Implications of inflationary trends on collection development at the University of Ilorin Library, 1976-1985, 2010-2014

Abstract

This case study discussed inflation and its implication for collection development at the University of Ilorin Library in particular and academic Libraries in Nigeria. Documentary Research Method and Structured Oral Interview techniques were used to examine the records of budgetary allocations and expenditure in the acquisition of books and journals at the University of Ilorin Library between 2010 and 2014. The study identified some problems facing collection development at the university of Ilorin library as a result of inflationary trends. The study therefore posited that inflation-driven library collection development poses great danger to the quality of information resources of the library, the quality of information retrieval by library users, the quality of research and community service mantra of the university. It there recommended that collection development librarian should ensure balanced acquisition with the available funds. Rising number of academic programmes should be controlled in view of the fact that paucity of funds would not be able to go round the myriads of academic programmes satisfactorily. The Federal Government of Nigeria should checkmate inflationary phenomenon on library books and periodicals while textbook writers and publishers should focus more on producing local books/periodicals so that libraries and library clientele would be discouraged from patronizing the more expensive foreign publications.

Keywords: Inflation, Collection Development, University of Ilorin, budgetary allocation