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A library is a collection of sources of information and similar resources made accessible to a defined community for reference or borrowing. It provides physical or digital access to materials and may be a physical building or room or a virtual space or both. A library houses books and stores other forms of knowledge and information resources to meet the different information needs of its patrons (Udensi & Akor, 2014). Information resources are widely spread out and cut across academic disciplines. As such, this exposes the library to all kinds of attacks by its day to day patrons in the university. It is in this regard that it is important to ensure safety and security of the information resources from its vulnerability patrons. Therefore, ensuring good security and safety of the collections is as important as providing effective services in response to the information needs of the user community.
In trying to provide effective services to the community, the library preserves materials and information resources for all languages, occupations, religions, and social, economic and cultural aspects of the community it serves (IFLA/UNESCO, 2011). Libraries act as providers of regular and current information managed by staff with different attitudes and perceptions. The future and sustainability of any library depends more on its librarians and staff than any other factors or components (Blackwell, 2000). This is because library staff have full responsibilities of protecting the information resources from mutilation and from being stolen by its patrons whether they are libraries at universities or other institutions.
University libraries are libraries found in universities (Ogbonna & Okenyi, 2014). The university libraries fall under the category of academic libraries. These are libraries established, owned and funded by the parent institution which is the university (Ode & Omokaro, 2017). The university library programs range from postgraduate, undergraduate, sub degree to certificate courses whose objectives are geared towards the quality of services they render to its patrons. However, this depends on the quality of staff responsible for effective and efficient service delivery in an institution. The information resources are broad and varied from one discipline to another to support the educational objectives. Library services can only be achieved through the availability and proper handling of its numerous collections. This is the reason why Anuobi and Okoye (2008) state that “university libraries are faced with the hybrid challenges of managing resources and are challenged to acquire the necessary skills needed for the adequate security of the library’s collection or resources both in print and non-print format.” Chaney and MacDougail (2004) state that library collections are vulnerable to abuse of one sort or another, and library managers need to keep this characteristic well to the forefront of the library. Ensuring effective use, longevity and accessibility of library resources makes an effective program of collection security necessary.
Security challenges of library collections are as old as the library itself. Antiwi (2009) states that security challenges such as book theft started when the Persians went to Egypt and withdrew papyrus from the Library of Ramses II without stopping for any formalities at the charging desk. They thus began this practice which has continued to torment libraries ever since.