ABSTRACT
This
study was carried out to ascertain awareness, use and users’ satisfaction of
library electronic resources by undergraduates of National Open University of
Nigeria, Lagos Study Centre. The objectives of the study include to find out
the extent of users’ awareness of library electronic resources, determine the
skills needed to use library electronic resources, determine the level of use
of library electronic resources, find out the level of users satisfaction with
library electronic resources, find out the level of awareness on use of library
e-resources, find out the influence of use on users satisfaction of library
e-resources, find out joint influence of awareness and use of library
electronic resources on users
satisfaction, and to identify the challenges
facing users in the use of library e-resources in NOUN.
The study
adopted a survey design. A structured questionnaire, titled “Awareness, use and
users’ satisfaction of library electronic resources by undergraduates of
National Open University of Nigeria, Lagos Study Centre” (AUUSLER) was used to
gather data among undergraduates in NOUN, Lagos Study Centre. Multistage sampling technique was used since
the population was large. The instrument was validated through a pre-test among
50 undergraduates of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), McCarthy Study
Centre, Lagos State to determine the Cronbach’s alpha value. The result
indicated 0.88 for awareness of library e-resources, 0.92 for use of library
e-resources and 0.74 for users’ satisfaction. Out of 966 copies of the
questionnaires distributed, 722 copies representing 75.2% were retrieved and
found valid for analysis, using frequency count, mean, standard deviation and
linear regression analysis.
The findings revealed that awareness, use of library
e-resources has significantly influence on users’ satisfaction (p<0.005). Thefindings
revealed that 66 percent of the respondents were very aware, aware and somewhat
aware of the e-resources while 34 percent were either not aware or not sure of
the e- resources. Table 4.3 revealed that 64 percent of the respondents were
highly and moderately skilled with the e-resources while 36% had low skills. This indicates that undergraduates of NOUN,
Lagos study Centre have high level of computer and internet skills but with low
level of OPAC, Navigation and queries skills. The result in Table 4.4
shows that 64 percent of the respondents Utilized electronic resources while 36
percent of the respondents do not utilize the library electronic resources. The
result in Table 4.5 revealed that 81 percent of the respondents were satisfied
with the e-resources while about 19 percent were not satisfied. Finally, the
result in Table 4.6 shows that average of 54 percent of the respondents either
Strongly Agree or Agree with the Eleven (11) items identified while about 46
percent of the respondents either disagree or strongly disagree with the eleven
(11) items on Table 4.6.
The
study concluded that large percentages of Undergraduates are not aware of
online Databases of the library, those that are aware don’t have the required
skills or expertise to use the resources. This has affected their level of
usage.
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background
to the Study
Academic
libraries are institutions that are established to take care of the information
need of students, lecturers, researchers and other community of scholars. The
reason for setting up the library is to provide information service to its
users. Academiclibraries are found in post-secondary
institutions such as universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
Academic library has a critical role to play in supporting the core
mission of these higher institutions of learning which are teaching, learning
and research. They are key components of any
institution in that they support institutional curricular by meeting
information needs of students, staff and other researchers who might be
resident outside the academic community. System of library is changing as
libraries, especially academic libraries are now embracing electronic library
system thereby encouraging the use of electronic library resources
Electronic resources
can be defined as the electronic representation of information which can be
accessed via electronic system and computer network (Johnson, Evensen, Gelfand,
Lammers, Sipe & Zilper, 2012). They further stated that electronic
resources can be seen as the most recent development in information technology
and that they are available in various forms like e-books, digital libraries,
online journal magazine, e-learning tutors and online test because of the
effective presentation with multimedia tools, these e-resources have become the
source of information. Electronic resources deliver the collection of
information as full text (aggregated) databases, e-journals, image collections,
multimedia in the form of CD, tape, internet, web technology, etc.
E-resources include
e-journals, e-discussions, e-news, data archives, e-mail online chatting, just
to mention but a few. Electronic resource are a wide range of products going
from electronic periodicals to CD-ROMs, from mailing list to databases, all of
them having a common feature of being used and sometime modified by a computer
(Thanuskodi, 2012). Electronic resources are becoming more and more important
for the academic community (Egberongbe, 2011). Therefore, users’ satisfaction
with these information resources is of paramount importance to library
development in the 21st Century. Users’ satisfaction of library e-resources is
based on the level of how the library meet their information needs, the
relevant of the materials, availability of resources, accessibility of the resources
and how they can use the various library resources efficiently and effectively.
