Availability and accessibility as correlates of information retrieval systems among undergraduate library users in universities in Kwara State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigatesavailability and accessibility as correlates of information retrieval systems among undergraduate library users in universities in Kwara State. The study identified three (3) research objectives and research questions. It adopted descriptive research design and the study population was 370 while the questionnaire was used to collect data. Stratified random sampling technique was used for the study, it was a sampling technique considered appropriate. The selected universities are University of Ilorin, Al-Hikmah University and Kwara State University, Malete. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics of frequency count and percentages. The findings revealed that majority of the users are of the opinion that library users have been a major mechanism to effective utilisation of information retrieval systems (IRS) in the three selected universities.  It was also revealed that there is a significant relationship between the acquisition of IRS skills and usage among the library usersand a high extent of accessibility of a good number of materials; even as few of these materials were reported to be utilised to a high extent leading to a relationship between the extent of availability and accessibility. The study therefore concluded that journals, indexes and abstracts, CD-ROM and Internet are major information retrieval tools provided in the selected universities while the provision of video tapes/cassettes are not common. Therefore, the study recommended, among other things, that undergraduates library users in these universities should undergo a compulsory ICT skills acquisition skills to aid their theoretical activities.