Arabic and Islamic collections in Nigeria university libraries: the state of the art

Abstract

Arabic and Islamic collections constitute an important aspect of the intellectual heritage of the peoples of Nigeria. Their subject matters are diverse and cover Languages, History, Law, Economics, Politics, Education, Science, etc. They imbibe a veritable body of knowledge which can be sustainably explored for the benefit of present and future generations of humanity. These manuscripts, however, are held at scattered locations and under various, sometimes undeterminable, conditions of management and care, which greatly affect access to them and their use. In order to ensure access, effective use and management, it is imperative that a study be conducted to determine their prevalence (existence) and the conditions under which they are held, managed and preserved. This paper presents a modest attempt at examining the state of Arabic and Islamic collections in the Nigerian Universities, identifying the challenges and possible solutions. It is discovered that these collections are accessed by the users, however, poor conservation and preservation of the materials and inadequate of professionals are among the challenges facing the collections and preservations of these materials in the University’s library. The work therefore concludes that the collections should be well preserved, conserved through adequate management strategies, and proper handling and shelving techniques.