Information Seeking Behaviour of Final Year Law Students in South Western Nigerian Universities.

This study investigates the information seeking behaviour of final year law students in Nigeria.  A structured questionnaire and interview methods were used for data gathering in 7 Nigerian Universities.  The questionnaire data was analysed using frequency distribution, measure of central tendency and dispersion; and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Microsoft Excel as software.  The interview was transcribed and arranged into themes for proper analysis. The research findings show that the respondents use print textbooks and Google as major research resources, Academic Law Libraries and Search engines as major research locations while newspaper vendors and public libraries are used as locations for research on newspapers. They were found to possess computer skills and lack information skills. Money, MTN (a major telecommunication provider in Nigeria), Library and Information Services (LIS), Law faculty dress code and Nigerian respect views for elders were found as factors to information seeking behaviour of the respondents. This study concluded by presenting new findings to information seeking behaviour (ISB) amongst Nigerian law students. This research proffers recommendation for Nigerian Law Faculties and Law Libraries on the way forward. Keywords: Information seeking behaviour, Nigerian final year law students, Law students in South Western Nigerian Universities, Nigerian Law students and Information literacy skills

Marital Rape in Nigeria: Appraising the information so far

Marital union has the assumption of love, unity, conjugation, protection and approval by the society. Thus sexual relationships within the emblem of marriage are approved by law, society and God. Parties to marital union retain their basic human rights, however the assumption of unity in marriage makes it difficult to access human rights protection, in some countries, by women who are inherently vulnerable to harm and abuse. Marital union is viewed as the mechanism through which a husband gets licensed sexual satisfaction from his wife not minding the means it is obtained. This paper looks at the legality and morality of overlooking acts contravening human right laws, carried out within the ambit of marriage. It questions the legality of upholding marital unity while overlooking the abysmal mental and physical health issues carried out in marriage. This paper provides the conclusion that marital unity should be interpreted alongside with provisions of human right laws; while contradictory legal provisions should stand annulled by reason of its contradiction with human rights provisions.  It was recommended that Nigerian laws on exemption of marital rape be reviewed and extended, by so doing partners would be made responsible for their actions in marriage. Keywords: Marital Rape, Women Human Rights, Violence, DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/89-25 Publication date:September 30th 201

The Practicality of Resource Sharing in Academic Law Libraries in South-western Nigeria

Abstract This study explores the practicability of resource sharing amongst Nigerian academic law libraries by looking at academic law libraries in south-west Nigeria. Judgmental sampling technique was used in selecting four law librarians while simple random technique was used in selecting four law faculties in south west, Nigeria. Phone and electronic mails were used for gathering data from these law librarians through the use of interview research method. Data was analyzed by arranging responses into facets; thus like facets were grouped together and evidences representing issues in this study were selected and used as evidences of findings. Findings from this study showed that there is no practice of resource sharing in law libraries in south-west Nigeria. Though further findings showed that some Federal University Libraries which have equal digital strength were at the initialization stage of forming a consortium for sharing of e-resources; however law libraries were not included in the consortium; though it is assumed that they might be included later. Lack of innovation, lack of zeal, and lack of interest from the Council of Nigerian Legal Education(CNLE) on resource sharing were found as factors behind non-practicability of resource sharing in the law libraries studied. Findings also showed that the interest of Nigerian Council of Legal Education(CNLE) on collaboration by law libraries would boost immediate results. Admittance, a long old culture in which students visit other libraries and use their resources was the only form of sharing found among law libraries; and there was no written or oral agreement to it. it was also found that there was no form of written or oral policy on resource sharing in the law libraries explored. It was concluded that further studies under resource sharing be done using interview (face to face) method in order to get in-depth data on reasons behind non-practicability of resource sharing . It was also concluded that further study on this topic be made in-order to find other reasons not shown in this research findings

Barriers to Information Seeking by Secondary School Students In Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria

This paper investigated barriers to information seeking in Secondary School Libraries in Ado-Ekiti by using Kuhlthau’s framework of intermediation with Harris and Dewdney’s principles on information seeking. A random sampling technique was used to select five Private Secondary Schools (out of twenty Private Secondary Schools) in Ado-Ekiti while saturation sampling was used in selection of participants for this research. A Case study design using focus group discussion, observation and unstructured interview methods were used. A focus group discussion (group interview) was used to gather data separately from JSS II and SSS II students in each school; it was recorded using a Camcorder tool, Galaxy Tab and Samsung Android Phone Voice Recorder; while two principals, a teacher in charge of the library and one student prefect were interviewed. The sample for this study was therefore two hundred and fifty two(252) comprising of JSS II and SSS II students; two principals, a teacher and a student prefect. A structured interview was used as a pilot study for this research by selecting five teachers and librarians from each of the earlier randomly selected schools for the research. Thus twenty five teachers and librarians were used as a pilot study for this research. Qualitative data analysis was applied, thus the data (from the focus group discussion and structured interview) were analyzed by transcribing the recorded data and coding them. Like codes were selected, arranged and placed under separate facets that represent them; and evidences of research were selected for analyses. The observations written down (regarding the condition of school libraries visited) were aligned with the transcribed data and analyses of the interview and focus group discussions. Findings showed that secondary school students are motivated by the urge within themselves to be outstanding, by the schools’ interpretation of their “free periods” as “library periods”, by the organisation and serenity of the library and by the roles of the teachers and student prefects. They were found to meet diverse barriers ranging from restrictions of access to the library and library materials, none presence of a permanent teacher in the library and no qualified teacher librarian. Noise making and unmannerly attitudes of library users, untidiness of the library, dateless of materials in the library and lack of organisation of library materials were other barriers found. Recommendations were provided at the end of the study with focus on more involvement of the Ministry of Education in School libraries