Tendency to steal books : insights from cultural influences and reading habits

The study examines the influence of cultural factors and reading habits on the propensity for book theft among users of tertiary institution libraries in Nigeria. Utilizing a questionnaire-based methodology aligned with the study’s objectives, 316 questionnaires were distributed, resulting in a robust response rate of 97.8%. Data analysis employed frequency counts, percentages, and binary logistic regression to test two hypotheses. The findings revealed a predominantly negative perception of book theft among students, with a mean perception score of 3.29. A significant majority (74.4%) of respondents recognized the impact of cultural biases on book theft, while reading habits were reported to be notably high (45.6%) among Nigerians. However, contrary to expectations, the binary logistic regression analysis showed no significant association between beliefs about book theft and actual engagement in bibliokleptomania (B = .847, p > .05; 95% CI [.481, 1.823], p = .847), leading to the rejection of the primary hypothesis. The study concludes with recommendations based on its findings.