ABSTRACT
This study investigated the perceived influence of management principles on automation of libraries in federal universities in south-east, Nigeria. Seven specific objectives were proposed, with corresponding research questions posed and seven hypotheses formulated to guide the study. The entire population of the study comprised of 378 academic and non-academic librarians. The entire population was used for the study. An instrument tagged “QPIMPAAL” was used for data collection. Validated copies of the questionnaire were tested for reliability using Cronbach Alpha, and the reliability coefficient was returned at average of = 0.83 confirming its reliability. The copies of the questionnaire were administered to the respondents. 375 were returned and 368 were correctly completed and used for data analysis. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean frequency count and standard deviation for answering the research questions while inferential statistics of t-test was used for testing the hypotheses. The hypothesis were accepted or rejected at 0.05 level of significant. The result showed high extent of 56% responses of the respondents that management principles influence automation of academic libraries in the study. The average mean responses of the seven research questions range from 2.80 to 2.91 showed high extent status that management principles significantly influence the automation of academic libraries. The conclusion was drawn that management principles of staffing, planning, funding, organizing, directing, coordinating and reporting influence the automation of academic libraries in federal universities in South-East, Nigeria. Recommendations and suggestions were also made.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page i
Declaration ii
Certification iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgements v
Table of Contents vii
List of Tables ix
List of figures x
Abstract xi
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem 9
1.3
Purpose of the Study 10
1.4
Research
questions 11
1.5 Hypotheses for the Study 12
1.6 Significance of the Study 13
1.7 Scope of the Study 14
CHAPTER 2: RELATED
LITERATURE
2.1 Conceptual Framework 15
2.1.1 Concept of library automation 15
2.1.2 Resources required for library automation 17
2.1.3 Areas where automation is needed in the
academic library 20
2.2 Management Principles 20
2.2.1
Management 20
2.2.2 Planning and automation of university
library 21
2.2.3 Organizing and automation in library 27
2.2.4 Staffing and automation of university
libraries 29
2.2.5 Directing and automation of university
libraries 32
2.2.6 Coordinating and automation of university
libraries 33
2.2.8 Reporting and automation university library 35
2.2.7 Budgeting/funding and automation of library 35
2.2.4.1 Budgeting 36
2.3 Theoretical Framework 39
2.3.1 System management theory 39
2.3.2 The schema theory 41
2.3.3 Theory of reasoned action (TRA) 44
2.4 Empirical Review of Related Studies 45
2.5 Summary of Related Literature 64
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
3.1 Design
of the Study 65
3.2 Area
of the Study 65
3.3 Population of the Study 71
3.4
Sample and Sampling Technique 72
3.5 Instrument
for Data Collection 72
3.6 Validation
of the Instrument 73
3.7 Reliability
of the Instrument 73
3.8 Method
of Data Collection 73
3.9 Method
of Data Analysis 74
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Results 75
4.1.1 Research questions 75
4.1.2 Hypotheses 90
4.2
Summary
of Findings 97
4.3 Discussion of Findings 97
CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary of the Study 106
5.2 Conclusion 108
5.3
Recommendations 109
5.4 The Implication of the Study 110
5.5 Limitation of the Study 111
5.6
Suggestions
for Further Studies 112
REFERENCES 113
APPENDICES 123
LIST
OF TABLES
4.1: Mean responses on influence of
staffing on automation of
university libraries in
south-east, Nigeria 76
4.2: Mean
responses on influence of planning on automation of
university libraries in
south-east, Nigeria 78
4.3: Mean
responses on funding influence on automation of university libraries in south-east, Nigeria 80
4.4: Mean
responses on influence of organizing on automation of university
libraries in south-east, Nigeria 82
4.5: Mean
responses on perceived influence of directing on automation
of university libraries
in south-east, Nigeria 84
4.6: Mean
responses on coordinating items on automation of university libraries 86
4.7: Mean
responses on perceived influence of on reporting on
automation of university
libraries 88
4.8: t
– test analysis of responses of academic and non-academic librarians on how staffing influence
automation of university
libraries 90
4.9: Summary
of t- test analysis of responses of academic and non- academic
librarians on how planning influence automation of university
libraries 91
4.10: Summary
of t- test analysis of responses of academic and non- academic
librarians on how funding influence automation of university
libraries 92
4.11: Summary
of t-test analysis of responses of academic and non- academic
librarians on how organizing influence automation of university
libraries 93
4.12: Summary
of t-test analysis of responses of academic and non- academic
librarians on how directing influence automation of university
libraries 94
4.13: Summary
of t-test analysis of responses of academic and non- academic
librarians on how coordinating influence automation of university
libraries 95
4.14: Summary
of t- test analysis of responses of academic and non- academic
librarians on how reporting influence automation of university
libraries 96
LIST
OF FIGURE
2.1: Theory of reasoned action (TRA) 45
CHAPTER
1
INTRODUCTION
The goal of Library
is centered on information acquisition, processing, preservation, storage,
dissemination in the most efficient and effective way suitable to the user
public. Hence, its culture has been flexibility to change in information packaging
and services. Information services offered by the library to the general public
have great volume of contribution to their output in the labour market, it also
empowers educational sectors particularly universities.
