Awareness and Protection of Human and Electronic Library Resources from Lightning Disaster: A Survey of Selected Nigerian Libraries

Abstract

Disaster prevention and management is a crucial aspect of library management. Creating awareness and protecting human and electronic library resources from lightning disaster require immediate attention of library managers. Lightning strike is a deadly natural disaster that poses serious danger to both human and electronic library resources, hence the need for creating awareness about its threat to human and material resources. This study was focused on creating awareness and protecting human and electronic library resources from lightning strike disaster in Nigerian university libraries. A descriptive survey method was adopted to elicit information from the respondents of this study. A questionnaire was designed with 29 structured questions including the demography of the respondents. Eighty (80) copies of questionnaires were distributed among the staff of the selected university libraries. Seventy two (72) questionnaires returned were all found usable. This study finds that majority of the respondents do not have awareness programme about protection from lightning disaster in their libraries. The study also finds that majority of the respondents are not aware that lightning strike can kill or cause serious health injury. The study also finds that human resources in the libraries require adequate protection from lightning strike and the advent of more electronic ICT equipment in the libraries necessitates the deployment of lightning protection equipment. The study finds that the libraries cannot ignore lightning strike equipment installation as this will be detrimental to the safety of human and material resources. Some recommendations were made based on the findings of the study and conclusions drawn.

Keywords: Awareness and protection, Human and electronic library resources, Lightning disaster, Nigerian libraries