ABSTRACT

The study investigated the management practices of public library collections in Abia State Library Board, Umuahia with focus on the management strategies adopted by the Abia State Public Library, tools for managing library collections, impacts of management of library collections, and the challenges facing the management of public library collection. Five research questions were raised from a corresponding number of specific purposes. Survey research design was adopted and the population of the study was all the 71 staff in the Library. Questionnaire constituted the instrument for data collection, while descriptive method (frequency table and mean) were used to analyze the collected data. The findings of the study showed that Abia State Library Board, Umuahia have strategies for managing their collections such as applying collection development policy in building its collection, it adopts acquisition of up to date collections, placement of ownership stamp on materials, cataloguing and classification of materials, binding and weeding of its collection. Another finding revealed that most of the respondent disagree that the library board has adequate finance. Based on the findings, the study recommends that for effective management of the library board collection, government should fund the library adequately, it also recommends that: appropriate staff members of the Abia State Library Board, Umuahia should be sent for more professional training programmes and workshops on management of library collection; Librarians in the Library Board should be sponsored locally and abroad for higher education at Masters and Ph.D degree levels in Library and Information Science, library users and staff should be sensitized on the importance and the need to properly use and manage library collections.