User
satisfaction is the state that results after a
library user has either favorably or positively experienced a service or
product. It can be quantified and basically represents the degree to which a
library has met a user’s needs and expectations. Satisfaction is based on the
concept of disconfirmation, which represents the gap that exists between
customer expectations and service performance. This gap, in turn, can develop
from a user’s perception of the relationship between expectations and
performance. The concept of satisfaction is similar to an escalator. As user’s
get better treatment which, in turn, leads to a higher level of satisfaction,
they raise their level of expectations, demand better treatment, and motivate
libraries to strive even harder. While this situation presents library staff
with a challenge, it can also create a win/win situation in which libraries
gain valuable support from their constituents. While satisfaction is a concept
that is based upon past performance, it also involves a forward looking
component. Libraries can use instruments that define what their users want or
record user experiences and levels of satisfaction.
Expectations are the standards against which a vendor’s or
service provider’s performance should be judged. Expectations are assumptions
about the likelihood of something occurring. Alternatively, they reflect
anticipated performance. Users’ tend to hold expectations that can be
considered quite basic. Of greatest importance to users’ is a basic solid
performance and that promises are kept. Users’ desire
a quality service or product provided in a friendly and courteous manner.
Users’ service expectations fall into two categories: (1) service as an end
result or outcome that involves reliability or the ability to perform a
promised service both dependably and accurately; and (2) service process, which
consists of the following dimensions-assurance (the ability of staff to convey
a high degree of trust and confidence based on knowledge and courtesy), responsiveness
(a demonstrated willingness to help users and provide prompt service), empathy
(providing caring, individualized attention to users’), and tangibles (the
appearance of physical facilities, the amount of equipment and staff, and the
degree of communication that exists between the service provider and its
users). Each dimension of expectations is likely to involve two service levels.
The first is the desired service level or what the user hopes to receive-a
blend of what can and should be. The second represents the adequate service
level-that level of service a user finds acceptable.
It is relatively easy to state that
users define service quality as the discrepancy that exists between their
expectations or desires and their perceptions of experiences. Edwards and
Browne (1995) report that library staff tends to emphasize empathy, tangibles,
and users/staff relationships. Yet, academic library users tend to attach
greater importance to reliability and responsiveness. Library users hold
expectations for concrete indicators such as the rapid delivery of interlibrary
loan materials or the consistently good working order of online equipment. The
latter assumes even greater importance for remote users. Library with a good
understanding of needs and expectations and their relation to customer
satisfaction will experience greater success in satisfying their users.
However, the goal should not be simply to meet expectations but rather to
exceed them by surprising and delighting users. To do so, libraries must
attempt to both manage and redefine users’ behavior and expectations. For some,
this has the negative connotation of creating needs for a service or product
developed more for the sake of the vendor or service provider than for the
user. What is actually involved is a market-driven focus manifested in
creativity or innovation that develops a new product or service to address
previously unmet or unrecognized needs. For this undertaking to succeed,
library must possess a superior understanding of users’ linked with the
library’s capabilities. We must understand our users’ behavioral needs, their
overall attitudes, the environment in which they use services and products, and
their perceptions of how services and resources compare to those of other
service providers.
Another essential component is a major educational effort on the
part of the library. They need to be honest with library users in
educating/informing them as to what libraries can or cannot provide and what
the costs, both monetary and other, will be to provide the desired services.
