Components of Preservation and Availability of Information Resources in Academic Libraries in South-South Geo-Political Region, Nigeria (Published)
The paper studied preservation and availability of information resources in academic libraries in south-south geo-political region, Nigeria. The study was hinged on correlational research design. The population of the study was culled from three academic libraries in the South-South Geopolitical region of Nigeria, namely Donald Ekong Library, University of Port Harcourt, Kenneth Dike Library, University of Ibadan and Nnamdi Azikiwe Library, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Simple random sampling technique was used to sample 87 respondents. 84 (97%) respondents provided complete response. Data were collected, arranged and analysed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). Findings show that preservation techniques of preventive preservation, passive preservation, active preservation and restorative preservation have significant relationship with the availability of library resources with active preservation having the highest significant relationship in academic libraries in south-south geopolitical zone in Nigeria. Consequently, it was recommended that libraries should engage in active preservation its collection and to ensure availability of library resources.
Keywords: Academic Libraries, Preservation, Universities, active preservation, and restorative preservation, passive preservation, preventive preservation
Strategies for Preservation of Electronic Information Resources in Academic Libraries in Nigeria (Published)
Modern academic libraries preserve collections that include not only printed materials such as, books, periodicals, newspapers, and magazines, but also electronic resources such as art reproductions, films, sound and video recordings, maps, photographs, microfiches, microfilms, CD-ROMs, computer software, online databases, and other media. In addition to preserving collections within library buildings, modern academic libraries often feature telecommunications links that provide users with access to information at remote sites. Digital preservation, in this context is the process of giving electronic information resources long life. Preservation of Electronic Information Resources is essentially a way of preserving the functionality of and access to digital information which might otherwise be lost due to technological obsolescence, therefore, migration and other methods of preserving electronic records can be adopted. Migration is a set of organized task designed to achieve periodic transfer of digital materials from one hardware/software configuration to another or from one generation of computer technology to a subsequent generation.
Citation: Olubiyo P.O. and Olubiyo L.M. (2023) Strategies for Preservation of Electronic Information Resources in Academic Libraries in Nigeria, International Journal of Library and Information Science Studies, Vol.9, No.3, pp.50-62
Keywords: Academic Libraries, Nigeria, Strategies., preservation of electronic information resources
Academic Libraries Never Die: Undergraduate Students’ Use of the Walton Whaley Library at Valley View University Oyibi Campus, Ghana (Published)
This study examined the use of Walton Whaley Library by undergraduate students at Valley View University, Oyibi Campus, Ghana. This study used a descriptive survey design. The population comprised undergraduate students. The population of the study was one thousand, nine hundred and ninety-four (1994) students. Yamane’s (1967) method was used to determine a sample size of 332 respondents from a population of 1994 undergraduate students at the university. The researcher employed a questionnaire to collect data. Three hundred and thirty-two (332) copies of questionnaire were administered. However, 326 copies of the questionnaire were filled out correctly and deemed valid for analysis. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 22.0) was used for data analysis. The findings revealed that students were highly dissatisfied with the number of computers available in the library. Regarding the seating capacity, students were highly dissatisfied with the insufficient seats. Students were also dissatisfied with the poor internet services in the library. Based on the findings, suggestions were made to library management and university authorities to improve the library’s resources and facilities to meet user needs. The study recommends that management should increase the number of computers, seats, and internet bandwidth in the library.The study concluded that management should address all the challenges associated with library use.
Keywords: Academic Libraries, Undergraduate Students, Use, Walton Whaley library
Information Resources Preservation in Academic Libraries: Challenges and Strategies (Published)
Natural disasters, human, chemical, biological and environmental factors were responsible for deterioration of information resources in the university libraries. Photocopying, re-binding, fumigation, microfilming, lamination, air conditioning and digitization techniques were adopted for preservation of information resources and books were mostly borrowed and consulted in the libraries in developing world. Based on literature, the study recommended that management of the universities should acquire a variety of information resources which should not be limited to books, serials, reference sources but to include e-resources with preservation consciousness. Thus, preservation of deteriorating information resources in libraries has become a global phenomenon to which academic libraries must aggressively respond if their mission of providing information needs to their patrons is to be achieved in this era of dwindling budgetary allocation to libraries couple with the present economic recession. It can therefore be said that the aim of information resources preservation programs is to maintain and preserve information materials according to their use and their significance. Thus, preservation of information resources is an important aspect of library and information management.
