Security Management in University libraries

The aim of university libraries is to provide access to information resources in both print and non-print formats. Balancing access and security in libraries is a difficult but a necessary task. A number of studies have described how crimes and security breaches incidences can affect the provision of library services to users. Tengio (2011) and Kapaya(2008) identified several such incidents, non-return of items by borrowers, theft of library equipment, personal theft (from staff and users), verbal and physical abuse against staff and users, and vandalism against library buildings, equipment and stock destruction, all of which can directly or indirectly affects the provision of library services (Ewing 1994).
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Similarly, Lorenzen (1996) reported how different forms of collection mutilation such as underlining and highlighting text in library books, tearing and/ or removing pages of books and annotating in books margins can temper with the subject-content of library collection, thereby making it unusable to users. Wu and Liu (2001) identified the aim of a modern university library as largely to provide access to both print and non-print collections and this makes it necessary to develop a balance between ownership and access to information or knowledge. This can be achieved by proper planning strategy including the planning for access control in line with the security requirement and the present and future mission or goals of the parent institutions. Ajegbomogun (2004) identified the types of security breaches in university libraries, which included theft and book mutilation and reasoned the cause to security lapses, insufficient or limited number of essential materials, and user’s financial constraints.

Ameen and Haider (2007) argued that access to collection is important as this service has supported scholarship in the humanities, sciences and social sciences and remains the key to intellectual freedom. Similarly, university libraries need to create an environment where primary resource materials are respected, handled carefully, and returned intact to the collection so that they might be studied again in the future. Therefore, materials that are not meant to be used by patrons should not be accessible to them. For example, the unprocessed materials should be kept in a secured area; public access to special and rare collections should be monitored and physically protected to prevent vandalism, theft and other security breaches (Rude and Hauptman 1993). Studies conducted by Ajegbomogun (2007), Bello (1998), and Holt (2007) identified rare books, manuscripts and special collections as frequent target of theft and mutilation because of the special demand for in depth studies of such materials. The above studies indicate that the processes that handle access to collection such as acquisition, technical processes, circulation, shelving and storage of items in libraries need to be considered from the security perspectives and assessed by a collection security measurement instrument.

Boss (1984) highlighted theft and arson as threats to collections and proposed that libraries formulate a planned security measure to protect their library materials. Tengio (2011) also identified physical weaknesses in libraries in terms of unsecured windows, faulty emergency exits, unstaffed computer rooms, poor policies and procedures, lack of security plans, poor security points (exits, loading areas, windows, special collections) inadequate loans and renewal periods, lack of security manuals and poor signage as some of the causes of security breaches.

Other studies focus on security breaches like purposive mis-shelving of items, especially reference books (Alao et al. 2007), disruptive behaviour as a result of drunkenness and drug addiction (Lorenzen 1996; Ardndt 1997; Momodu 2002; Ajegbomogun 2004), natural and man-made disaster (Evans et al. 1999; Shuman 1999; Aziagba and Edet 2008) and demand outstripping supply, which may give rise to delinquent behaviour such as stealing, mutilating or using another user’s borrowing tickets (Bello 1998). All of which may subsequently remain a serious threat to the security of the library and its collection.