Strategies for overcoming the challenges of electronic resources collection development in university libraries in southeast Nigeria

Abstract

This paper examined the challenges and strategies for overcoming the challenges of electronic resources collection development in university libraries in Southeast Nigeria. This study employed a descriptive survey design with population of 86 librarians in collection development, serials and digital library. The survey used questionnaire and interview as instruments for data collection. Data collected were tabulated and analyzed using simple statistics of percentages and mean. The findings showed that the university libraries employ various strategies in overcoming the challenges of electronic resources collection development, and the overall mean showed that an increase in the library budgets (mean = 3.36) is ranked highest and are applied mostly by the libraries, while the selectors should devise a means of applying statistics to a cancellation decision (mean =2 .92) is ranked lowest as strategies employed by university libraries in enhancing electronic resources collection development. The study revealed twelve strategies with an increase in the library budgets as a major strategy in enhancing electronic resources collection development. The study recommended that the university libraries in Southeast Nigeria should provide adequate funds to the libraries; make alternative provision of electricity/power in the provision of energy needed for building electronic resources; should train and retrain their staff on the technical skills; training on the areas of software and hardware troubleshooting in developing electronic resources collection. That the university libraries should train the librarians on business and negotiation skills that will enable them understand the integrity of the licensing and negotiation involved in the subscription of electronic resources.

Keywords: Electronic resources, collection development, University Libraries, Strategies of electronic resources