Selection and acquisition of library materials in Academic libraries: a case study of sokoine National Agricultural Library (SNAL) and Mzumbe University Library.

Abstract

This study assessed selection and acquisition of library materials in SNAL and MZUMBE library. Research design shows in detail the important procedures necessary for obtaining information resources that are needed to solve the research problem. Population of the study covered the librarians of Sokoine national agricultural library and Mzumbe university library, population was chosen basing on the fact that Librarians are the one who deals with selection of library materials at Sokoine National Library and Mzumbe University Library. The study involved 15 librarians who provide information about selection and acquisition of library materials at SNAL and 15 librarians at Mzumbe university library. Therefore the total population study will be with 30 respondents. The sample was chosen basing on the fact that the sample of 30 is significant comparing to the population also these are minimum number that provide the sufficient information when drawings in the distribution curve show a good impression graphs. The researcher used random sampling techniques by selecting librarian randomly, the researcher uses this to help researcher to get sample size which will give out results that would have been obtained if the entire population had been measured. Questionnaire was used to collect the data from the respondent believed that the use of questionnaires is less expensive since they can be sent to a large number of people ,so researcher chooses this particular method for them to reach respondents and also saving time for data collection. The finding of this study shows that selection and acquisition of academic library materials depend on contemporary significance, format and ease of use, while purchase, gift/donation and exchanges were highly rated methods of acquisition of library materials. The challenges encountered during the course of the study include failure to submit accurate bibliographic information of the requested item, book supplies fail to deliver ordered item on time, delay of submission of list of materials to be acquired by library user, and organizing incoming request.