ACCESSIBILITY AND UTILIZATION OF REFERENCE RESOURCES AND SERVICES BY STUDENTS IN POLYTECHNIC LIBRARIES IN SOUTH-EAST, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

This research is focused on Accessibility and Utilization of Reference Resources and Services by Students in Polytechnic Libraries in South-East, Nigeria. Specifically, eight questions were formulated to guide the study covering; types of reference services utilized by students in polytechnic libraries, tools for accessing reference resources in polytechnic libraries, purposes for the utilization of reference resources in polytechnic libraries, extent of accessibility of reference resources by students in the polytechnic libraries, extent of utilization of reference resources in the polytechnic libraries, problems that are associated with effective accessibility and utilization of reference resources in polytechnic libraries, possible suggested ways for ameliorating the problems that hinder effective accessibility and utilization of reference resources in polytechnics libraries. The study employed a descriptive survey research design. Data collected were through questionnaire from the sample size of three hundred and ninety five (395) respondents. Mean and Standard deviation were used to answer research questions 2, 4-8 while research question 1 and 3 was answered using available and accessible or not available and accessible since checklist rated by the researcher was used as instrument for collecting data on the available and accessible of reference resources. Mean bench mark of 2.5 was used to indicate “agree” or “high extent”, while mean value below 2.5 were used to indicate “disagree” or “low extent”. Findings reveal that print and non-print reference resources found in polytechnics libraries are available and accessible except concordance, thesaurus and guidebooks. The findings also reveal that types of reference services utilized by students in the polytechnics libraries are reservation of library resources, bibliography verification, indexing and abstracting services etc except telecommunication and SDI and CAS services. It also discloses the tools for accessing reference resources by the students are guides, abstracts, bibliographies, catalogues, indexes. It also shows that the purposes for the utilization of reference resources in polytechnic libraries are to find specific information, for assignment, general purposes such as names and addresses of a place, etc. The print and non-print reference resources are accessible to a high extent except almanacs, concordances, thesaurus, CD-Rom Sources, online databases, and compact which are on low extent. The print and non-print reference resources are utilized by the students to a high extent in the polytechnic libraries except almanacs, and compact disk that have low extent utilization. The finding reveals the problems of this study as, poor funding on reference resources, inadequacy of information (reference) resources, lack of adequate and trained personnel, etc. The finding reveals the ways for ameliorating the problems which are resource sharing and networking, provision of adequate funds to the libraries, etc. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that current, adequate and relevant types of reference resources should be provided by the libraries to boost the research output of the polytechnic students, the library staff should be trained on techniques for measuring the extent to which reference resources are accessed and utilized by the students in polytechnic libraries and among others. In conclusion, the summary of the major findings arising from the study concludes that the ways of ameliorating the problems were found.