1.1 BACKGROUND
TO THE STUDY
As early men grew in knowledge, they began to record
their knowledge which transited from clay tablet to papyrus to printing and these
days to electronic media. Having these accumulated information materials, it
become crucial to conserve them and also make them available for consultations,
hence the establishment of library. Library can be said to be a place where
books and non-books materials are organized, stored and made available for
reading, studying and reference purposes. Library is an agency, which engages
in collection, processing, preservation and dissemination of recorded
information in their various formats most convenient to its target user (Ishola
and Obadare, 2014), the place where the materials are kept for consultation
(Akande, 2008), and are indispensible (Aina, 2003).
The person who makes the stored information accessible
to the users is regarded as the librarian. A collection of information
resources like books in room without a systematic organization to ease the
retrieval does not make a library. Hence, the library is a repository of
various forms of recorded information which may be in print and non-print formats
such as books, periodicals, reference materials, manuscripts, magazines,
theses, gazette, etc. and non-book materials like microforms, films, magnetic
tapes, slides, video tapes and data stored in electronic media like discs,
CD-ROM can also be found in the libraries. Libraries are not only repository of
past human endeavors, they are instrument for civilization, provides field for
learning, a laboratory for human aspiration, a window to the future, a source
for self-reward, intellectual growth, and hope.
There are different kinds of libraries, which academic
library is one of them. It is set up in institutions of higher learning, which
could be established as college library, monotechnic library, polytechnic
library and university library. These academic libraries offers all round
information service for academic excellence. Each of these libraries (academic) serves the mission of its parent
institution, have for centuries played critical important role in supporting
research in all subjects and disciplines within their host universities or
colleges (Jubb and Green, 2007). The main purpose of an academic library is to
support the objectives of an academic environment in the areas of learning,
teaching, and services (Bajpai and Madhusudham, 2019; Oduwale 2002 and Ajibero,
2004), and promote to active learning, thus contributing to students ability to
think critically and work well independently or in group. An academic
environment without a library is tantamount to a person without a brain. It is
pertain to discover whether academic libraries are indeed living up to the
expectations (Perera, 2014 in Ishola and Odadare, 2014).
University libraries are established
with the aim of providing quality information resources and services to meet
the users information needs, support their parent institution mission, provide
and maintains sustainable academic base, support the curriculum,
diversification of knowledge and updating new strategies for international best
practices. It has been acknowledged that without a fully robust library,
meeting academic standard and objectives of learning, teaching and research
will be difficult. For this reason, National University Commission (NUC) makes
periodical visit to the university libraries on resources verification, aimed
at assessing the state of information resources and services university
libraries provide to their community. Infarct, for university courses
accreditation, university libraries must meet a certain standard and a score
not less than 70% in relevant information collections. This is to say that university
libraries constitute a vital part of education, information storage and
retrieval.
