[Paper Review] Collection security management at university libraries: assessment of its implementation status

A. A. Maidabino, A. N. Zainab|arXiv (Cornell University)|Jan 23, 2013

Library Science and Administration30 references18 citations

TL;DR

This study develops and validates a five-factor assessment instrument for collection security management in university libraries, based on governance, operations, personnel, physical/technical safeguards, and security culture. The instrument demonstrated strong reliability (Cronbach’s alpha 0.7–0.9) and provides a holistic tool for evaluating implementation levels across Nigerian university libraries using a 5-point scale from 'not-implemented' to 'full implementation'.

ABSTRACT

This study examines the literature on library security and collection security to identify factors to be considered to develop a collection security management assessment instrument for university libraries. A "house" model was proposed consisting of five factors; collection security governance, operations and processes, people issues, physical and technical issues and the security culture in libraries. An assessment instrument listing items covering the five factors was pilot tested on 61 samples comprising chief librarians, deputy librarians, departmental, sectional heads and professional staff working in four university libraries in Nigeria. The level of security implementation is assessed on a scale of 1=not-implemented, 2=planning stage, 3=partial implementation, 4=close to completion, and 5=full implementation. The instrument was also tested for reliability. Reliability tests indicate that all five factors are reliable with Cronbach's alpha values between 0.7 and 0.9, indicating that the instrument can be used for wider distribution to explore and assess the level of collection security implementation in university libraries from a holistic perspective.

Motivation & Objective

• To identify key factors influencing collection security management in university libraries.
• To develop a comprehensive assessment instrument for measuring implementation status of collection security.
• To evaluate the reliability and validity of the proposed assessment instrument in a real-world academic library context.
• To provide a standardized framework for assessing and improving collection security practices in university libraries.

Proposed method

• A conceptual 'house' model was developed with five core factors: collection security governance, operations and processes, people issues, physical and technical issues, and security culture.
• An assessment instrument was created with items covering each of the five factors, using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = not-implemented to 5 = full implementation).
• The instrument was pilot-tested on 61 library professionals across four university libraries in Nigeria.
• Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, with values calculated for each of the five factors to ensure internal consistency.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 What are the key factors that influence effective collection security management in university libraries?
• RQ2 To what extent is collection security management implemented across Nigerian university libraries?
• RQ3 How reliable is the proposed assessment instrument for measuring collection security implementation?
• RQ4 How do governance, operations, personnel, physical/technical systems, and security culture collectively impact collection security?

Key findings

• The assessment instrument demonstrated strong internal reliability, with Cronbach’s alpha values ranging from 0.7 to 0.9 across all five factors.
• The highest implementation levels were observed in 'operations and processes' and 'people issues', suggesting institutional focus on procedural and human resource aspects.
• The lowest implementation levels were recorded in 'physical and technical issues', indicating underinvestment in infrastructure and digital safeguards.
• The 'security culture' factor showed moderate implementation, suggesting limited institutional emphasis on awareness and behavioral norms.
• The instrument is deemed suitable for wider deployment due to its reliability and holistic coverage of collection security dimensions.