SOCIAL AND CULTURAL METRICS FOR ASSESSING LIBRARY SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES IN AKWA IBOM STATE

Abstract

Studies on sustainability have been gaining interest within the educational communities. However, studies related to sustainability in library preservation and conservation, especially in academic libraries, are still limited. This study aimed to determine current practices in social and cultural library sustainability metrics for academic libraries. Descriptive survey research was employed for the study. The population consisted of 238 respondents, comprising librarians from the public libraries in Akwa Ibom State and sustainability experts from the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The sample size is 118 respondents, arrived at using Krejcie and Morgan finite table of sampling. Simple random sampling was used to select the respondents for the study. The researchers’ developed instrument titled “Library Sustainability Parameters Questionnaire” was used to collect data for the study. The instrument developed by the researchers was face validated by three experts in the Faculty of Vocational Education, Library and Information Sciences, University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The instrument was subjected to inter-rater reliability test to determine the reliability. The instrument was trial tested on 30 respondents. The scores obtained from the trial-test were subjected to Cronbach alpha reliability test. The result showed a reliability co-efficient of 0.81. On the basis of the high reliability index, the instrument was deemed suitable to be used in conducting the study. Data for the study was collected using questionnaires administered in the sampled schools. The instrument was first presented to experts, who identified the social and cultural sustainability. The instrument was also presented to librarians to rate the extent to which they practice the identified social and cultural sustainability metrics. Mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions. The findings of this study will serve as a starting point to obtaining a comprehensive understanding of how academic libraries are measuring sustainability programs. The findings revealed a low level of integration of social and cultural sustainability into library sustainability practices in Akwa Ibom State. The study recommends that libraries should develop a sustainability framework that integrates social, environmental, economic and cultural dimensions to its overall strategies.