The Library is a fast growing organism; the ancient
methods of maintaining it are no longer dynamic and efficient. For retrieval
and dissemination of information and better services for the clientele,
application of modern techniques has become absolutely indispensable. Hence
library automation becomes necessary in university library services. Library is
concerned with the collection, processing, storage and dissemination of
recorded information for the purpose of reading, studying and consultation. For
any library to attend this goal, automation is necessary. This is as a matter
of fact that automation facilitates efficient and effective information
services and retrieval.
Automation in libraries is nothing but application of
machines, via computers to the routine library services to achieve specific
result. Automation has been described as techniques of making an apparatus, a
process or a system that operate automatically. In order words, it is the
machinery that mathematically manipulates information storing, selects,
presents and records input data or internally generated data (Unagha, 2010). It
is mechanization of library house-keeping operations principally done with
computers (Onoridara, 2013), it is the technology concerned with the design,
development of process and system that minimizes the necessity of human
intervention in operation (Ahmadi and Iqbal, 2009). It is also defined as the
transformation of library procedures and operations from manual into
computer-based system for efficiency in the acquisition, processing,
organization, storage, retrieval and communication technologies (Pwadura and
Asapeo, 2017).
The margin between manual library and automated
libraries services is far apart. As a result of widespread interest in the
field of automation, a lot of researchers have been carried out in this area
world over (Adedigba, 2000; Aghadiuno, Agbo, and Onyekweodiri, 2015; Berkley
Digital Library 2010). It offers many opportunities to improve library
patronage. It makes materials easy for patrons to locate as well as allow staff
to serve clientele better by facilitating multiple of task. Automation has
implications for the management and development of library human resources. The
society today has developed more than ever; this is as a result of quick access
to information. People are better informed because information dissemination
have no boundary. It facilitates easy
management and information delivery in speedy manner, producing efficient and
effective result, to a greater extent, can reduce pressure of library workload,
opens a new era in bibliographical control, and provides access to required
database in the country and internationally (Rajput and Gautam, 2010), access
to single document at the same time, with different computers, without
interrupting each other. Also, needed information can effortlessly be printed
out or sent too at a click; storage is made simple and convenient. Information
contents are made handy and interlibrary loans same at finger tips.
Library automation is achieved through application of
software that suits the library operations. Examples of library automation
software’s are: Koha, Koha ILS. SLIM21, Accessit Library, PC Card, Gennesis G4,
ROVAN LMS, Shookee, Series, Wordshare Management Services, Reademption Library
Ecosystem to mention but few. In the mid 1980s, Nigeria and indeed the library
profession were awake to the reality that automation will inevitably lead to
new information culture. Success in automation has been recorded in some
foreign owned or sponsored libraries example are: the International Institution
for Topical Agriculture, (IITA) Library, the British Council Library and United
States Information Services (SUSIS), (Okonkwo, 2016).
The Nigerian situation of library automation,
particularly in the university libraries is not yet encouraging compel with her
counterpart in the developed countries. Even at federal level, no university
library has been fully automated notwithstanding all its benefits. The
conditions have been to acquire and display computers or to automate some
selected services which do not really give full services or job satisfaction in
this age of ICT. As a result, library users are been deprived of their
information needs which are in abundance in the World Wide Web (WWW). This
automatically affects their academic performance and their output in the labour
market, many manual information resources in the university libraries are
abandoned for years without use while the information seekers are busy
expecting the libraries to disseminate their information resources
automatically, to their disappointment and inter library loan are tagged in
difficulty. Scholars are of deferent views to the reasons why university
libraries in Nigeria have not fully automated their services. Their views
include financial limitation, lack of commitment by management, incompetent
human resources, inadequate power supply, outdated hardware and software,
difficulty in upgrading software, low network among others (Mamudu and Otulugbu,
2014; Chimah, Unagha and Nwokocha, 2010; Onoridara and Ivwighweta, 2013).
