AVAILABILITY AND USE OF INTERNET RESOURCES AND SERVICES BY LECTURERS AND STUDENTS OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE

This research examined the Availability and Use of Internet Resources and Services by Lecturers and Students of Library and Information Science Department Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. The research objectives internet resources and services that are available and uses to lecturer and undergraduate student of library and information science department Ahmadu Bello University, types of internet resources are available to lecturers and students of library and information science department in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, purpose do the lecturers and students utilize the internet resources, and extent does the lecturer and students use internet resources. A survey method of research was adopted, the researcher uses questionnaire as instrument for data collection. The researcher used stratified random sampling arrive at the sample 125 out of population of 1170. Data collected were analyze and interpreted using frequency table and simple percentage. The findings revealed the following: e-book e- journal, databases and world wide web (www) are the most frequently used internet resources by lecturers and students. Various recommendation were postulated which include: provision and availability of internet resources and services such as databases, e-book, e-journal world wide web etc. There is need however to subscribe and provide more internet resources and services and effort should made to increase availability of high quality internet resources and services.

 

 

Internet is a communication superhighway that link, hook, and transform the entire world into a global village where a different individual can easily get in touch, see, or speak to one another, as well as exchange information instantaneously from one point of the globe to another. Internet is a global inter-connection of network and millions of computers across the world that carries data and makes the exchange of information possible. Internet is a loose on inter-connecting commercial and non-commercial computer networks (Benson, 2002). The networks are tied together by telecommunications lines and by their shared reliance on standard communications controls. Internet is one the facilities through which information and knowledge can be stored, arranged and transmitted back to its users quickly, timely and accurately (Adegbija & Daramola, 2007).

Internet is an electronic communications network that connects computer and organizational facilities around the world, such that the user of the connected computers could have access to information resource on the internet (Mudawi, 2017).  The  internet  emerges  as  the  educational tool by being a good source of getting the right information and solution to problems in an academic environment. Core research findings have been traced to the universities and application of these innovations has resulted in tremendous gains to country's economy (Awoleye, Siyanbola and Oladipo, 2008). A number of universities in Nigeria are  now making emphatics moves to improve on their information and communication policies. Internet appearance in higher education was used as a tool  for researchers  to  communicate  and share project data (Jagboro, 2004).

 

Internet has a wide base that allows access to an enormous range of research information either as full publications, reports, summaries or abstracts (Penny, 2006). The use of Internet if maximized, plays a major role in helping lecturers and students access large number of materials from different parts of the world with its advent. Lecturers and students can work together without physical interaction between each other and achieve the same objective with that of traditional way of studying in higher institution.  Lecturers  and  students  exchange  ideas and communicate effectively since teaching, learning and  research is  now made easy  with the Internet. For the developing countries like Nigeria to grow and attain its economic and social status, such country must be fully ready in strengthen and empowering its academic institutions, both in science and technological capacity. Hence, the lecturers and students in their respective field will need an easy, reliable and interactive means of accessing and retrieving information without wasting much time. While the use of this internet is greatly depends on some associated factors such as purposes, students experience, locations, Internet facilities and services available, among others on academic pursue of the students in their institutions. Gbaje (2007) states that the use of the Internet in the educational environment has enabled easy access to many information resources. He adds that, Internet is the network of networks linking millions of computers together. It has the ability and capability to provide adequate, current, and timely services to information seekers wherever they are. Internet is a network of millions of computers linked together with telecommunication equipment for the purpose of sharing data, resources and information. The internet is a large computer network linking together millions of smaller computers at numerous sites in various countries belonging to thousands of business, government, research, educational and other organisations. Internet is referred to as an ocean  of  information  and  knowledge  which  is  now  globally  used  in  every facet of human endeavors. Several hundreds of millions Web pages, bibliographical databases, and full-text databases are now available on the Internet (Prasher, 2003).