Citation: Olubiyo P.O. and Olubiyo L.M. (2023) Information Resources Preservation in Academic Libraries: Challenges and Strategies, International Journal of Library and Information Science Studies, Vol.9, No.3, pp.24-34
Keywords: Academic Libraries, Information resources, Preservation, Strategies.
Assessment of Interpersonal Communication Skills for Provision of Reference Services in Academic Libraries, Kogi State, Nigeria: A Study of Eight Tertiary Institutions in Kogi State (Published)
The study dwells on assessment of interpersonal communication skills for provision of reference services in academic libraries in Kogi State, Nigeria. The study covered eight tertiary institutions in the State. Five research questions in line with the objective of the study were formulated to guide the study. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. The population of the study consists of all professional and para-professional librarians in tertiary Institutions in Kogi State. However, simple random sampling technique was used in selecting fifteen (15) library personnel each from the eight (8) tertiary institutions in Kogi state to make the total of 120 respondents for the study. Questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection and data collected from the field was analyzed using descriptive statistics of simple percentage, frequency count and mean, which was further presented in pie chat and histogram. The result of the findings revealed that academic library personnel in Kogi State possess interpersonal communication skills to a great extent and these skills are quite effective in reference and information service delivery. The study recommended that academic libraries in Kogi State should be proactive in enhancing various reference services so as to be more committed in assisting the users in satisfying their needs. Furthermore, reference librarians and other library personnel should strive to possess various forms of verbal, non-verbal interpersonal communication skills in order to be able to serve their users with the right information, at the right time and to enhance high patronage.
Citation: Agunsoye, F.B. (2023) Assessment of Interpersonal Communication Skills for Provision of Reference Services in Academic Libraries, Kogi State, Nigeria: A Study of Eight Tertiary Institutions in Kogi State, International Journal of Library and Information Science Studies, Vol.9, No.3, pp.10-23
Keywords: Academic Libraries, Kogi State, Nigeria, Tertiary Institutions, interpersonal communication skills, reference services
Collection Development in Academic Libraries: Challenges and Way Forward (Published)
The core of the library is the collection. Library, being an information bank, its pivotal role is enshrined in the basic mandate of stocking information materials to meet the needs of users. The quality of the collection remains the litmus test of service delivery effectiveness in the academic world. It is the functional domain of collection development to peg collection quality high. Well-conceived collection development encompasses a range of activities such as selection, acquisition, user studies, stock evaluation, weeding and interlibrary cooperation. None of these activities is inconsequential in the bid to achieve high quality collection as they all work in synergy. The collection development which composed of the information resources, constitutes the basic instrument of service delivery in the library. Thus, librarians involved in collection development roles must now reach as far as possible into the larger world of prints and web scholarly content to add, organize, promote and make quality material discoverable and accessible. Librarians need to expose the research materials housed in repositories and on the open web, even as these materials are often hidden from scholars due to lack of indexing, inadequate crawling by major search engines, existence of poor quality metadata, or a lack of librarian effort at marketing of material that might maximize usage and accessibility. Therefore, Collection development librarians and subject specialists are best poised to know which public domain materials might best be needed and made more accessible to institutional scholars and to local communities.
Citation: Olubiyo P.O. (2023) Collection Development in Academic Libraries: Challenges and Way Forward, International Journal of Library and Information Science Studies, Vol.9, No.3, pp.1-9,
Keywords: Academic Libraries, collection development
Artificial Intelligence (AI) In Service Delivery to Academic Library by Librarians in Nigeria (Published)
This research looks at how librarians in Nigeria use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to provide services to academic libraries. This study addressed a problem that many librarians face in Nigeria, such as technical knowledge of AI, funding to purchase technology, and lack of government backing for libraries, among other things. The concept of Artificial Intelligence services delivery to academic library users and librarians in Nigerians, as a result of their application to the library’s reference unit, readers’ service unit, cataloguing and classification unit, and serial control unit, through some of its branches such as expert systems, opportunities for libraries, natural language processing, neural networks, and robotics. Some academic institutions have already accepted the use of artificial intelligence to handle some daily library routines, according to the report. The study goes on to discuss some of the obstacles that its application to university libraries faces, as well as possible solutions.
