Undergraduates’ Awareness, Accessibility and Use of Electronic Information Resources (EIRs) in Federal Universities in South West, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48165/Keywords:
Undergraduates, Awareness, Access, Use, Electronic Information Resources, University LibrariesAbstract
This study examines undergraduates’ awareness, accessibility and use of Electronic Information Resources (EIRs) in federal universities in South West, Nigeria. The total population of this study was twelve thousand, eight hundred and fifty six (12,856) undergraduates of the federal universities understudy. A sample of 420 respondents was drawn from the total population using simple random sampling technique. Questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents. The data collected for this study was analyzed using simple percentage/frequency counts and weighted mean. Findings from this study revealed that undergraduates’ in federal universities, to a very great extent, are aware of the types of electronic information resources that are accessible for use in their university libraries in South West, Nigeria, also the study found that the extent of undergraduates’ accessibility of electronic information resources in federal university libraries in South West, Nigeria is very high, that undergraduates' in federal universities in South West, Nigeria use electronic information resources for: Accessing useful and relevant databases not subscribed to by the library ; Access online/electronic news; Gaining access to information material not available in hard copies among others. The following challenges were faced by undergraduates’ in their effort to use the library: Poor maintenance of electronic information resources; Lack of training for students on the use of electronic information resources and erratic power supply among others. The following were suggested to improve on accessibility and use of electronic information resources by undergraduates' in Nigerian universities: the library management should try as much as possible to acquire and make recent electronic books and journals available or students since their level of accessibility and use are very high in federal universities in South West among others.
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