This element is especially critical in distance learning environments where
remote users may possess less loyalty to the “home” institution and may be
willing to shop around for the needed resources provided in the most
user-friendly manner. A key fact to remember, and it is especially applicable
with regard to remote users, is that library users’ are not only service
recipients but they are also service providers. In virtually every service
delivery transaction, the user brings two types of information and/or
effort (Kelley, Skinner, & Donnelly, 1992). The first is user technical
quality, which involves any labor performed by the user or information that
she/he provides. The user also brings functional quality or the interpersonal
aspects of user behavior (such as courtesy, friendliness, and respect) during
the service transaction. While the first type is likely to assume greater
importance in a remote access environment, the second type has relevance for
activities such as telephone conversations, e-mail communications, and telefax
transmissions. Library users actually
assume the role of partial employees of the library. Since users’
dissatisfaction is often due to the user’s behavior, users need to understand
their role in the service delivery. Satisfaction of users of library electronic
resources could be determined by the level of awareness of those e-resources,
ability to use them efficiently and effectively.
Awareness is knowledge
about something that exists or understanding of a situation or subject at the
present time based on information or experience (Ani&Ahiauzu, 2008). It can
also be seen as knowledge or perception of a situation, fact, consciousness,
recognition, realization, grasp andacknowledgement concern about and
well-informed interest or familiarity in a particular situation or development.
A study on ICTs by health science students at the University College Hospital
(UCH) Ibadan by Ajuwon (2003) revealed that students studied could not use a
computer, and that the use of the database was poor, due to lack of awareness,
lack of access to computers, insufficient training and high cost of provision
of electronic resources subscription. Awareness and use of electronic resources
is very important so as to keep undergraduates alert of the available media
through which they can access needed information. It is also imperative to
understand the purpose of using electronic resources by undergraduates.
Awareness of the changes in technology in recent years has dramatically altered
how information is accessed, stored and disseminated (Tsakomas&Papatheodorou,
2006). Whereas information provision and usage in academic libraries was
previously based upon the collection of physical library materials, it is now
increasingly the case that academic libraries are moving into the virtual
arena.
Undergraduates in their
reaction to such stimuli ought to be aware of the availability of such
resources to aid them in their academic pursuit. With advances in technology
and e-publishing, online test full text databases, Emerald, Science Direct,
Academic Search Premier, Ebscohost, TEEEL, Oare Sciences, Hinari, Virtual
Library (NUC), online public access catalogue (OPAC), CD-ROMs (Compact
Disc-Read Only Memory), e-books collections, e-journals covering a variety of
subjects, and major bibliographic databases like AGORA and MEDLARS etc., access
to information on a local, regional, national and international basis has
overcome the traditional barriers of time, easy of accessibility and space
(Prangya&Rabindra, 2013; Sharma, 2009). Since electronic resources are
systems in which information are stored electronically and made accessible
through electronic systems and computer networks. Therefore, awareness is
paramount if undergraduates’
are
to harness these resources. Awareness of electronic resources has changed what
users actually read and use. They now tend to use only what is easily
accessible. Therefore, they visit the library a lot less, and, as such,
unexpected discovery is reduced. Prangya and Rabindra (2013) opined that
awareness is core to usage of electronic resources. Where materials are in closed access, users’ ease of
access to such e-resources is by far reduced. But where
they are in open access (not subscription-based), undergraduatesfind them, and
make do with them for whatever reasons they need them for.
The usage of electronic resources in recent
years has yielded positive results in the area of teaching and research and
that through the use of electronic resources, researchers, academic and
students now have access to global information resources, particularly the Internet
for their scholarly intercourse (Egberongbe, 2011; Ellis &Oldman, 2005).
Gakibayo (2001) carried out a study on Internet usage by students and staff at
Mbarara University of Science and Technology and the result of the study
indicated low usage of electronic resources by students and staff of the
university.
Undergraduate students’ need skills to make adequate use of electronic
resources and that
if these skills are not there to enable them navigate the Internet their
academic and research needs will suffer a setback. Watt and Ibegbulam (2005)
stressed that the use of electronic resources largely depends on the user’s
ability to navigate the maze of e-resources available via technology-based
terminals. Zaki (1991) pointed out that the poor background in the use of
library by students equally affect them at the undergraduate level. Ojo and
Akande (2005) opined that students’ level of access, usage and awareness of
electronic resources at the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, Nigeria
is not high and that the major problem however identified in their study is
lack of information retrieval skills for exploiting electronic resources, thus
making the level of usage of resources by medical students very low. There is need to equip end-users
with skills such as information literacy skills, information retrieval skills,
computer skills among others as a strategy to promote e-resource usage
(Adekinya&Adeyemo, 2006). Although, the value and use of e-resources have
increased with time since users, especially undergraduates in higher
institutions generally depends on skills of each user to locate discrete
knowledge elements.
