MiddleBelt Journal of Library and Information Science

A TETFUND INTERVENTION PROJECT ON DIGITIZATION OF THESES AND DISSERTATIONS IN UNIVERSITY OF JOS LIBRARY: TOWARDS POPULATING AN INSTITUTIONAL REPOSITORY

2023-11-27T14:59:34+00:00

Global adoption and usage of Information and Communication Technologies in every sphere of human lives have revolutionized the way daily activities are carried out. Among its various innovations is digitization and institutional repositories (IR). This study sets out to discuss staff experiences of digitization at the University of Jos Library; with a view to finding the nexus between the digitization project and University of Jos Institutional Repository. Qualitative research design was selected as the study design, and interview and participant observation were used to obtain the required data. Through interview with two past heads of Documents and Special Collections Sections of the Library, information about past digitization activities in the Section were obtained. Also, through interview with the
University Librarian, the aim of the digitization project (as spelt out by TETFund) was obtained. As revealed in the interview, the aim is to collate in one location, the University's theses and dissertations in order to provide a wider accessibility to users. From the interview, it was revealed that due to copyright issues, only the abstracts of the digitized theses and dissertations are being uploaded into the IR for accessibility by users. Through participant observation the equipment being used for the project and the procedure involved were revealed. Also, the challenges being encountered by staff during the digitization were revealed, to include network and ergonomics issues, as well as inconsistency in the
submission of softcopies of theses and dissertations by the students. Based on the findings, it was recommended, among others, that a link should be provided by the Library on its website for the uploading of students completed theses or dissertations by their supervisors and permission to upload full texts of theses and dissertations of postgraduates should be sought by the postgraduate school.

LEADERSHIP STYLES AND JOB PERFORMANCE OF LIBRARY PERSONNEL IN OYO STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

2023-11-28T13:38:06+00:00

This study investigated the effect of leadership styles on job performance of library personnel in university libraries in Oyo State. Descriptive survey research was deployed for the study. The population of the study consisted of 164 library personnel in universities in Oyo State. An adapted questionnaire was used as the instrument of data collection. The data collected were analyzed through both descriptive and inferential statistics. Linear and multiple regressions were used for hypotheses testing at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study showed the various types of leadership styles (transformational, transactional, laissez-faire) were adopted in university libraries in Oyo State, Nigeria (X?=2.78). More so, the results of the hypothesis tested revealed that there is a significant influence of leadership styles on job performance of library personnel among universities in Oyo State; even as leadership styles have joint influence on the level of job performance but at a low rate. It was recommended that transformational and transactional leadership practices should be instilled in the course of trainings of the library personnel to enhance the level of their job performance.

UTILIZATION OF INTERNET INFORMATION RESOURCES AND EFFECTIVE SERVICES DELIVERY BY PUBLIC UNIVERSITY LIBRARIANS IN SOUTH-EAST, NIGERIA

2023-11-27T16:02:55+00:00

This study investigated the public university librarians' utilization of Internet/online information resources (IIR) for effective services delivery in public university libraries in South-East, Nigeria. To guide the study, two objectives, and two research questions were used. Descriptive survey was adopted for the study. The population of the study was 174 professional public university librarians. Total census was used for the study; hence there was no sampling. The instrument of data collection was the questionnaire. Validated copies of the questionnaire were tested for reliability using Cronbach Alpha, and the reliability coefficient obtained was0.94, confirming its reliability. The 174 copies of the questionnaire were administered to the respondents through the help of research assistants; one from each State of the South-East; with 157 copies were returned, representing 90% return rate. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean frequency count and standard deviation. The mean was used for answering the research questions. The result showed the grand mean at 2.85 level of acceptance by the respondents and agreeing conclusively that the utilization of Internet/online information resources is quite potent for effective services delivery in public university libraries in South-East, Nigeria, with enormous benefits derivable. Hence the study recommends that university librarians should aptly direct for the utilization of Internet/online information resources for effective services delivery accordingly.

