AWARENESS AND USE OF ELECTRONIC INFORMATION RESOURCES BY UNDERGRADUATES IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES IN NIGERIA

Asom Faga; Ruth Yangu Ihuman

AWARENESS AND USE OF ELECTRONIC INFORMATION RESOURCES BY UNDERGRADUATES IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES IN NIGERIA

Asom Faga, Ruth Yangu Ihuman

Abstract

University libraries serve important purposes for meeting the information needs of students and staff of the institution. It is a store house of knowledge established to house and disseminate different forms of information materials for user consumption. This study on the awareness and use of electronic information resources by undergraduates in public university libraries in Nigeria dwells on the concept of university library which is a specialized library located within a university or a higher education institution to serves as a central information hub and resource center that supports the teaching, learning, research, and scholarly activities of students, faculty, staff, and researchers associated with the university. The study also discussed in details the concept of electronic information resources which are digital or online materials that provide access to information through electronic means. The paper x rayed the concept of awareness of electronic information resources which refers to the extent to which individuals are knowledgeable and informed about the existence and availability of digital or online materials accessible through electronic means. In addition, the study looked at the concept of utilization of electronic information resources in libraries as the effective and efficient use of digital or electronic materials to access, retrieve, analyze, and apply information for various purposes. Furthermore, the study explored the challenges hindering effective use of electronic information resources in library parlance to include lack of strategic planning, adequate or reliable funding, lack of use of internet to provide information services to users and a lack of consistent training for users in new ICT services. The study recommended among others, the need for improved awareness strategies, enhance user training and upgrade of infrastructure in order to mitigate the challenges hindering effective use of electronic information resources in public university libraries in Nigeria.

Keywords

Awareness; Electronic; Information; Resources; Undergraduates; Libraries.

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