TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page…………………………………………………………………………………………………… i
Certification
Page………………………………………………………………………………..ii
Approval Page…………………………………………………………………………………………… iii
Dedication…………………………………………………………………………………………………. iv
Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………………………… v
Abstract-……………………………………………………………………………………………………. vi
Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………………………. vii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background
to the Study…………………………………………………………………… 1
Statement
of the Problem…………………………………………………………………… 7
Purpose of
the Study…………………………………………………………………………. 8
Research
Questions………………………………………………………………………9
Significance of the Study…………………………………………………………………… 9
Scope of the Study…………………………………………………………………………….. 10
CHAPTER TWO: Literature Review
An
Overview of ICT Literacy …………………………………………………………. 11
Infrastructural
Facilities for ICT Literacy Acquisition…………………….. 13
ICT Literacy
Level……………………………………………………………………..14
Training Methods for the Acquisition of ICT
Literacy…………………….. 18
ICT Literacy Application in Libraries……………………………………………… 21
Hindrances
to ICT literacy skill acquisition……………………………………. 26
Strategies
for Enhancement of ICT Literacy Skill Acquisition………… 28
Review
of Related Empirical Studies …………………………………………….. 32
The
Availability of ICT facilities in Libraries ……………………… 32
ICT
Literacy Level ………………………………………………………………. 33
Application
of ICT Literacy in Library ……………………………….. 35
Summary
of the Literature Reviewed …………………………………………….. 37
CHAPTER THREE: Research methods
Research Design……………………………………………………………………………… 40
Area of
the Study……………………………………………………………………………. 40
Population ……………………………………………………………………………………… 40
Instruments for data collection……………………………………………………….. 41
Validation of the Instrument…………………………………………………………… 42
Method
for Data
Collection ………………………………………………………… 42
Method
of Data Analysis………………………………………………………………… 42
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION and Analsis………………… 44
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION ………………………….. 54
Discussion of Findings……………………………………………………………………. 54
Implications of Study……………………………………………………………………… 59
Recommendations………………………………………………………………………….. 62
Limitations……………………………………………………………………………………… 63
Suggestions for Further Research……………………………………………………. 63
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………… 63
Appendix
ABSTRACT
The study investigated the influence of ICT literacy
on its application for library services
by academic librarians. The study was
guided by six research questions. Descriptive survey design was adopted in
carrying out the study . The population of the study was made up of 93
librarians in 4 federal Universities in South East Geo-political zones of
Nigeria. Out of the 93,56.9% were from University of Nigeria, Nsukka
(UNN),9.8%were from Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka (NAUA),(25.8% from Federal
University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) and 7.5% from Federal University of
Agriculture Umudike (FUAU). A questionnaire was used for data collection,
“Influence of ICT Literacy on its applications by Academic Librarians”
(IILAAL). Percentages and mean scores
were used to analyse the data generated.
The results for the analysis showed that more than 75% of the
respondents agreed that most of the ICT facilities are available and
functional. It was also found out that
the ICT literacy skills among the academic librarians are high. Furthermore, it was found out that formal and
informal education, colleagues, self study, training at work place, attending
IT programme and workshops/seminars are methods of acquiring ICT literacy skills. It also revealed that ICT literacy is
required to effectively utilize the ICT applications in the library. Financial
problems and poor ICT infrastructure are the most serious hindrances to the
acquisition of ICT literacy skills as revealed by the study. It equally showed that the use of public
awareness platform, applied ICT literacy, NGOs and Government collaboration
enhance ICT literacy skills acquisition.
Based on the findings it was
recommended that individuals should be sensitized on the availability of ICT
facilities and be encouraged to use them for their personal and library services. Academic librarians should constantly use
computer system and the internet in order to attain ICT literacy proficiency,
they should also be sponsored abroad for ICT literacy training, library
management software should be acquired and installed for efficient and
effective library services; funds, ICT infrastructure and training
opportunities should be provided by the government, NGOs and other stakeholders
.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of Study
Information and communication technology (ICT) in libraries is holding a
strong position in every ramification of library holdings and services. The
introduction of ICT in librarianship necessitated retooling and acquisition of
the skills required to operate in the global information society. The capacity
of users to exploit the ICT depends on the level of literacy, education and
mastery of the technologies convened. Menuo (2002) noted that the situation on
ground requires retooling of information professionals as the potentials of the
information age cannot be realized without expanding the scope of information
and computer literacy. He reiterated that people should be sensitized to be
able to use stand alone computers, use computer networks, primarily the
internet, use basic applications such as word processing, spreadsheet, and
electronic mail and possibly more advanced ones such as presentations,
production of web pages, construction of websites, use of digital multimedia
equipment and programs. The use of this is for the use of information resources
that can be found in the internet.