FACILITATING THE INFORMATION LITERACY SKILLS OF POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN NORTH GEOPOLITICAL ZONES OF NIGERIA

2023-11-27T14:23:03+00:00

The main purpose of this paper was to assess the level of Information Literacy Skills (ILS)
of Postgraduate (PG) students of public universities in North Geopolitical zone, Nigeria
with a view to facilitating the acquisition of skills. The study adopted quantitative research
method using cross-sectional research design. The study population comprised of 1416
library registered PG students. Proportionate stratified random sampling technique was
used to select 425 of them as sample size for the study. Questionnaire was the only instrument used for data collection; with a total of 425 copies of the questionnaire were
administered to the respondents. However, only 387 were returned and used for the data
analysis, which was done using descriptive statistics. The findings of the study revealed
that the respondents possessed high level of ILS. Occasional workshops, self-study, trial
and error among others are factors facilitating acquisition of ILS. Also, ILS has no
significant relationship with demographic variables of the respondents. These findings’
implications were for the university management, faculty and librarians to provide IL
instruction policy; and also provide insight on areas of IL to work on when advancing the
level of ILS of PG students of the public universities studied. The study concluded that
holding occasional workshops, trial and error, among others might not be enough for the
students to master higher-level skills and become competent lifelong learners. The study
therefore, recommended that the PG students should be exposed to more practical
aspects of higher levels of IL in order to meet the increasing demands of information age.
This paper is an empirical research, which contributes to the frontier of knowledge and
provides driving force in developing necessary framework for designing plan of action for
workable strategies that would encourage inclusion of IL programme at PG level in order
to facilitate acquisition of ILS of the PG students of public universities in North Geopolitical
Zone, Nigeria.

ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOUR AND SERVICE DELIVERY IN SELECTED UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES IN OSUN STATE

2023-11-27T16:50:03+00:00

The goal of satisfying the information needs of the users are being hampered in the libraries by a number of issues ranging from insufficient funding, poor internet accessibility, recognition and other external factors. This study concentrated on how Organisational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB) could affect personnel service delivery. in selected nine university libraries in Osun State, Nigeria. A survey research design was adopted with the population comprising 234 library personnel in the nine universities. A total enumeration technique was used. Of all the copies of the questionnaire administered, 173 copies, representing a 73.9% response rate, were found usable for analysis. Data from the research questions was analysed using descriptive (frequency, percentage, and standard deviation) while hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance using linear regression analysis.

TEACHING AND LEARNING OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE EDUCATION IN OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING USING ELECTRONIC PLATFORMS

2023-11-27T16:43:28+00:00

Educational institutions in Nigeria are mostly based on traditional methods of learning. In other words, focus is centered more on face to face process of teaching and learning. However, the recent outbreak of the deadly disease corona virus (COVID -19) globally has imposed a shift in teaching and learning approaches in many higher institutions globally especially in the developing countries. Hence, this study evaluated the impact of using electronic platforms in teaching and learning of LIS, the perception of LIS students towards the use of electronic platforms in learning and the challenges students and lecturers face in teaching and learning LIS using electroniclearning platforms in National Open university of Nigeria. The survey design was adopted for this study. The population of this study comprises all 254 undergraduates and seven (7) lecturers in the Department of Library and information science in NOUN. The instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics was used for analysis of the data. The study identified Zoom and WhatsApp as the electronic platforms used for teaching and learning. The findings revealed that electronic platforms were found to foster intercultural communication irrespective of time, allow teaching irrespective of location and space which came with some. Also, e-learning platforms are user-friendly and have provided flexibility to study at any time convenient to the students. The challenges associated with are poor network, excess workload on the facilitators and lack of ICT skills needed for participation and use of the electronic platform. The paper recommends that orientation of new staff should be carried out effectively, training of both staff and students, first and second year students must be made to study electronic learning content as a general course, availability of study packs at reasonable costs and virtual lectures.

