Thatayaone Segaetsho An integrated pest management program as a pests control strategy at the University of Botswana Library Thatayaone Segaetsho augmented by provision of supportive structures of University of Botswana Library funding, coordination, policies, and management and [email protected] planning prioritizations. Abstract Key terms: integrated pest management, pest’s survey, preservation of library and Libraries and archives have the jurisdiction to acquire, archival materials protect, and provide information resource to the public for as long as possible. Consequently, libraries and Introduction archives are obliged to preserve collections in perpetuity. Libraries and archives have the jurisdiction to Preservation is a presiding managerial function of acquire, protect, and provide information coordinating the endeavor to protect collections from resources to the public for as long as possible, deterioration. As part of preservation, libraries and and for that reason, they have the archives have the responsibility to monitor and control responsibility to preserve collections. pests within their collections. The general purpose of According to the International Federation of this study was to investigate the Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) monitoring/inspections of pests, pest prevention, pest publication; Principles for the Preservation control and challenges observed at UB-Library with and Conservation of Library Materials, a the view to make recommendations for improvement. Records and Archives Management The study was conducted using a survey methodology Programme (RAMP Study) (Vinas, 1989:79) and data collection was conducted using observation preservation “includes all the managerial and and document analysis tools. The findings of the survey financial considerations, including storage and revealed a significant number of pests that are present accommodation provisions, staffing levels, in the UB-Library including badister bullatus, policies, techniques and methods involved in spiders, grasshopper, house cricket, birds-dove preserving library and archive materials and (columbidae), cockroaches, strawberry seed beetles, flea, information contained in them.” In other silverfish, moth, ants and flies (Black and blue flies). words, preservation is a presiding managerial Despite the presence of guidelines on inspection, function of coordinating the endeavor to prevention and pest control measures at UB-Library, retard deterioration and prevent damage by lack of supportive structures to pest management creating conditions optimal for the programme such as funding procedures, prioritization, continuation of cultural heritage materials as policies statements on pests and proper coordination of compatible with their social use. As part of IPM programme was observed as major challenges. preservation, libraries and archives are obliged This study therefore recommends an adoption of a to protect collections from pests. Appelbaum three step process of monitoring/inspection, prevention (1991:117) stressed that “actual occurrences and control as an appropriate strategies for pest of insects or mold damage to collections management and this should; provide effective early materials are often not publicly discussed by inspection and identification of warnings of infestation; professionals, but can cause major disruption identify high risk areas within collection and the in the life of an institution, and can cause surrounding buildings and pin point environmental significant damage to collections, particularly sources of infestation, and outline prevention and where a large amount of materials is stored control measures. Furthermore, the study recommends away and only infrequently inspected.” Pests that integrated pest management strategies should be are one of the drawbacks in ensuring long life JOURNAL OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIETY OF ARCHIVISTS, VOL. 48, 2015 | SASA © 109 Thatayaone Segaetsho availability and access to information their breeding systems, location and nature. resources. Ritzenthaler (1993) and Harvey (1994) noted that, among others, common types of pests in libraries and archives include cockroaches, According to the International Standards for flies, termites, grasshoppers, bugs, crickets, Phytosanitory Measures (Food and beetles and spiders. In addition, the Agriculture Organization of the United Preservation Advisory Center (British Library, Nations, 2001:04) pests are “any species, 2012) observed that woodworm/furniture strain or biotype of plant, animal or beetles or woodborers like the anobium pathogenic agent injurious to plants or plant punctatum, stegobium panaceum and products.” Pests are annoying or troublesome bookworms are also among the common and nuisance creatures that harms or destroys pests in paper collections. Furthermore, garden plants, trees, households, animals and silverfish, termites and book-lice were pose as a threat even to agro-ecosystems and observed by Harvey (1994) and the British agricultural productions (Campos et.al 2014). Library (2012) as some of the pests which are On the other hand, the Encyclopedia really worrisome in library and archival Britannica (2013) emphasized that the materials. definitions of pests are subjective to the given different scenarios. However, they viewed pests as any organisms declared as inflictors of Given the varied types of pests observed in injury or pain to human beings or to their libraries and archives throughout the worlds, interests. Pests are the threatening this implies that materials are subjected to perpetrators to human comfort, plants and different damages caused by these pests. other animals throughout the world. As a Ngulube (2005) revealed that seven (63.6%) result, different institutions have/are of the archival institutions and six (66.7%) continuously establishing pest control national libraries in Eastern and Southern measures in order to minimize damages to Africa had observed damages to materials their interests or belongings (The U.S. caused by moulds and insects. Silverfish and Environmental Protection Agency, 1993, booklice were observed by the British Library Gibb & Al Fournier, 2006, British Library, (2012) to be gracing on book surfaces. The 2014). Libraries and archives have equally British Library (2012) further observed that importantly noticed the importunity of the larvae make tunnels in paper materials controlling pests and this is evidenced by more especially in the big bound materials or different issues raised by library and archival stacked papers. Literature posits that the institutions throughout the world. Some of continuous pest infestations are exacerbated these issues on pests in libraries and archives by the fact that pests generally live in moist are discussed in the next sections. areas, but can survive in dry areas as long as they have access to water and sources of food Issues of pests in libraries and like starch, cellulosic materials, and animal archives glues in books and these pose different challenges to library and archival materials Libraries and archives are continuing to (Ngulube, 2005 & British Library, 2012). Pests disclose evidences of pests in their building can eat collections, stain collections with their environments (Ritzenthaler, 1993, Harvey, remains, distort the authenticity of collections 1994, and Segaetsho, 2014). The pests and in some instances they can completely observed in libraries and archives’ buildings deteriorate the context of collections (Harvey, are of different types or groups depending on 1994). Consequently, pests do not only pose JOURNAL OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIETY OF ARCHIVISTS, VOL. 48, 2015 | SASA © 110 Thatayaone Segaetsho danger to collections but also to human health pesticides arguing that the “concern about the and safety through stinging or biting, and the use of pesticides in school environments and damages are irreversible. the potential effects of pesticide exposure on children’s health have driven many states to implement laws that affect the use of The various damages to collections posed by pesticides in schools.” pests signify the evidence of different challenges that overwhelm libraries and archives institutions throughout the world. As a result, institutions prefer economically Selatolo (2012) was of the view that challenges cheap, less toxic and environmentally friendly on pest equally include the rapid production methods of pests’ control. The proper control of the young ones which also brings about of pests require that institutions should huge amount of destruction to collections. It develop official policy statement that provides is, therefore, important to monitor, control a useful first step in changing from a and destroy breeding cycles of pests in library conventional pesticide program to user- and archival institutions. In overall, libraries friendly programs (National Service Center and archives are further faced with general for Environmental Publications (NSCEP), challenges of training staff on proper methods 1993). Environmentally friendly measures of of pests control, financial challenges, lack of pests control were also observed at the British policies and lack of expertise when it comes Library which implemented IPM program and to preservation work (Tamuhla, 2001, have quarantine rooms for pest control Ngulube, 2005 & Selatolo, 2012). measures (British Library, 2014). The importunity of user-friendly pests control methods was clearly stated by the Chicora Despite the different challenges in Foundation