Original title: Digital Preservation in Academic Libraries: The University of Ibadan Experience
Agwu Patrick Uzodinma · September 2026
Academic libraries need to protect electronic files from being lost or damaged over time, but keeping these collections safe requires steady resources. Researchers studied how the Kenneth Dike Library at the University of Ibadan manages this work. The staff preserves records by digitising materials, creating extra backup copies, adding descriptive labels called metadata, using special software tools, and checking files for corruption. The library already has key digital storage systems and technical support, and the team regularly carries out these core steps. However, major daily hurdles hold them back: unstable electricity, weak internet connections, and a shortage of funds. To fix this, staff recommended more funding, training, open source software, shared teamwork across institutions, and combined storage methods, while emphasising that digital preservation solutions must be tailored to Nigeria's local technological environment.
Imagine you are a librarian in a town where the power goes out every few hours and the internet is slow. You know exactly how to organize and protect your books, but without reliable electricity and internet, you cannot use your computer to do it. In this paper, the library staff have strong knowledge of digital preservation but face the same basic infrastructure problems, so they need methods that work even when power and internet fail.
Academic libraries in Nigeria hold unique digital collections that could be lost without reliable preservation. This study shows that even with strong knowledge and regular practices, basic infrastructure like power and internet can undermine efforts. It highlights the need for solutions tailored to local constraints, not imported from wealthier countries.
The abstract doesn't say. It covers awareness, practices, constraints, and recommendations, but does not discuss methodological limitations or generalizability.
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Digital Preservation in Academic Libraries: The University of Ibadan Experience — Agwu Patrick Uzodinma — SocArXiv — doi:10.31235/osf.io/wjdx8_v1
Abstract licence: CC BY
Explanation generated by Synthesis from the abstract — it is not the original paper. This is a preprint, so it hasn't necessarily been peer reviewed.