A Study of Digital Preservation Practices in Selected University Libraries in Bangladesh

Abstract

Preserving the library materials and making them accessible to the scholars and general users is very important for the university libraries. Therefore, the researcher decided to study on digital preservation practices in selected university libraries in Bangladesh. The purpose of the study was to investigate the existing condition of digital preservation practices in selected university libraries in Bangladesh.The study used a quantitative research approach based on the research objectives, and questionnaires were made for the users for 15 selected universities in Bangladesh. Data were collected through two sets of structured questionnaires for two distinct groups that were developed and refined with a pilot survey to ensure clarity and reliability. The population and sample were covered by librarians/library administrators, and library users from the 15 selected university libraries. In this study, the researcher has taken a non-provability sampling approach and chosen the purposive sampling method. The researcher distributed a total of 700 structured questionnaires among the teachers, students, and researchers of the selected university libraries. Out of 700 questionnaires, a total of 433 filled questionnaires were received with a response rate of 61.85%. For this study, collected data were analyzed using the IBM® SPSS® Statistics Version software. Ethical considerations, including informed consent and data confidently, were strictly followed to uphold the integrity of the research process.The findings from this study revealed that university libraries in Bangladesh were significantly affected by the changes to the digital environment. Most university libraries face many challenges that hinder the effective implementation of digital preservation. The challenges include absence of established standards and policies, inadequate funding, copyright and intellectual property rights issues, lack of skilled manpower, staff training and development, technology problems, lack of collaboration efforts, machine dependency, metadata, lack of equipment, insufficient staff, poor technology infrastructure, technological obsolescence, congested workspace, etc. The study also provides several recommendations, including infrastructure and access, skilled manpower and training, allocating sufficient budget and resources, addressing legal issues, providing software for digital preservation, developing policies for digital preservation, providing sufficient training for staff, adopting international standards, enhancing facilities and tools, taking administrative actions, providing legal deposit of e-content, etc. The result of the study contributes to the field by providing a detailed analysis of digital preservation practices in the context of Bangladeshi university libraries. The findings offer valuable insights vi into the current state of digital preservation, the challenges faced by institutions, and user satisfaction with digital resources. The study's recommendations have practical implications for improving digital preservation strategies and can serve as a guide for other institutions facing similar challenges.