ICT
is the convergence between the computer and communication technologies, ICTs are technologies used to communicate and
to create, manage and distribute information. Such technologies includes
computers, the internet, telephone, television,
radio and audiovisual equipment. However, this definition has been expanded to
include any device and application used to access, manage, integrate, evaluate,
create and communicate information and knowledge. These devices include but not
limited to radio, television, cellular phones, computer hardware and software,
network hardware and software, satellite systems, peripherals, connections to
the internet, digital technologies and others. Also considered in the ICT are
the services and applications used for communication and information processing
functions associated with these devices. ICT changes the way we live, learn and
work. As a result of these changes, technology tools, and creative application
of technology, have the capacity to increase the quality of people’s lives by
improving the effectiveness of teaching and learning, the productivity of
industry and government and the well-being of nations. ICT was introduced to
perform library functions and provide innovative user services.
Considering
the meaning of ICT, Oliver and Tower (2000)
view ICT literacy as the set of skills and understandings required by
people to enable meaningful use of ICT appropriate to their needs. In their
settings, the ICT literacy of a student is a relative measure of the student’s
capacity to make appropriate use of ICT for educational and learning purposes.
Likewise, the ICT literacy for librarians is relative measures of the
librarians’ capacity to make appropriate use of ICT for information
acquisition, organization, retrieval and dissemination as information
professionals. This involves the level of skills needed by librarians to use
computer for their work and to independently function in a web-based, on-line
learning environment. They also pointed out that skills/competencies still
remain the underpinning elements of computer and ICT literacy and measures the
extent and scope of ICT applications and uptake among different computer users. Four distinct areas of skills
and expertise such as an ability to independently operate personal computer
system, an ability to use software for preparing and presenting work, an
ability to use the internet and its various features as communication device,
and an ability to access and use information from world wide web (www) were
seen as attributes of an ICT literate individual. ICT literacy skills generally
is the familiarity with mobile phones, computers, the internet and other ICTs;
the ability to use ICT features and applications and the ability to use ICTs to
work individually or in teams. In fact, it involves the awareness of
technologies and application of their relevance, use of technology for
information and knowledge encompassing skills or abilities to access, retrieve,
store, manage, integrate, evaluate, create and communicate information and
knowledge and participate in networks via the internet and understanding that
ICT acquisition and use impacts on personal and social development. Therefore,
ICT literacy has a positive impact on economic life of individuals and nations
The key role of library is to
provide structured access to information with the increasing reliance on ICT.
Libraries are playing a significant role in implementing and moderating a
country’s information society agenda. Library is the focal point of learning
and research activities in academic institutions due to its information
acquisition, organization, storage, retrieval and dissemination functions to
the community. The achievement of the goals of the university is paramount to
the establishment of the university library. Librarians are at the threshold of
these activities and are now faced with the emergence of information technology
in the scene of information exchange. This brought new tools and techniques of
acquiring and handling information. To effectively serve the academic community
in the ICT environment, the librarians need to move along with the new development.
Librarians are those who have the care of library and its content; the work
includes selection of stock, its arrangement and exploitation in the widest
sense, and the provision of a range of services in the best interest of all
groups of users (Prytherch,1995).They are also involved in the coordination of
activities, setting of priorities, evaluation and other managerial tasks
and their involvement in the community
they serve.
In the present age, apart from using the new
tool to fulfil the traditional roles of the library, it evolved some new
practices in the profession. Some of the new developments include digital
environment for information acquisition, processing and dissemination.
Information is now mostly in electronic format. Library services are also
affected by the new format. Oppenheim and Smithson (1999) described digital
library as an information service in which all the information resources are
available in computer processable form. This requires new managerial skills for
the administration of the new environment (digital library). Therefore, the new
era librarians that can operate in the digital or ICT environment are
indispensible. Librarians are compelled to be content creators of information,
web page planners and designers and internet navigators. As a result of the
digital technology inroad into the profession, such nomenclatures as internet
librarians, digital librarians, cyberians or weberians were attributed to the
emerging librarians. These are librarians that have acquired the new literacy
skills in the manipulation of the ICT tools for information service delivery to
the clientele.