In South-East Nigeria library automation is gradually
taken place, the preliminary inquiry by the researcher shows that the Federal
University Libraries have automated their libraries to some extent. For
examples: University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Enugu State, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) Awka,
Anambra State, Federal University of Science and Technology (FUTO) Owerri, Imo
State and Alex Ekwueme University Ikwo Alike, Ebonyi. Michael Okpara University
of Agriculture Umudike, Abia Stata is still on the process. Therefore, it
becomes necessary to investigate on influence of management principles in the
automation and how it could be of help to those libraries on the process of
automation and any university library not yet automated.
The inquiry makes the researcher worry that the
belated full automated library services needs urgent optimistic attention of
the Library management. Library management encompasses typical managerial
tasks, as well as scholarly liberty and fundraising errands.
In library management, one cannot ignore the
interrelationship between implicit human values and automation. The
introduction of computer into library systems caused change in technological,
organizational and most importantly, social life and has lead to change in relationships
between library staff and their work. As the primary goal of any organization
is to manage its activities in such a way that allows the performing of
functions efficiently and effectively, University libraries are no exception.
This calls for a better management of the university libraries.
Management can be defined as all activities that are
involved in identification and taking of steps to achieve the objectives of an
organization. Management principles are the functions that synchronize the efforts
of people to accomplish a particular task. It operates through functions like
staffing, planning, organizing, leading/directing, controlling/monitoring and
motivating to enable management to create strategies and compile resources to
lead operations and monitor outputs (Drucker, 2005; Maurice, 1988).
Lots of management principles exists today, cutting
across the work of Henri Fayol (1917), Fedrick Taylor (1911), Max Weber (1930), Elton Mayo (1933), Abraham Maslow (1943),
Douglas McGregor (1960), Morgen Witzel (2003) and Luther Halsey Gulick
and Lyndall Urwick (1937),who coined acronym called POSDCORB. POSDCORB stands
for planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating, reporting and
budgeting, and thus, constitutes what this study regards as the variables that
could influence automation in the federal university libraries in south-east,
Nigeria.
Planning is the basic function of management. It deals
with thinking out a future course of action and deciding in advance the most
appropriate course of action for achievement of pre-determined goals. Planning
is necessary to ensure proper utilization of human and non-human resources.
Usoro (2005) opines that planning in the library includes the forecasting of
objective with the policies, programmes and procedures for achieving them. She
added that it is largely a mental activity, which is characterized as the
process of thinking before doing. Planning involves choosing tasks that must be
performed to attain the library goals, outlaying how the task must be performed
and indicating how it should be performed. This implies that for automation to
succeed in the library, planning is significant, for effective automation,
planning should control all the factors that will allow the library implement
smooth automation programme and determine the most effective course of action
needed. According to Cohn, Kelsey, and
Keith (2001), arrangement for something in advance or to prepare a
scheme for accomplishing certain goals is to plan. The librarian in
collaboration with his staff has to plan if he determines to achieve the set
objectives.
Organizing is the process of bringing together
physical facilities, financial human resources, together with developing
relationship among them, for the achievement of organizational goals. According
to Cole (2001), to organize a business is to provide it with everything useful
for its functioning, like the raw material and tools, capital and personnel”.
To organize a business involves determining and providing human resources and
non-human resources to the organizational structure. For automation to be
successful, the physical components of automation must be well organized (the
building, furniture and computer devices).
Staffing is a management function that controls all
recruitment and personnel needs of the library. The main purpose of staffing is
to hire the right people for the right jobs to achieve the objectives of the
library automation. Staffing involves just more than recruitment. It also
encompasses training and development, performance appraisal, promotion and
transfer (Uche, 2010).
Directing is concerned with the interpersonal aspect
of managing the library by which subordinates are led to understand and
contribute their quota to the attainment of library user satisfaction. It is
aimed at getting the library staff to move in the direction that will
effectively achieve its information delivery. This calls for good interpersonal
communication, both oral and written. Written communications are often through
memos, letters, reports, directives, policy guideline, staff and work manuals
and similar others. This is supported by oral communication, formally at staff
meetings and informally on other occasions (Leo Technology University, 2013).