The internet is becoming a vital component in the overall services and operations of library and information centers. Application of Internet and local area network resources is changing the traditional library functions. Internet has become a basic ingredient of information accessibility and dissemination. It has the ability and capability to provide adequate, current, and timely services to information seekers wherever they are. Ezomo (2000) asserts that Internet is the gateway for libraries and information centers to enter the electronic information era and  provides information generated by different organizations, institutes, researcher centers, and individuals all over the world. Internet is also conceived as a rich, multi-layered, complex, ever- changing textual environment. Massagquoi (2006) state that 84 percent of journal articles and 97 percent of completed research works are now available on the internet. He adds that  making  use  of  the  Internet  helps  in  conducting  research,  publishing  articles  and   exchanging ideas.

Hence, Internet can therefore be described as a super highway of information carrier,  where information seekers on any subject or area of discipline (such as  business,  education, science, social science, government among others) can obtain current and useful information. Internet facilities are materials (data and or programs) encoded for manipulation by a computerized device. Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard internet protocol suite to link several billion devices worldwide. It is an international network of networks that consists of millions of private, public, academic, business, and government packet switched networks, linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless, and optical networking technologies. It carries an extensive range of information resources and services, such as the inter-linked hypertext documents and applications of the World Wide Web (WWW), the infrastructure to support email, and peer-to peer networks for sharing and telephony (Vincent, 2018).

The Internet helps transfer information between different points therefore this makes the Internet a very powerful information system. People in different age groups and jobs, students and academicians who do scientific research and prepare projects prefer using the Internet because it is the easiest, fastest, and cheapest ways of accessing necessary information (Sahin, Sabah &Tuncay, 2010). Internet Resources and Services

The internet resources may require the use of a peripheral directly connected  to  a  computerized device (e.g., CD-ROM drive, DVD drive, hard drive and flash drive) or a connection to a computer network (e.g, the internet). Some of these facilities include: e-mail, chat groups, file Transfer protocol, World Wide Web, and so on. Internet  resources and  services provide access to current information as these are often updated frequently. Though their various search techniques electronic resources provide extensive links to explore additional resources or related content. Internet resources and services are considered as important resources of teaching, research and training. Use of Internet in library services is believed to have had tremendous effect in libraries and to researchers in searching for information. Ojedokun (2010) stated that the internet has many benefits in the academic cycle including provision of round the clock access to a wide variety of information sources globally and the ability to discuss and share experience with colleagues. The internet resources and services are systems in which information is stored electronically and made accessible through electronic systems and computer networks (Cisse, 2004). These resources include OPAC, CD-ROMs, Online- Database, E-journals E-books, Internet resources multiple accesses speed, richer in content, reuse, anywhere access is some of the features of internet resources some of the features of internet resources IEEE Explore, Elsevier science direct, ASCE Journal, EBSCO are the example of some famous internet resources available in ABU and other institutions. These resources are paid resources and only available after payment, these resources are only limited access; they are available in so many different packages in different prices.

The number of resources available on the Internet is immense. Companies, organizations, educational institutions, communities and individual people all serve as information providers for the electronic Internet community. Some important services provided by the internet have become commonplace, like email, the World Wide Web and easy instant access to all types of information. Agbaje (2002) define Internet as a veritable tool for global online services. Internet availability has paved the way for some associated services in respect of serials such as browsing, e-mail, online system and information management.

The use of the Internet in libraries and information centres makes available to the information user a wide range of learning resources available on the net especially the World Wide Web (www) and the electronic mail. In recent years, Internet and e-resources has emerged as a powerful educational information tools that has been spread technological literacy and given people all over the world fast access to vast resources. Its availability has paved the way for some associated services in respect of serials such as browsing, e-mail, online system and information management. Internet resources such as World Wide Web, e-mail, telnet, OPAC, search engines, File Transfer Protocol, digital collection, e-journal, chat group can be utilized by academic staff to enhance their research activities. Nwagwu et al (2009) averred that the Internet serves as a source of information for literature review, authors search, subject search and research. Internet provides us with the means of carrying out research online by acting as the main engine for exchanging information especially among researchers. The Internet has many benefits in the academic cycle including provision of round the clock access to a wide variety of information sources globally and the ability to discuss and share experience with colleagues.

