Utilization of UNESCO digital preservation guidelines for measuring challenges of preserving digital materialsin South-Eastern Nigerian University libraries

Abstract

This study assessed the utilization of the UNESCO Digital Preservation Guidelines for measuring the Challenges of Preserving Digital Materials in South Eastern Nigerian University Libraries. A descriptive research design was adopted for this study. The population comprised of all the 160 professional librarians in the 10 university libraries in the zone and was used for the study. Data collected from the survey were tabulated using tables and simple percentage. The result revealed that no policy plan (83.2%), shortage of trained staff (70.8%), inadequate funding (85.0%), poor metadata and lack of proper documentation (81.4%) among other challenges that could be encountered in preserving digital materials as stated by the UNESCO digital preservation guidelines were experienced by the university librarians in South East Nigeria. The study recommends that university librarians should adopt and implement the UNESCO digital preservation guidelines as their working guide in the preservation of their digital materials.

Keywords: Digital, Preservation, Materials, UNESCO, Librarians, South- East, Nigeria.