Keywords: Academic Libraries, Artificial Intelligence, Challenges, and librarians, robotics, services
Feminization and Image of Librarianship in Academic Environment: The Nigerian Perspective (Published)
The objective of the study is to examine the effect of feminization of librarianship on the professional image of the profession in Nigeria.Descriptive survey research design was used for the study. Questionnaire was used as the instrument of data collection. Due to the COVID-19 that was ravaging the globe at the time of the study, the questionnaire was administered online via an online survey service, www.surveycrest.com. The data generated were analyzed using SPSS Version 21 and presented in Tables.It was found that Nigerian women librarians are adequately prepared for leadership positions in librarianship, though lack of creativity, low level of confidence, and inability to coordinate accounted for low level of women librarians in leadership positions in librarianship. The finding also revealed that feminization of librarianship in Nigeria determined the low image of the profession. Also, the study showed that continuous feminization of librarianship may consequently decrease the image of librarianship. The study is novel as it investigated how feminization affects the professional image of librarianship in Nigeria. Librarians from only few selected public university libraries in South-west, Nigeria were used for the study. This could limit the generalization of the opinions gathered by the study. Perceiving librarianship as ‘women’s profession’ may erode the image and prestige the profession once had when the field was dominated by men. Feminizing librarianship may reduce the image of the profession
Keywords: Academic Libraries, Gender, Librarians, feminization, image of librarianship, librarianship
Lagos State University Implementation of Mobile Based Services and Technologies: A Case study of Fatiu Ademola Akesode Library (Published)
Due to the rapid advancement in technology in the last two decades because of the advent of internet, the world no longer works the same. The advent of wireless networks and more recently mobile devices such as smart phones, tablets etc. following the internet, contributed a lot to make mobile technology come into existence. The technology has gone on miles since then and there has been no looking back. Mobile phones are becoming an integral part of everyday life and are changing the way one connects and interacts with the world. In this changing scenario, Mobile Technology will be of great help to libraries towards strengthening their relationship and providing enhanced user oriented services to existing users. Libraries may well reach out to the remote users who were considered unlikely to connect because of absence of a medium. M-learning is emerging technology in the whole world now-a-days. Librarians are aware the availability of mobile services and take a step to move forward. The paper discusses on the demand, advantages, barriers and solutions for good implementation of the mobile technology in libraries. It also determines the types of infrastructure required by the libraries for providing these services successfully in the libraries.
Keywords: Academic Libraries, Mobile services, Mobile technology, Smart Phones, e-resources
Significance of Academic Libraries in Programmes Accreditation in Technical Universities in Ghana (Published)
The purpose of this research is to determine the significance of academic libraries in the accreditation of programmes in Technical Universities in Ghana. The study is limited to Technical Universities in Ghana, with their librarians and assistants as target respondents, and is guided by two key objectives. The study employed a census design method to collect data from all Technical University librarians and their assistants and six purposefully selected GTEC staffs making a total enumeration of thirty-six. The questionnaire was utilized as a means of gathering information. Data was given in frequency, graphs, with their respective percentages. The discovery demonstrates that libraries are actively involved in all certification processes because they offer information resources that are necessary and critical for accreditation. The study recommended that adequate financial support must be provided to academic libraries for them to function effectively. Also, alternative power supply should be developed for the library to have a stable power supply and enough skilled personnel with background knowledge in librarianship be placed in charge of the library, and academic libraries should invest in the acquisition of electronic resources. Lastly, the study suggested that the collections of the libraries of technical universities must be current to help support accreditation of programmes in their institutions.
Keywords: Academic Libraries, Accreditation, Ghana tertiary education commission (GTEC), Information resources, Programmes, technical universities