Availability and Utilization of Electronic Resources by Postgraduate Students in a Nigerian University Library: A Case Study of University of Calabar, Nigeria

This study examined the extent of availability and utilization of electronic resources by postgraduate (PG) students in the University of Calabar (UNICAL) Library. Five research questions and a single hypothesis were formulated to guide the study. Descriptive survey was adopted and the population of the study was two thousand, seven hundred and twenty six, while a sample of four hundred postgraduate library users were selected through stratified sampling; two hundred postgraduate student  each from Faculty of Education and Faculty of Science. Questionnaire was the main instrument used for data collection. Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r) was the statistical analysis technique adopted to test the hypothesis under study at 0.05 level of significance. Three hundred and eighty two dully filled questionnaires were received, giving an overall response rate of 95.5 per cent. The result of the analysis revealed that electronic resources were available in Unical Library and P.G. students utilized them. However, online databases were underutilized. The University Library had e-journals, e-books and access to databases and Internet resources. E-journals were the most often used electronic resources. Lack of computer skills, slow network, inconsistent internet connectivity, power outage and irrelevant electronic information resources were the problems postgraduate students encountered while accessing and using electronic resources in Unical Library. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were made: adequate budgetary allocation should be given to the University Library for subscription to online databases and acquisition of electronic books, more relevant open access databases should be made accessible to users, creation of awareness on the available electronic resources in Unical Library, installation of inverter and battery system in the Electronic Library, and organising users education for better use of electronic resources in Unical Library. Keywords: Availability, Utilization, Electronic Resources, University of Calabar library, Postgraduate Students

Influence of Information Source Parameters and personal Characteristics of Librarians on readers\u27 ability to Retrieve Information in Reference service

NKOYO B. EDEM (PH.D) DEPUTY UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN UNIVERSITY OF CALABAR LIBRARY CALABAR E- mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT This study was conducted in four (4) University libraries, (two states and two federal) in the south – south zone of Nigeria to provide information on the perception of both librarians and readers on the influence of information source parameters (obsolete information sources and availability of relevant information sources), as well as personal characteristics of librarians (attitude and experience) on readers ability to retrieve information. The study used survey design to determine by means of a one item in a four point likert scale questionnaire, the influence of these variables on reader’s ability to retrieve information. Four (4) hypotheses were tested. Out of the total of 700 library registered undergraduate students, only 698 students and all the 9 librarians answered and returned usable questionnaires. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS} and t-test was used for data analysis. The major findings are that all the four hypotheses tested, rejected the null hypotheses, which means that all these variables influence reader’s ability to retrieve information. This calls for the librarians to improve upon their personal characteristics as well as the provision of relevant information sources if quality reference services are to be attained. Based on these findings, recommendations were made, the major ones of which are the automation and internet connectivity of the reference section of the library, provision of current and relevant information, online access to information sources/e-library and re-training of librarians especially those librarians working in the reader’s services libraries. Keywords: University libraries, reference service, personal characteristics, information source parameters, information retrieval and south-south zone