INFLUENCE OF BOOK MUTILATION OF LENDING SERVICES IN ACADEMIC LIBRARIES IN CROSS RIVER STATE

Abstract

This study surveyed the influence of book mutilation on library services in academic libraries in Cross River State. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 600 library users from 3 academic libraries of the University of Calabar,Cross River University of Technology, Calabar and Federal College of Education, Obudu. The data collected from the completed questionnaire were analyzed and tested using the population t-test at 0.5 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that, the calculated t-values of 4.851, 3.874 and 2.32 as well as 3.265, 2.172 and 2.066 for UNICAL, CRUTECH Calabar, and FCE Obudu libraries respectively are each greater than the critical t-value of 1.960. Hence, the null hypotheses are rejected; This implies that book mutilation adversely affects lending and photocopying services in academic libraries in Cross River State. Recommendations which could serve as preventive measures as well as education for library users on the danger posed by such act in academic libraries were proffered.