Faculty Members’ Awareness and Use of Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) Services at Babcock University, Nigeria: A Study

The study investigated the awareness and use of Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) by Faculty Members of Babcock University, Nigeria. The study adopted descriptive survey research design.  Questionnaire was distributed to 240 (60%) faculty members at various schools in August 2013 during the annual colloquium workshop. One hundred and nine-six (196) copies of the questionnaire was retrieved and used for the study. Data collected were analysed using percentage and frequency. It will be recall that prior to the introduction and use of OPAC at Babcock University Library, traditional methods of information retrieval hold sway. Also, despite its acclaimed usefulness, most faculty members tend to prefer traditional methods to OPAC. Findings revealed that majority of the respondents (71.4%) were not aware that OPAC can be used to retrieve materials before coming to the library. Also, 65.8% of the respondents were not aware that they can access/browse Babcock University library web-based OPAC with their mobile phones before coming to the library to borrow materials; while, 59.2% of the respondents were not aware that the materials available in Babcock University library can be accessed outside the library building. Only 26% of the respondents used OPAC independently to retrieve library information resources. Majority of the respondents retrieved library information resources by perusing through the shelves and seeking the assistance of library staff. It was obvious from the findings that majority of the respondents were not aware hence the need for the study. Lack of orientation from library staff/librarians also constitutes major factor that militate against awareness and use of Babcock University library OPAC. This study therefore recommends that Librarians should organize orientation and sensitization programmes in order to create awareness, and encourage the university community and especially faculty members at various schools to effectively use OPAC to ensure maximum utilization of library information resources

Accessibility and utilization of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities by lecturers of Adamawa State University, Mubi

This research work surveyed the impact of accessibility and utilization of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities by Lecturers of Adamawa State University (ADSU), Mubi, Nigeria. The population of this study was 388 Lecturers of the university. Krejcie and Morgan (1970) table was used todetermine a sample size of 191 from the target population, while, simple random sampling technique was employed to administer the questionnaire. The main research instrument used for this study was questionnaire and the data collected was analyzed using a Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17.0 and descriptive statistics of frequencies and percentages to present results in tables, pie charts and bar charts. Findings of the study revealed that accessibility and utilization of ICT facilities had positive impact on the performance of Lecturers which enhanced their teaching, research and learning output. However, respondents mostly used personal subscription to access the ICT facilities in the university due to problems such as poor ICT infrastructure, network fluctuation and low bandwidth size, among others. These problems had negative consequences on Lecturers’ academic activities. Recommendations made include provision of adequate funds to improve on ICT facilities, provision of alternative power sources and training of Lecturers on the use of ICT facilities for teaching, learning and research activities

Use of Online Learning Resources by Students: The Case of Crawford University, Nigeria

 In the past, access to library holdings was through cabinet boxes via card catalogue system which took time and warped users. Not anymore. From the comfort of one’s remote location, uninterrupted access to learning resources through the Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) system is now the standard. This study investigates the level of awareness and the use of OPAC services by the undergraduate students of Crawford University, Nigeria. Focus is on the challenges encountered and possible solutions. Findings from 115 respondents show that majority of the respondents, 81.8%, are not aware of the OPAC services, 97.3% heavily rely on the library staff and the shelf list to locate and retrieve library resources, 90.0% rely on their peers, 94.5% wander from one shelf to the other while 65.5% scatter the shelves before they find what they are searching for! Orientation and re-orientation of the students toward OPAC and publicity hold the key to a visible and optimum use of the system. 

EMERGENT TRENDS IN LIBRARY SERVICES DELIVERY: THE APPLICATION OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN ACADEMIC LIBRARIES

This paper focuses on the application of ICTs in academic libraries as an emergent trend in academic library service delivery. It is strongly believed that libraries of the 21st century are experiencing changes in different areas of their services delivery. This paper, however, believes that this change is championed by the introduction of ICT in these libraries. Literature hold that ICT application in libraries is of utmost importance due to its numerous benefits. Among these benefits are; increase in effectiveness and efficiency of library services, reduction in time of information access, location and retrieval, saving of library’s physical space, etc. Amidst its numerous benefits in library service delivery, some academic libraries are yet to fully apply these ICTs in their services. To some academic libraries where these ICTs are applied, there are numerous challenges facing its utilization. This paper seeks to uncover the service delivery impact of ICTs and the challenges facing the application of the ICTs in academic libraries. In conclusion, ICTs are vital components for library development as well as the promotion of library service delivery and this paper recommends its full application in academic libraries to enhance effective and efficient library services deliver

