Exploring Renewable Energy Facility and Green Building Practices for Improved Archives Preservation in Public Libraries in Rivers State

Abstract

This study explored renewable energy facility and green building practices for improved archives preservation in public libraries in Rivers state. Two objectives, composed of research questions and hypotheses, were the basis for this study. A descriptive survey design was used for the study, with a target population of 514 library staff from both Rivers State Library Board (RSLB) and Jubilee Library Port Harcourt (JLP). With the help of Taro Yamane's sample size determination formula, 399 sample members were chosen using both stratified and random sampling techniques (227 staff from RSLB and 172 from JLP). The data collection instrument used was a self-made questionnaire titled ‘Renewable Energy and Green Building for Public Library Archives Preservation’; its face- and content-validity was approved by three experts. Cronbach Alpha reliability estimation yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.78 for this instrument. Mean and Standard Deviation were employed to answer the research questions, while z-test was used to conduct the inferential statistics. The findings revealed that Rivers state libraries can preserve archives with renewable energy and green building practices, such as solar power, passive ventilation, native landscaping, water-efficient fixtures and regulated humidity. Based on the findings, it can be concluded and recommended that incorporating renewable energy into green building practices can significantly preserve archives in public libraries. More so, public libraries in Rivers state should collaborate with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources (e.g., solar, batteries, wind turbines) to improve archives preservation.