The central mission of library is to collect, organize, preserve, conserve and provide access to knowledge and information resources in order to make them available to users. However, acid paper-based information resources, poor storage environment, theft, mutilation of information resources in academic libraries have affected information resources and learning in many tertiary institutions. This study analyzed collection development and conservation of information resources in selected university libraries in Lagos and Ogun States, Nigeria. Multi stage sampling technique was used to select 333 library personnel from six universities in Lagos (University of Lagos, Lagos State University and Caleb University) and Ogun (Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Olabisi Onabanjo University and Bells University of Technology) states. Structured questionnaire was used in obtaining data on socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, collection development, conservation methods and factors necessitating conservation of information resources in the libraries. Data were analysed using frequency counts, percentages, mean, Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) and Multiple Regression. This study concluded that the library collection development helps in conserving information resources in University Libraries in order to reflect the library mission. Therefore, the study recommended that collection development policies should be given serious consideration in building library collections, while adequate funding, provision of resources and good maintenance culture should be encouraged in University libraries in order to conserve the information resources.
Keywords: Conservation, Information resources, collection development, university libraries