According to the Final Report of the
American Library Association Presidential Committee on Information Literacy
(2001), the information literate user’s skill is being able to recognize when
information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use
information resourceseffectively. Tyagi (2011) the ability to use e-resources
efficiently depends on basic computer skills,knowledge of what is available and
how to use it, and ability to define a research problem. Howundergraduates
attain the above skills and knowledge depends on many factors, such as
theirdisciplines, academic status and ranks, age and access. To further buttress
this, Prangya and Rabindra (2013)concluded that lack of training; poor
infrastructure and high cost of accessing some e-resources are theobstacles to
proper and full utilization of electronic resources.
The use of electronic
resources by undergraduates in Nigerian universities comes with a couple of
challenges like the
nation’s poor telecommunications infrastructure which has been
a subject of debate to researchers and higher institutions (Adomi, 2005). In
the face of poor telecommunications infrastructure, poor user skills in
navigating e-resources, high cost of Internet subscription and restricted
access to e-resources are also major challenges plaguing the use of electronic
resources by undergraduates’in Nigerian universities.
It
is pertinent to note that when undergraduates’ are aware of e-
resources they make adequate use of them for academic and research purposes,
they may derive satisfaction when the e-resources are timely, accurate, make
use of them efficiently and effectively . It is also important that for the
students to make use of the resources, they ought to be skilled in Information
and Communication Technologies (ICTs) applications in other to gain independent
use of various electronic resources around the globe. Be that as it may, it has
been observed that undergraduates in Nigerian universities are confronted with
various challenges relating to inadequate telecommunicationsinfrastructure, high
cost of subscription, poor user skills, amongst others in the use of
e-resources. Consequently, this study explores awareness, use, and users’
satisfaction with library electronic resources among undergraduates’ of National Open
University of Nigeria (NOUN), Lagos Study Centre.
NOUN
library is a learning-friendly, user-oriented library that plays a vital role
to ensure students' success and encourages life-long learning. The library is a
place where the highest quality learning tools in information gathering and
usage are provided, thereby enhancing its student’s academic and learning
experiences. Since it conception, NOUN University library has committed itself
to its primary goal of optimizing existing library services and implementing
new, user-oriented ones. The library staff work with the library software to
optimize the e-library, particularly in the field of cataloguing and
classification, circulation, acquisition as well as the development of digital
collections. The National Open University Library has a vast collection of
resources of about 40 thousand books and journals at the University’s
headquarters. It’s permanently growing choice of scientifically relevant
electronic full texts is not only in the main library of NOUN University which
was founded in 2007, but also in the numerous study centres of the University.
About 85% of the library’s collection is for open access and arranged with the
library of Congress Classification Scheme.
Most
significantly, The NOUN library subscribes to several databases with the
availability of electronic books, journals and periodicals. The NOUN library
provides access details to the subscribed databases. Some examples of these
electronic resources are: Ebrary, Questia, Agora, ScienceDirect and Ebsco. Also
the library currently uploads into its database, all CDs that come with books
acquired by the library. Such books are thus accessible electronically or in
print format. Course materials prepared by the University for its students can
be viewed electronically and downloaded if so desired. Print serials (Magazines
and newspapers) purchased by the library and indexed are abstracted daily to
provide online access for the library Users.
1.2
Statement
of the Problem
Before now, information resources were mainly in paper formats. At
present, Information is presented in electronic format and the need to make
them readily available and accessible to all became an issue and in a bid to
overcome this brought about the need for an alternative media for holding and
propagating information resources. Several efforts were made until the
emergence of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the early 1990s,
which brought about the change to cope with the rising volume of information.
With the Internet and other electronic resources media such as CD ROM,
databases and OPAC. Information can be
stored in one place and be made simultaneously available to all for usage. It
is worthy of note that, electronic resources are of great importance to the
academic and research needs of undergraduates, since they are available in
various formats in libraries.
