LIST OF TABLES

4.1  Gender and level of Study of Respondents                                                                     35

4.2  Frequency Distribution Analysis of Available User Education Programmes

in Abia State Polytechnic, Aba Library                                                                      36

4.3  Mean Value Analysis of Extent of Implementation of User Education Programmes

in Abia State Polytechnic, Aba Library                                                                      37

4.4  Mean Value Analysis of How User Education Programmes Influence Students’

Use of Resources of Abia State Polytechnic, Aba Library                                        38

4.5  Mean Value Analysis of Problems Associated with User Education Programmes

in Abia State Polytechnic, Aba Library                                                                      40

4.6  Mean Value Analysis of Suggested ways to Improve User Education programmes

in Abia State Polytechnic, Aba Library                                                                      42

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1    BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

A library is a collection of information resources or a group of books or other information materials organized and maintained for use. The mission of the library is to provide a link between the past, the present and shape the future of society by presenting records of human culture as well as enhancing access to global information and its utilization (Oti, 2016). As the society develops, more libraries are established to meet the needs of the members of each sector of the society. Different types of libraries namely academic library, national library, public library, school library, special or research library emerged to cater for different needs of members of the society.

Academic libraries are those types of libraries that are established in institutions of higher learning such as universities, polytechnic, colleges of education, colleges of health technology and monotechnics. Academic libraries serve two complementary purposes: to support the institution’s curriculum and to support the research of the faculty and students. Ifidon (2008) defines academic libraries as “libraries designed to provide and accumulate recorded knowledge (published or unpublished) book or non-book materials, relevant to he prescribed disciplines of tertiary educational institutions”. Nnadozie (2007) states that the single most important facility or resource without which the general goals and objectives of the institutions of higher learning would not be achieved is the library. In consideration of the general objectives of academic institutions, which is teaching, learning, research and community development, one may describe the role of libraries in academic institutions as indispensible. This is because without libraries, the role of academic institutions may be very difficult to achieve. An academic library is not only the basis of all teaching and study, it is the essential condition of research, without which additions cannot be made to the sum of human knowledge. The careful scrutiny which regulatory agencies in different countries subject the library to (books, journals, staff, reading spaces, offices and other resources) before accreditation of academic programmes clearly shows the importance of academic libraries as agencies of education and hand- maidens of research. Academic libraries serve the entire academic community, both teaching and non- teaching staff. It is important to teach the use of library to users because it helps to equip them with knowledge that will enable them use the library effectively (Hammed, 2010).

As far as user education programmes are concerned, users need to be educated on how to use the library resources and services. Developing the skills and ability to find, identify, evaluate and use information effectively to solve a particular problem or make a decision independently has become a major theme of modern educational curriculum and a strong catalyst for sustaining education and human development. Over the years, different terms have been used to describe ways of conveying knowledge on how library users can effectively utilize library resources. Some of the terms that have been used are library orientation, library instruction, use of library, and information skills, library assistance etc. some of these terms are used simultaneously, because essentially they all refer to library programmes of teaching and instructing users on how best to utilize the available resources in the library. Given the multifarious nature of information materials, it becomes imperative to teach the uses and functions of the information sources and resources of academic libraries to its users; that is, the students and staff. According to Ossagie, in Kalu and Ndulaka (2018), the following are some of the reasons for teaching the use of library:

·         To enable user know how to use the library catalogues independently in any library with particular reference to the author/title and subject catalogues;

·         To enable users t understand the classification schemes in any library so as to be able to know them and locate materials with little or no problems;

·         To enable the users see the library as a repository of knowledge that determines the success of the students’ academic programme because it is not possible for an individual to have the collection of the library;

·         To enable students to locate and use materials effectively and feel confident to use the library;

The ability to search for and retrieve information is one of the competencies required of a library user. User education involves teaching the users how best to explore and exploit the resources in the library. It can be formal or informal but it encompasses all activities undertaken to enable library users identify their information needs as well as evaluate and select the best information source or materials to meet their needs. Ogbonna (2009) opines that user education is to assist the reader make effective use of the library with little or no assistance. It can be defined as a process of teaching, given to readers to enable them make the best use of the library and its resources. As far as library utilization is concerned, users need to be educated on how to use the library resources and services. To a first timer in a higher institution, the collections of a library may appear complicated. It is therefore, expedient that they are guided to know what materials and resources are available, and how to use them.

User education programmes available in academic libraries are:

Ø  Library orientation for new students (ND 100 level) and new staff: library orientation may involve guided tours of the library organized for specific number of days.

Ø  Formal teaching of Use of Library course (Library Instruction) by librarians to all year one National Diploma students.

Ø  Advisory services on the use of library

Ø  Guidance on the use of library

Ø  Library Practice course (Ogbonnaya, 2013).

1.1.1    BACKROUND INFORMATION ON ABIA STATE POLYTECHNIC, ABA LIBRARY The Abia State Polytechnic, Aba was established by the Abia State Edict, No. 8 of 1992. The library was established with its parent body by the said Abia State Edict. The library is located at the centre of the polytechnic community, bounded on the right by the General Hall (GH) block and at the left by the Polytechnic pavilion. The Department of Science Laboratory technology is situated in front of the library, while a shopping mall is located behind it. The library is housed in an open hall, with a space dimension of about 60.9 square meters and sitting capacity of about five hundred students.