 

Historical Development of Department of Library and Information Science in A.B.U  Zaria Department of Library and Information Science was founded in 1968. It is the second Library school in Nigeria and the first to offer the Bachelor of Library Science as its basic professional program. The Bachelor of Library Science (BLS) is a single honor degree program in Library Science. Over 200 PG and 300 UG students enroll each year.

Since its inception, the Department has introduced special courses to train our students to become 21st century professional librarians. It also introduced specialized Postgraduate and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Library and Information Science programmes to provide manpower for National, Research, and Academic Libraries in the country.

The Abdullahi Mohammed Public Library serves as the departmental library and laboratory for practical. It located near the North Gate of the Main Campus. It was opened on 5th May, 1963. It is financed and administered by Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria through the Department of Library and Information science.

The objects of setting up the library are to cater for the Ahmadu Bello University community, the general public in Samaru and the surrounding villages. It is also to serve as a training ground for the students of the Library and Information Science department of the university. It is  opened to all staff members of the university. The library is divided into two sections adults and children sections (Department of Library and Information Science, 2019).

There are different categories of users that make use of Internet resources, among these are the lecturers and students. However, it is observed that this category of users is not internet oriented to access internet resources in this information age which greatly, affect lecturers and students in different ways. For instance, they find it difficult to do research work and their assignments due to lack of internet skills. Users need to be motivated to see the real worth of internet. There are various resources available on the internet for users to satisfy their information needs. Coming to this era of technological development the forms of resources has been distinctively transformed from printed books and other information resources to various electronic forms. Egberonge (2011) opine that lack of information retrieval skills for exploiting electronic resources, and utilization of internet resources by lecturers and students are very low. Cisse (2004) state that unavailability of internet resources, slow of internet access, lack of constant power supply were the major factors inhibiting the availability and use of internet resources and services.

It is expected that every university should provide internet resources and services for its staff and students through sufficient number of terminals that could be available to students virtually anywhere by all means within the university, provide adequate electricity supply and optimum bandwidth capacity that provide access to internet connectivity. There should be provision of online educational databases, journals and other electronic resources that will enhance efficiency on students’ academic performance.

In the light of this, lecturers and students should have a wide range of skills to access, use, and manage the changing environment of information resources in the digital age. It is in view of these that the researcher will investigate whether internet resources are sufficiently available and the extent to which lecturers and students of the department of library and information science Ahmadu Bello University make effective use of them. The first reason for conducting this research was to explore lecturers and students competence and their ability to actively use the internet. The main purpose of this research will be fulfilled only if the users are able to locate these information sources effectively.

 

The following are the research questions raised for this study

The aim of the study is to establish efficient, effectiveness and promoting the use of internet resources and services by lecturers and students of library and information science. This study will help in identify the types of internet resources available to use by lecturer and students of library and information science and feel comfortable using. And also try to find out the various aspects of searching techniques that motivates them or discourages in using the internet resources. It is expected that at the end of this research the department and the university will gain insight on the difficulties that lecturers and students are facing in the use of internet resources for their research work and other academic activities.

The study covered only the lecturers and undergraduate students of library and information science Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and examines the availability and use of internet resources and services by lecturers and students.

Due to the large population of the lecturers and undergraduate students in department of library and information science and as well the time constraints and fund which make difficult to cover every detail information.

Internet: internet is a network of millions of computers linked together with telecommunication equipment for the purpose of sharing data, resources and information.

Utilization: Utilization involves the ability of the lecturers and students knowledge to operate ICT resources, their basic understanding of the operating system to save, copy, delete, open documents, photocopy, project information, format a disk, type, print, and use computer applications.

Services: help or services rendered to assist someone to retrieve information that will impact on their needs.

Internet Resources: Are a resource that are available or access on the internet such as e- database, e-journal, e-book, and search engines.

Internet Service: assistance provided by the information professional to help internet users to retrieve information resources and medium for collaborative interaction between individuals and their computers without regard for geographical limited of space.

 

World Wide Web: It offers a user to access documents that spread over the several servers over the internet. These documents may contain texts, graphics, audio, video, hyperlinks. The hyperlinks allow the users to navigate 

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