AVAILABILITY AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS USE OF ELECTRONIC INFORMATION RESOURCES BY STUDENTS OF NIGERIAN BAPTIST AND CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARIES, OYO STATE

2023-11-27T16:36:53+00:00

This study examined the availability and attitudes towards the use of electronic information
resources (EIRs) by students of Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary (NBTS), Ogbomosho and Christ Apostolic Church Theological Seminary (CACTS), Ibadan. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population of this study was 1,853 comprising all the registered male and female students from the various faculties in NBTS and schools in CACTS. Systematic sampling technique was adopted, and therefore random sample was drawn from the large population with a fixed periodic interval of every 11th member across all the faculties and schools, giving a figure of 168. The instrument used for data collection was a self-developed questionnaire.
All the 168 copies of the questionnaire were administered and retrieved, but only 167 copies representing 99 percent were found usable for the analysis. The data gathered were organized in tabular form to indicate raw scores, which were converted into percentages. The study found that students were more favourably disposed to using mostly considered available printed materials than EIRs. The study, therefore concluded that there was an unfavourable disposition of attitudes towards the use of EIRs by the students. Lack of ICT skills required for electronic application by the students precipitated the unfavourable disposition of the attitudes. The study recommended education and training to Seminary students to impart skills applicable to accessing and using electronic library resources and services effectively for their academic and research works.

PRESENCE ON SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES AND SOCIAL ENGINEERING ATTACK AMONG STUDENTS OF TWO SELECTED TERTIARY INSTITUTION IN ADAMAWA STATE

2023-11-27T16:52:10+00:00

There has been steady increase of the incidences of cyber-attacks in tertiary institutions in the last decade. These incidences are in diverse forms and focuses on students of the tertiary institutions. Students complaint of their phones and laptops being hacked. This study sought to find out how frequent undergraduate students make posts and how that relates to cyber-attack on social media at the Federal College of Education and the American University of Nigeria. The study area has a population of 3756. The study used deductive, quantitative research; therefore, hypothesis was made and tested using the Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) in the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The philosophical underpinning adopted in the study was the positivist paradigm. A structured questionnaire was employed as an instrument for data collection, and using a simple random sampling method, was distributed to students. The study focused on Facebook. The research selected 0.05 as the level of significance. It was found that there is a strong correlation between a cyber-attack and frequent activeness on social media. It found that there is a strong correlation between cyber-attack and frequenting the social media but there is no significant evidence to conclude same on the population. It suggested that further research be carried out using a qualitative research approaches so that respondents may be observed through interview.

ENHANCING EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES OF GRADUATES OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION STUDIES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION IN TWO UNIVERSITIES IN NIGER STATE

2023-11-28T13:42:00+00:00

Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services.
Getting employed in a profitable organisation is one of the most herculean tasks faced by
librarians. This societal problem could be drastically reduced if librarians are introduced to
entrepreneurial ventures that bear relationships with their chosen career while in school.
Librarians’ work is very demanding and multi-dimensional. Since they serve as information
providers or information brokers, their services are needed virtually in all organizations. Thus, they
are continuously expected to update their job knowledge and renew their job related skills to
enable them compete effectively in our changing society. Therefore, entrepreneurship education
is key to acquiring the needed skills. This paper therefore seeks to bring to the limelight the
concept of employment and entrepreneurship education, characteristics of entrepreneurship,
areas librarians are mostly marketable, benefits of entrepreneurship education to librarians,
problems associated with entrepreneurship education. It therefore recommended among others
that University curriculum should be improved to include relevant entrepreneurial courses that will
enhance students’ skills, both practical and theoretical. More so, there is need for LIS
schools to prepare future Nigerian LIS entrepreneurs through diverse career paths and adapt to changing economic situations.

INFLUENCE OF DIGITAL LITERACY COMPETENCE ON THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA AMONG LIBRARIANS OF PUBLIC UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

2023-11-28T13:32:38+00:00

This study examined digital literacy competence influence on social media use among librarians in public university libraries in Ogun State, Nigeria. The descriptive research design was adopted and population was made up of 55 librarians drawn from Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye and Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ijebu-Ode, using total enumeration sampling technique. The questionnaire was the main instrument adopted for data collection, data collected was analyzed using frequency counts and percentages. The study revealed that the respondents attested that they possessed good digital literacy competence needed for their daily activities in the library. Also, it was found that the respondents utilized the social media tools like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube at appreciable level. Challenges such as lack of digital/computer literacy competence, poor Internet connectivity, and lack of access to the Internet, or its low bandwidth were the identified challenges.