Technology
is changing rapidly and continuously, and learning to deal with it requires not
just one-off mastery of processes but also adaptability. There is a
developmental shift from analogue to digital librarianship. Fabeyinde (2006)
stated that ICT is the fusion of information technology with that of
communication while ICT literacy according to an international independent
panel of experts convened by Educational Testing Services (ETS) in 2001 is
using digital technology, communications tools and/or networks to access,
manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information in order to function in a
knowledge society. ICT literacy evolved as a result of the technological
changes brought about by the appearance of the information society and the
advances made by the technological world. To be digital is to be acquainted/literate or
skilled with the storage, retrieval, manipulation and transmission of
information electronically. Analogue is alphabetic representation of graphics or
characters. It simply means information in textual forms. An information
literate librarian who applies his literacy in the acquisition, organization,
retrieval and dissemination of information in textual forms is called an analogue
librarian. Digital librarian is one who applies digital literacy skills in his
professional roles as a librarian.
Tornero
(2004) emphasized that the integration of ICT into the society is demanding
complex and sophisticated changes in the way people think and act. This shows that
the introduction of ICT to the knowledge and information society necessitates ICT
literacy. To move along with the current trend in the information world,
digital literacy (ICT literacy) is indispensable. The world summit on the
information society (WSIS 2003) held in Geneva in 2003 reaffirmed on a global
level the need for digital literacy skills in the 21st century. It emphasized
that ICT literacy policy will help to ensure that students and employers are
ready for the work force of the 21st century where digital literacy will be
critical to a nation’s ability to compete successfully in a global information
and knowledge economy. Governments are therefore, compelled to make necessary
adjustments in their National information communication infrastructure policy
to facilitate the provision of ICT facilities and encouragement of ICT
literacy.
Gbaje (2007) noted that the deregulation of the telecommunication
industry and implementation of the information technology policies by the
federal government of Nigeria has resulted in the proliferation of internet
cafes, giving birth to a generation of internet-loving library patrons who
regard the internet as a primary source of information. He also emphasized that
these online patrons are overwhelmed by information overload on the internet
and are crying for help to find reliable and accurate information quickly. To
achieve this, librarians are expected to be computer literate, information
navigators through the superhighways, creators of innovative information
systems for the collection, organization, dissemination and preservation of
information and new knowledge regardless of format and designing and
maintaining a library website as a platform for delivering online services.
However, there is a digital divide between the developed and the developing world of which Nigeria is one. The digitally rich countries have high ICT literacy skills because of the availability of sufficient ICT infrastructure and usage while the digitally poor countries in comparison to the advanced countries, have a yawning gap between them in the digital atmosphere called “digital divide”. There is a need to abridge this gap for efficient and effective globalization. To facilitate this, there is a need for appreciable ICT literacy skills and infrastructure that achieve the traditional goals and new innovations in librarianship.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page…………………………………………………………………………………………………… i
Certification
Page………………………………………………………………………………..ii
Approval Page…………………………………………………………………………………………… iii
Dedication…………………………………………………………………………………………………. iv
Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………………………… v
Abstract-……………………………………………………………………………………………………. vi
Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………………………. vii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background
to the Study…………………………………………………………………… 1
Statement
of the Problem…………………………………………………………………… 7
Purpose of
the Study…………………………………………………………………………. 8
Research
Questions………………………………………………………………………9
Significance of the Study…………………………………………………………………… 9
Scope of the Study…………………………………………………………………………….. 10
CHAPTER TWO: Literature Review
An
Overview of ICT Literacy …………………………………………………………. 11
Infrastructural
Facilities for ICT Literacy Acquisition…………………….. 13
ICT Literacy
Level……………………………………………………………………..14
Training Methods for the Acquisition of ICT
Literacy…………………….. 18
ICT Literacy Application in Libraries……………………………………………… 21
Hindrances
to ICT literacy skill acquisition……………………………………. 26
Strategies
for Enhancement of ICT Literacy Skill Acquisition………… 28
Review
of Related Empirical Studies …………………………………………….. 32
The
Availability of ICT facilities in Libraries ……………………… 32
ICT
Literacy Level ………………………………………………………………. 33
Application
of ICT Literacy in Library ……………………………….. 35
Summary
of the Literature Reviewed …………………………………………….. 37
CHAPTER THREE: Research methods
Research Design……………………………………………………………………………… 40
Area of
the Study……………………………………………………………………………. 40
Population ……………………………………………………………………………………… 40
Instruments for data collection……………………………………………………….. 41
Validation of the Instrument…………………………………………………………… 42
Method
for Data
Collection ………………………………………………………… 42
Method
of Data Analysis………………………………………………………………… 42
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION and Analsis………………… 44
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION ………………………….. 54
Discussion of Findings……………………………………………………………………. 54
Implications of Study…………………………………&#