Coordinating is the process of linking several
activities to achieve a functional whole in the library such as from collection
development of acquisition, processing, classifying, cataloging, circulating to
weeding the information resources. In order word, it is the process of ensuring
that persons who perform interdependent activities work together in a way that
contributes to overall goal attainment. Like a tree with many branches, every
part is very important (Druker, 2005).
Reporting serves the purpose of keeping library staff
and the user at large informed about the update in user’s demands, available
information resources and services. For instance, when the circulation staff
report to higher staff of the gaps in information needs of the library users, it could easily be made
available than not been aware (Cole, 2001).
Budgeting/ Funding is the act of getting ready with a
documented record of the monetary needs of the university libraries which will
help for efficient and effective library management especially automation of
the library which is the moving trend now. Moreover, providing financial
resources is usually in the form of money, to finance the needs, programme, and
project, usually by parent institution. University libraries use its internal
reserves to satisfy its necessity for cash, while the term financing is used
when the firm acquires capital from external sources (Uche, 2010).
The library is a service organization whose objective
centres mainly on the provision of information resources. Therefore, it is
essential for the university libraries to efficiently and effectively
standardized planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, reporting and
funding needed for the provision of necessary information resources
particularly for automation projects. Moreover, funds are used for the payment
of staff salaries and allowances. Hence, fund is a determinant in the success
of any project like in the automation of library.
1.2 STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEM
The importance of library automation has been
underscored in librarianship literature. Having assumed a great deal of
importance in libraries from the mid 1960’s (Amekuedee, 2013), library
automation has become a formidable platform for academic libraries to serve
their user publics effectively. Consequently, a lot of studies have been
conducted to examine how far academic libraries are automating their routines
and services, as well as how potential impediments to successful library automation
projects are being curtailed (Akande, 2014; Oyetola and Afolabi 2014; Nwakuo
and Nwakuo, 2014; Emezie and Nwaohiri, 2014). But, despite this effort, the
state of automation of academic libraries in Nigeria, particularly in the South
Eastern part of Nigeria, seems unappreciable. Most academic libraries, even in
the regularly-funded federal institutions, have the culture of acquiring and
displaying computer sets without Internet connectivity and or local area
networks (LAN) linked to them, let alone running on one or more library
management software (Anunobi and Okonkwo, 2008). Yet, no one knows what could
be responsible for this sluggish or disinterested approach of academic
libraries to automate their routines and service. From researcher preliminary
investigation and informal discussion from staff of some libraries is show that
management principles of POSDCORB have been responsible for automation
exercises. The challenges include unskilled manpower, infrastructure, and
finance and so on (Anunobi and Okonkwo, 2008), there is a need to examine other
possible factors affecting library automation across academic institutions in
the south-eastern part of Nigerian. However, this investigation is a mere
speculator which can only be substantiated with an empirical study such as this
(Ekere, Ugwu and Ekere, 2014). From the available literature, there is also not
yet a study on influence of management principles on automation of libraries in
federal universities in southeast Nigeria. Where no literature exists to show
how management principles affect automation exercises of libraries in general,
chances increase that several factors might be responsible for the dearth of
fully automated academic libraries in Nigeria. Yet, managerial principle such
as staffing, planning, funding, organizing, coordinating, directing and
reporting have been found essential in every organization of which libraries
and information centres are not excluded. In fact, available literature in the
field of librarianship has not shown whether managerial principles have a
relationship with the implementation of library automation or not. Hence, no
one knows if staffing, planning, organizing, directing and other managerial
principles could be responsible for the tardy progress in implementing full
automated services in Nigerian academic libraries. This is the crucial concern
that makes the researcher to embark on this study titled “perceived influence
of management principles on automation of libraries in federal universities in
south east Nigeria”.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of the study is to determine the influence
of management principles on automation of Libraries in Federal Universities in
South-East, Nigeria.
The specific objectives of the study are:
1) To
access the influence of planning on automation of libraries in federal
universities in south east, Nigeria
2) To
access the influence of organizing on automation of libraries in federal
universities in south east, Nigeria.
3) To
examine the influence of staffing on automation of libraries in federal
universities in south east, Nigeria.
