The effect of government policies on the acquisition of library resources in Nigeria

The acquisition of library resources in Nigeria at one time was mainly import oriented. This made the acquisition process very involved in foreign trade and foreign exchange transfer, with most items purchased from overseas book dealers. In the 1970s and 1980s Nigeria was affected by the prevailing world economic condition, and the nation experienced a decline in foreign exchange earnings. In order to improve the nation's economy, the government introduced certain structural policies. This paper highlights the effect of these government policies on the acquisition of library resources generally and the book trade in particular in the country, and the survival measures adopted by the Nigerian libraries.