However, observations
as shown that undergraduates especially those of National Open University of
Nigeria, Lagos Study Centre seem not to be utilizing these e-resources
available to them, could it be that they are not aware of these electronic
resources and if they are aware why is it that usage is hindered, if usage is
not hindered then could it be that users’ are not satisfied with the
e-resources in the library. Therefore, the crux of this study is to investigate
the awareness, use and users’ satisfaction with library electronic resources by
undergraduates’ of
National Open University of Nigeria, Lagos Study Centre.
1
.3 Objective of the Study
The main
objective of this study is to determine the influence of awareness and use of
library e-resources on users’ satisfaction by undergraduates of National
Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Lagos Study Centre. The specific objectives are to:
1.
find out the extent of users’ awareness
of library electronic resources in NOUN;
2.
determine the level of use of library
electronic resources in NOUN;
3.
find out the level of users’
satisfaction with library electronic resources in NOUN;
4.
find out the influence of awareness of
library e-resources on users’ satisfaction in NOUN;
5.
find out the influence of use of library
e-resources on users’ satisfaction in NOUN;
6.
find out joint influence of awareness
and use of library electronic resources
on users’
satisfaction in NOUN;
and
7.
identify the
challenges facing the use of library e-resources by
undergraduates in NOUN.
1.4 Research Questions
This research
work answered the following questions:
1.
What is the
level of users’ awareness of library e-resources in NOUN?
2.
What is the level of use of library e-resources
in NOUN?
3.
What is the level of users satisfaction with
library e-resources in NOUN?
4.
What are the challenges of the use of library
e-resources in NOUN?
1.5 Hypotheses
The
following null hypotheses were tested in the Study at 0.05 level of
significance:
Ho1 Awarenessof library
e-resources has no significant influence on users’ satisfaction in NOUN.
Ho2 Use of library e-resources has no significant
influence on users’ satisfaction in NOUN.
Ho3 Awareness and use
of library e-resources have no significant joint influence on users’
satisfaction in NOUN
1.6 Scope
of the Study
This
study focuses on the awareness, use and users’ satisfaction of library
e-resources by undergraduates of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN),
Lagos Study Centre as a case study. This study is limited to library electronic
resources and not printed information resources.
This study was carried out in Lagos
Study Centre of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). Lagos Study Centre
was sufficient enough for this study because of the size and location of the
Centre. Unlike other Centres, Lagos Study Centre is located at the heart of the
Lagos state which makes it easier for students to access and use the electronic
resources the Centre library provides.
1.7 Significance of the Study
This study would help
librarians, library management, higher institution of learning, Government at
all levels and other stakeholders to know the trend on awareness, use of
library electronic resources, the purpose of use of library e-electronic,
users’ satisfaction with library e-resources and the challenges of using
library electronic resources. This would afterwards help the stakeholders to
see the need for innovations on awareness and use of library e-resources
especially on orientation and re-orientation, training and re-training that
could enhance the use of library electronic resources. The outcome of this
study is expected to bring about enhanced utilization of the library
e-resources by the undergraduate students thereby leading to users’
satisfaction and research output as well as the ability to compete favorably
with their counterparts elsewhere. This research would enable the National Open
University of Nigeria (NOUN) library management plan for the library as well as
provide the necessary electronic resources needed to deliver quality library
services to the students. The research would also add to existing literature on
awareness, use and users’ satisfaction of library electronic resources.
1.8 Operational Definition of Terms
e- library:
is physical site and/or website that provides 24 hour online access to
digitized audio, video and written materials.
e-resources:
Is a term used to describe all the
information products that a library provides through a computer network. This
includes electronic books and journals, bibliographic databases, and library
website pages
Library
e-resources: An electronic resource is any
information source that the library provides access to in an electronic
format.
e-resources Awareness: Having
knowledge among library users of the electronic collections their university
libraries provide.
Access:
Ability
to obtain a particular product or service from library electronic resources
Use:
This
is the ability to apply the electronic resources in the Library in the pursuit
of academics and other relevant purposes.
Users
Satisfaction: It is the contentment of the users with
library electronic resources as they meet the user needs
NOUN: National
Open University of Nigeria
Use of e-resources:
Students’ ability to effectively apply e-resources their university libraries
provides.
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