4) To
determine the influence of directing on automation of libraries in federal
universities in south east, Nigeria.
5) To
determine the influence of coordinating on automation of libraries in federal
universities in south east, Nigeria.
6) To
examine the influence of reporting on automation of libraries in federal
universities in south east, Nigeria.
7) To
determine the influence of budgeting/funding on automation of libraries in
federal universities in south east, Nigeria.
1.5
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The
following research questions guided the study:
1) How
does planning influence the automation of libraries in federal universities in
south east, Nigeria?
2) How
does organizing influence automation of libraries in federal universities in
south east, Nigeria?
3) How
does staffing influence automation of libraries in federal universities in
south east, Nigeria?
4) How
does directing influence automation of libraries in federal universities in
south east, Nigeria?
5) How
does coordinating influence automation of libraries in federal universities in
south east, Nigeria?
6) How
does reporting influence automation of libraries in federal universities in
south east, Nigeria?
7) How
does budgeting/funding influence automation of libraries in federal
universities in south east, Nigeria?
1.7
HYPOTHESES FOR THE STUDY
The
following hypotheses were formulated for the study and were tested at 0.05
level of significance.
1) There is no significant influence between the mean
responses of academic and non-academic librarians on how planning influences
automation of libraries in federal Universities in South-East, Nigeria.
2) There is no significant difference between the mean
responses of academic and non-academic librarians on how organizing influences
automation of libraries in federal Universities in South-East, Nigeria.
3) There is no significant difference between the mean
responses of academic and non-academic librarians on how staffing influences
automation of libraries in federal Universities in South-East, Nigeria.
4) There is no significant difference between the mean
responses of academic and non-academic librarians on how directing influences
automation of libraries in federal Universities in South-East, Nigeria.
5) There is no significant difference between the mean
responses of academic and non-academic librarians on how coordinating influences
automation of libraries in federal Universities in South-East, Nigeria.
6) There is no significant difference between the mean of
responses of academic and non-academic librarians on how reporting influences
automation of libraries in federal Universities in South-East, Nigeria.
7) There is no significant difference between the mean
responses of academic and non-academic librarians on how budgeting/funding
influence automation of libraries in federal Universities in South-East,
Nigeria.
1.8
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The result of this research is expected be of immense
significance to the federal government, the managements of academic libraries,
library users, researchers, library professionals, academic libraries among
others. The study would enable the government, who is the parent body of
Federal Universities, know the extent of academic libraries automation as well
as the managerial-related hindrances to full automation, both for those that
have started and for the ones yet to be automated.
The outcome of the study hoped to be of immense
significance to federal government through provision of necessary blue print in
handling of automation related matters in the university library especially in
the influence of management principles of staffing, planning, coordinating,
organizing, directing, financing/budgeting and reporting. Identifying and solving the constraints in
influence of management principles in library automation in academic libraries
in federal universities in south east Nigeria will go a long way to help the
management of university libraries to adopt better approach that ensures
success in automating their libraries.
The result of this study may also be of great benefit
to the users for which the libraries are provided. They will be informed of the
extent of library automation and the readiness of academic libraries to satisfy
their information needs in the information society in the areas studied.
Researchers may utilize the result of this study as template for further studies
even as career librarians would also use the result of this study as a guide
for the establishment of new automated library systems in the future. Lastly,
this work is a potential literature addition to the field of librarianship, as
it is also expected to be additional to institutional repository.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study was delimited to Federal Universities
Libraries in South-East. Management
principles are confirmed to staffing, planning, organizing, directing,
coordinating, reporting and funding/budgeting in relation to their perceived influences on
automation of libraries. The target population is made up of academic and
non-academic librarians of the federal universities in south-east of Nigeria.
The Universities include University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Enugu State,
Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka (UNIZIK), Anambra State, Federal University of
Technology Owerri (FUTO), Imo State, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture
Umudike (MOUAU), Abia State and Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ikwo Alike,
Ebonyi State. A self-developed questionnaire tagged “Perceived Influence of
Management Principles on Automation of University Libraries” (PIMPAULQ)
sectioned A-H is used for data collection.
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