ABSTRACT
The study focused on the management and use of legal deposit materials by libraries for effective user support in the national library of Nigeria. The study’s goal was targeted at examining the management practices employed by the National Library of Nigeria (NLN) in handling legal deposit materials, assessing the impact of legal deposit materials on user support and access to information in the National Library of Nigeria, identifying the challenges facing the National Library of Nigeria in the management and use of legal deposit materials. The study adopted the use of descriptive survey research design,The sample size for the study was made up of 131 selected librarians from five departments offering library services in National Library. The obtained data were analysed using frequency counts, simple percentages, mean and standard deviation. The study's findings highlight the effectiveness of the National Library of Nigeria in managing legal deposit materials through proper acquisition, storage, documentation, and staff training. Additionally, the study reveals that legal deposit materials play a crucial role in supporting users by providing access to Nigeria’s published heritage, enhancing research, and preserving cultural and intellectual resources. However, the study also identifies key challenges affecting the effective management and utilization of legal deposit materials in the National Library of Nigeria. These challenges include inadequate funding, limited technological infrastructure, insufficient staff training, and lack of adequate storage space. The study concludes that the National Library of Nigeria has made significant efforts in managing legal deposit materials through proper acquisition, storage, documentation, and staff training. These efforts align with the primary objective of legal deposit policies, which aim to systematically collect and preserve Nigeria’s intellectual output for future access. The following recommendations were given in light of this study, the government should increase funding to the National Library of Nigeria to enhance the acquisition, storage, and preservation of legal deposit materials, Investment in modern technological infrastructure, including digitization and online access systems, should be prioritized to improve the accessibility and longevity of legal deposit materials, Regular staff training and capacity-building programs should be implemented to equip librarians with the necessary skills for effective legal deposit management.
