deposit materials to users in National Library of Nigeria?

(3) What are the methods of accessibility of legal deposit materials in National library of

Nigeria?

(4) What are the categories of the users of the legal deposit materials in National Library of

Nigeria?

(5) What is the extent of utilization of legal deposit materials in National Library of Nigeria? (6) What  are  the reasons  of utilization  of legal deposit  materials  in National  Library of

Nigeria?

(7) What are the constraints associated with the accessibility and utilization of legal deposit materials in National Library of Nigeria?

(8)  What  are  the  strategies  that  could  enhance  the  accessibility  and  utilization  of  legal deposit materials in National Library of Nigeria?

Significance of the Study

The findings of this study are expected to be of benefit to the management and staff of the National Library of Nigeria, researchers, students, policy makers, authors, lawyers, civil servants, publishers, lecturers and students of library and information science.

Legal deposit materials are important library resources and have indeed taken their place in the literature of library and information science. This study on the accessibility and utilization of these materials in National Library of Nigeria is expected to add to the existing body of knowledge in the department of Library and Information Science.

Furthermore,  the findings of this work, if adopted, may be of great benefit to  the National Library of Nigeria as it may reveal its strengths and weaknesses in the management of legal deposit  materials  for adequate  accessibility  and  effective  utilization.  It will also showcase  the areas  where  proper  adjustments  may be made  as the depository library to enhance the accessibility and utilization of the legal deposit materials.

Authors, publishers and printers may also benefit from the findings of this study as they will be enlightened on the benefits of submitting the stipulated copies to the National Library of Nigeria. Also to benefit from the enlightenment are policy makers who may see the weaknesses and strength of the legal framework of the legal deposit materials and adopt measures that will strengthen the law for better accessibility and utilization.

Furthermore,   civil   servants   may   also   get   acquainted   with   the   instrument   of authentication  for  tendering  certified  true  copies  during  verification  of   credentials  at promotion and other exercise in the ministries. Lawyers may benefit  from  the findings by knowing how to tender it as evidence during litigation and subpoena. The general public may benefit by knowing the potentials of these materials especially in clearly defining our national intellectual and cultural heritage and identity.

Finally,  the findings  of this study may reveal  the  hindrances  and  remedies  on  the accessibility and utilization of legal deposit materials in National Library of Nigeria and may perhaps  make  the  administrators  adopt  strategies  for  effective  management  of  the  legal deposit materials.

Scope of the Study

The study covers the accessibility and utilization of legal deposit materials in National Library of Nigeria. Accessibility includes the physical presence of the legal deposit materials and the proximity of these materials to the reach of the users. Utilization includes the actual application of these legal deposit materials by patrons of the National Library Nigeria. Legal deposit  materials  for  the  purpose  of  this  study  comprise  only  monographs,  reference materials, serials publications, government documents and electronic documents

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