Abstract
The paper investigated the Information Resources Vulnerable to Disasters and Disaster Recovery Plans in Academic Libraries of Institutions of Higher Learning in Kebbi State, Nigeria. The specific objectives include: to find out the information resources vulnerable to disasters and to identify disaster recovery plans in the study area. Interpretivism research paradigm was employed to guide the study. Qualitative method and phenomenological research design were used. The population consists of six heads of libraries in the institutions, selected through purposive sampling, and data was collected via semi structured interviews. Thematic analysis with NVivo 12 was used for data analysis. The study revealed that libraries faced significant disaster risks to a broad range of resources, including both print materials like books and journals, and digital resources such as student projects and computer systems. High-risk areas within libraries include storage rooms, reading rooms, basements, and archives. In addition, the libraries had disasters recovery plans such as data backups, off-site storage, restoration procedures, and inter-library collaboration for swift recovery of both print and digital resources. The study concludes that libraries in the study area faced significant vulnerabilities to disasters in both print and digital information resources. Unless and until a proper recoveries plans are put in place the resources will remain vulnerable. It is therefore, recommended that libraries prioritize the protection of both physical and digital resources through advanced storage solutions, fire- and water-proof facilities, and Libraries should institutionalize recovery mechanisms, including routine inventory audits, data backups, cloud storage, inter-library support networks, etc...
Keywords: Information Resources, Recovery Plans, Academic Libraries, institutions of Higher Learning
Publication Date: 2026-05-03