Reinstatements of Retrenched Journals at the University of Ilorin Library

Abstract

The rising costs of serials coupled with the devaluation of Nigeria’s currency make subscribing to journals almost impossible for the country’s academic libraries. In 1987, the University of Ilorin Library was forced to curtail its current journal acquisition -program. Periodical holdings ware listed and broken down into subject areas, and academic departments were asked to rank titles in order of their usefulness. The university library administration made final decisions. The administration initially decided to renew 287 journals (43.1 % of the original total) while canceling 379 (56.9%). As a result of wide publicity about the dearth of books and journals in Nigerian universities, the federal government reached an agreement with the World Bank, which extended credit for the purchase of monographs and serials. After bureaucratic difficulties in ordering replacements, 384 titles were reinstated—five titles above what was retrenched. Unless the cost of the University Library’s journals stops increasing or the library’s book and periodicals budget expands, the library may face more sacrifices after the World Bank funding ceases.