Classical Languages and Library Resources Management in Nigerian University Libraries: A Professional Survey

Classical Studies research in Nigerian universities depends critically on access to primary source materials in Latin, Ancient Greek, and related classical scholarship, yet the capacity of Nigerian university libraries to support classical scholarship is largely undocumented. This study conducts a professional survey of classical language and resources management in Nigerian university libraries, assessing collection scope, digital access infrastructure, specialist staff capacity, and inter-library cooperation. A professional survey methodology was adopted, assessing library resources at ten Nigerian universities with Classical Studies or related programmes, including institutions in Enugu, Lagos, Ibadan, Zaria, and Maiduguri. Structured interviews with 20 senior librarians and five Classical Studies academics, alongside analysis of library catalogues and digital access agreements, provided primary data. Findings reveal that no surveyed library holds a comprehensive Latin and Greek primary text collection. JSTOR access is available at 60 percent of surveyed institutions, while the Loeb Classical Library online platform is subscribed to by only 20 percent. Specialist staff with classical languages competency are absent from all surveyed libraries. Interlibrary loan arrangements are limited and rarely used for classical material. The study proposes a Nigerian Classical Studies Library Consortium with shared digital access, a rotating specialist advisor scheme, and a grant programme for physical classical text acquisitions. Adoption by the Committee of University Librarians in Nigeria is recommended.

Keywords: classical library resources, university libraries, Nigeria, Latin and Greek texts, professional survey