Availability of Disaster Preparedness and Digitization in Archives Preservation in Public Libraries in Rivers State

Abstract

This study ascertained availability of disaster preparedness and digitization in archives preservation in public libraries in Rivers state. Two objectives and its corresponding research questions and hypotheses guided this study. The descriptive survey design was adopted for this study. The target population of this study comprised 514 library staff drawn from Rivers state library board and staff from Jubilee library Port Harcourt. The sample size for this study was 399 library staff comprising of 227 staff from Rivers state library board and 172 library staff from Jubilee library Port Harcourt. The sample size was determined by Taro Yamane sample size determination formula while a two-stage sampling technique of stratified and simple random sampling techniques was used to select the sample size. A self-structured questionnaire titled availability of disaster preparedness and digitization in archives preservation questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection. Face and content validation was ensured by three experts. The instrument yielded reliability coefficients of 0.79 with the use of Cronbach Alpha reliability method. Mean and Standard Deviation was used in answering research questions while z-test was used for the inferential statistics. The findings revealed that disaster preparedness and digitization in the preservation of archives are supported and available in public libraries in Rivers state, Nigeria. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that there are significant differences in the responses of Rivers state library board staff and Jubilee library Port Harcourt staff on the terms of the availability of the disaster preparedness and digitization in archive preservation in the public libraries. It was therefore recommended that more librarians should be employed by the Rivers state government so as to make the process of archive preservation in the State’s public libraries through disaster preparedness and digitization less rigorous and efficient.