The study therefore established the influence of digital literacy competence on social media use among the librarians and recommended that the Internet bandwidth should be increased in the library so as to maximally utilize the social media tools in the library and also a functional policy should be formulated by library management that will compel librarians and other library personnel training relating to digital literacy.

REBRANDING LIBRARIES: A MARKETING STRATEGY FOR INCREASED USER PATRONAGE OF UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES IN NIGERIA

2023-11-28T14:02:28+00:00

The paper explores the concept of rebranding university libraries in Nigeria as a marketing
strategy to increase user patronage. It highlights the benefits of rebranding, strategies for
achieving it, and provides examples of successful rebranding efforts. The paper emphasizes the importance of understanding the user base and improving the library experience for the university community. The Toronto Public Library, Anythink Libraries, and Richland Library are presented as examples of successful library rebranding efforts that involved a combination of visual and auditory elements and targeted marketing campaigns. The paper concludes that by investing in rebranding initiatives, university libraries in Nigeria can increase awareness of their services, attract new users, and remain relevant in a changing knowledge, information storage and retrieval landscape.

COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AND ICT APPLICATION AT THE KWARA STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

2023-11-27T15:47:52+00:00

This study investigated the process and utilization of ICT in library collection development using Kwara State University (KWASU) Library as a case study. Four research questions guided the study. A total enumeration sampling technique was used in the study. Frequency counts,
percentages, and mean scores were used for the statistical analysis. The findings revealed that the collection development process of KWASU Library is effective. Findings indicate that ICT facilities were used in the collection development process, and they include Library management software (KOHA), books in print online, e-mail, Internet, and other web services. Findings also showed areas where ICTs were applied to collection development to include, communication with vendors and publishers, selection process, bibliographic checking, ordering, and online acquisition. Also highlighted are challenges militating against effective collection development in the digital age which include inadequate funds, lack of internet services, and technical know-how. The paper concluded that ICT applications to collection development are necessary. Collection development policy should be frequently revised to accommodate the digital presence and weeding of obsolete materials. The study recommended that the management of KWASU Library should provide training programs for collection development staff to ensure the effective use of digital facilities for the collection development process.

LIBRARY SERVICES TO THE VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN NIGERIA

2023-11-27T15:57:37+00:00

This paper describes librarianship and its services to school children, and grassroots. It sheds
light on the functions of a school library as an abode for meeting the information needs of school children. It further explores mobile library services as a veritable tool for extending library services to the people from the grassroots and vulnerable groups and the need to treat them as peculiar people who should, in no excuse be neglected because of their inability to avail themselves the opportunity of benefiting from the conventional library services. The study recommended that community advocacy programme should be organized to bring the people closer to the library.
Additionally, funds earmarked for training and acquisition of resources should not be altered and should be released promptly when the need arises. The paper submits that librarians should make efforts towards reaching these groups to clear their doubt of being served with the necessary library services mostly in this era of ICT where services can be rendered from the comfort of their homes.

LIBRARY USER EDUCATION PROGRAMMES IN ACADEMIC LIBRARIES

2023-11-27T16:17:21+00:00

The paper unveiled the most of various library user education programmes that ought to be, and used for library users to make them like and use the academic library most effectively with ease and more interest. They include: library tours/visits, lectures, provision of support materials, oneto-one sessions, library orientation exercises, workshops, library week programs, provision of library guides and booklet. The discussion was presented to include academic library use and users, justification of library user education in academic libraries and factors that affect library user education programmes in academic libraries. In conclusion, the paper pointed out that library users (students and lecturers), who were unequipped with good library user education lack the capacity to utilize available academic library material resources, and recommends that library user education should be instituted and regularly or periodically be given to both the fresh and old library users to continuously arouse their interest in reading and other general benefits from the use of the library.