At inception, the subjects of the library collections were majorly on Business Administration, Accountancy, Banking and Finance, Secretarial Studies, Marketing, Computer Science, Mathematics and Statistics. The collection expanded to include materials on Science and engineering Technology in 2003. With the establishment of the School of Environmental Design and Technology (SEDT) in 2008, the collections of the library increased to include information materials in Architecture, Estate Management, Building Technology, and Geo-informatics. The library has a total book stock of thirty- one thousand and twenty (31,020) volumes and over 30 titles of journals, eight newspaper titles and several magazine titles (Abia State Polytechnic, Aba Library Handbook, 2019).

The first batch of furniture (shelves, reading carrels and lending trays) arrived in August, 1995. Presently, the library has about 36 shelves, and 34 reading carrels. The library is administratively organized into departments – the administration department, the circulation department, the technical services department, the reference department, the serials department and the ICT department.

The ICT department (e-library) has a total of 74 desktop computers, all connected to the Internet. Presently, Abia State Polytechnic, Aba Library has a total of 17 staff, made up of 5 librarians, 10

Library Assistants and two support staff. The Library has about 1,327 registered library users (Preliminary Field Report, 2020).

1.2    STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Experiences have shown that majority of student s in higher institutions encounter academic libraries for the first time upon admission into the tertiary institutions. As a result, they are often at a loss in understanding and effectively utilizing the resources and services of the libraries of their respective academic institutions. It is therefore, imperative for academic libraries to organize and implement user education programmes with a view to acquainting the students of the resources of the library, as well as encourage and enable them to utilize them independently and effectively.

However, preliminary observations indicate that library user education programmes are not adequately implemented in academic libraries in Nigeria. Thus, arising the problem of this study, which is the observed inability of students to use or access effectively resources available in the library, as they do not understand the operations of the library. Most of them do not know how to use catalogue card as a search tool for library resources, especially as they encounter the library and all its resources for the first time upon being admitted into the tertiary institution. As a result of the crowded academic calendar, the Use of Library course may not be very effective, and follow-up activities on user education programmes, especially orientation programmes for new students is often not effective. It is against this premise that this study is carried out to ascertain the influence of user education programmes on the utilization of library resources in Abia State Polytechnic, Aba library.

1.3    PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The overall purpose of the study is to ascertain the influence of user education programmes on the utilization of library resources in Abia State Polytechnic, Aba Library.

The specific purposes of the study are:

1.  To determine the user education programmes available in Abia State polytechnic, Aba Library;

2.     To find out the extent to which user education programmes are implemented in Abia State polytechnic, Aba Library;

3.     To determine the influence of library user education programmes on students utilization of resources of the library;

4.    To determine problems associated with the implementation of user education programmes on students’ utilization of library resources in Abia State Polytechnic, Aba Library;

5.  To proffer solutions to the identified problems.

1.4    RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.  What are the user education programmes available in Abia State Polytechnic, Aba Library?

2.  to what extent are the user education programmes implemented in the library under review?

3.   What is the influence of the library user education programmes on the students utilization of the library information resources?

4.    What are the problems associated with the implementation of user education programmes on students’ utilization of library resources in Abia State Polytechnic, Aba Library?

5.  What are the solutions to the identified problems?

1.5  SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study is on the influence of user education programmes on utilization of library resources in Abia State Polytechnic, Aba Library. The study covered only the availability of user education programmes, the extent of implementation

of the user education programmes and the influence of user education programmes on the students’ utilization of library information resources in Abia State Polytechnic, Aba Library. The study is limited to user education programmes in Abia State Polytechnic, Aba Library and utilization of library resources.

1.6     SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study is on the influence of user education programmes on the utilization of library resources in Abia State Polytechnic, Aba Library. It is expected that the findings of the study would be beneficial to the following group of people: trainee librarians, students of higher institutions, librarians, researchers in the field of user studies as well as managements of academic libraries.

To trainee librarians, it will help them to appreciate the importance of user education programmes in academic libraries. It will also provide them with necessary literature in user education programmes in relation to utilization of library resources. At the same time, it will educate trainee librarians on the various types of user education programmes that may be available in libraries of tertiary institutions.

The study will also be beneficial to students of higher institutions as it would provide veritable information that would help them understand the intricacies of user education programmes in academic libraries and the need to approach librarians and other library staff with maturity while making use of the library. The findings of the study will help students to be aware of the availability and benefits of user education programmes, the resources available in their library and how to use them effectively.

To the researchers in this field and other related fields of study. the study will serve as a bibliographic source for further research. The outcome of the study will also be of benefit to librarians, as it would help to ease the daily routines of assisting users to access and retrieve library information materials because the students would be aware of the resources in the library, how to locate them and reduce incidents of abuse and theft in the library, because they would be aware of the rules and regulations guiding the use of library. Through the findings of the study, librarians will know the perception of users on user education programmes and thus ascertain ways to implement them effectively. It will also help librarians to evaluate the performance of their library in the provision and dissemination of information resources.

The finding of the study would serve as an eye opener to the Management of polytechnic and the libraries, as they will become aware of the benefits of user education programmes in the library and thus be encouraged to provide better funding for it.