Awareness, Perception and Use of Reference Service 2.0 among Undergraduate Students in Ambrose Alli University Library School, Edo State-Nigeria

Abstract

There is a dearth of empirical research on the tools for digital reference services among library undergraduate students who are the next generation of librarians and information professionals on whom the mantle of librarianship will eventually rest. The study was therefore designed to investigate the awareness, perception and use of reference service 2.0 (RS 2.0) among undergraduate students in Ambrose Alli University, Edo State, Nigeria. The survey research design was employed for the study with a population of 587 across all levels in the 2014/2015 academic session and Yamane (1967) formula was used to arrive at 238 students as the sampling size. The closed-ended questionnaire validated and pretested to give a reliability coefficient of 0.81 Cronbach alpha was used to elicit data, and out of the 238 copies of the questionnaire distributed, 238 was returned, found usable and analysed consisting 100% response rate. The findings of the study revealed that the awareness of RS 2.0 by the respondents was slightly low. RS 2.0 was perceived to be easy and quick to use as well as enhance learning abilities. The level of RS 2.0 accessibility was high whereas the use for RS 2.0 was found to be low with independent study/research as the main purpose of use. The obstacles encountered by undergraduate library student in the use of RS 2.0 were high cost to acquire and maintain RS 2.0 tools, poor internet connectivity and expensive cost of software. It was recommended that library school curriculum should include a course on reference service as a platform to create awareness on RS 2.0. Moreover, library schools through their departmental libraries or laboratories should give their students access to RS 2.0 tools as well as good internet connectivity either freely or at a subsidized rate.