Awareness, Availability and Accessibility of Library Resources by Students of Kwara State University, Malete, Nigeria

Abstract This study investigated the awareness, availability and accessibility of library resources by students of Kwara State University, Malete. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study and 210 undergraduate students provided the data. The findings of the study revealed that information resources were available and accessible in Kwara State University Library. The study showed that students do not know the usefulness of some of the resources and this has hampered their desire for them. Also there is a dire need of varieties of information repackaging to enhance awareness, availability and accessibility of resources in the library. Also revealed is the unfriendliness of some library staff, unclassified nature of some of the information resources. Lack of in-depth orientation on library usage with respect to the use of catalogue and the library online services were the main problems militating against accessing information resources. Therefore, library orientation should be more than mere library tour rather it should be practical in nature where students are exposed to library usage with regard to the use of the catalogue/OPAC and online resources. Current and up-to-date information resources should be made available and accessible to all students through services provided by the library staff

Use of Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) in Selected University Libraries in South- South Nigeria

This paper examines the use of OPAC in selected university libraries in south- south Nigeria. In actualizing this, four (4) research questions were formulated which are: How frequently do the users in university libraries in South-South Nigeria use OPAC? What are the purposes of use of OPAC? How frequently do the patrons search for various information resources through the OPAC? What are the challenges faced by library users with the use of OPAC? The study adopted the descriptive survey design. The population of the study is made up of 18,332 registered under -graduate library users and the sampling size of 920, which led to the distribution of 460 questionnaires to each of the University libraries. The findings from the study are as follows: Students’ use of OPAC in university libraries in South-South Nigeria is low, the main purpose for using OPAC by the respondents are to locate documents, to know about a document without physically visiting the library, to find out if a document is available in the library, as well as to search and retrieve information. The frequency of use shows that a large chunk of the respondents rarely and never use OPAC for searching for information resources in the library while a few respondents sometimes use OPAC to source materials in the library. From the findings the following challenges were identified: Poor/irregular power supply, lack of OPAC knowledge and unfamiliarity with the OPAC system, Inadequate computer terminals, Navigational frustrations, OPAC is not user friendly enough, Lack of assistance from library staff and failed search or no records retrieved, Inability to use appropriate search terms, Complicated/Confusing to me, retrieve unmanageably large number of records and search requests/terms are too broad or too narrow. The study thus concluded by giving the following recommendations: Efforts should be geared towards inculcating on university students the knowledge and skills required to use OPAC, Universities should be equipped with the enabling infrastructure such as adequate power supply, effective Internet connectivity etc. that will encourage the use of OPAC and University libraries should formulate policies that would encourage mandatory use of OPACs

Perceived ease and use of Electronic Information resources by Undergraduates of private University in Oyo state, Nigeria.

Purpose: University libraries are investing huge amount of money to provide useful and accessible information services to users in electronic format to enhance learning and research activities. In order to justify the investment made on electronic information resources, this study examined awareness, perceived ease and use of EIR by undergraduate students of private university in Oyo state, Nigeria. Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive survey design with a study population of 2,171 undergraduate students. Multi-stage sampling technique was used for selecting the sampled respondents for the study. Questionnaire was used for data collection which was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson product moment correlation. Findings: The findings revealed that EIR was perceived to be complex, non-flexible and not easy to use. More so, the use of EIR does not meet the information needs of the students. The major challenge faced by student when using EIR was found to be frequent power cut with 75% respondent rate. The finding also revealed a positive relationship between perceived ease and use of EIR at (p=0.00; p<0.05). Study Conclusions and policy recommendations: The study concluded that the students perceived EIR as complex and not flexible to use. Therefore, the study recommended that libraries should do more by providing technical support and training to ensure optimal use of EI

The Implementation of Social Media Based Library Services at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Nigeria.

Academic libraries are faced with the challenge of meeting the varied demands of users stemming from the ever-increasing different formats of information resources. These libraries around the world have thus adopted the use of social media -to render the required services to library users. FUTO library is experiencing serious challenges in the effort to accommodate the needs of its users - including the increasing number of users small reading spaces compared to the rising student population and the fact that many students live off-campus. This study investigates the possibility of adopting social media-based library services at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), to overcome the library’s challenges