TABLE OF CONTENTS
Pages
Title Page – – – – – – – – – i
Approval Page – – – – – – ii
Certification Page – – – – – iii
Dedication – – – – – – – – – iv
Acknowledgements – – – – – v
Table of Contents – – – – – vi
List of tables – – – – – – – – – ix
Abstracts – – – – – – – – – x
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION – – – – – 1
Background to the study – – – – 1
Statement of the problem – – – – – 7
Purpose of the study – – – – – – 8
Research questions – – – – – 9
Hypothesis – – – – – – – 10
Significance of the study – – – – – 10
Scope of the study – – – – – 11
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW – – – – 13
Conceptual Framework – – – – – 13
Overview
of information and communication technologies (ICTs) – 14
Overview
of skill development – – – – – 20
ICT
facilities in libraries – – – – – – 22
ICT
skills required by library staff – – – – – 25
Methods of ICT skills acquisition by library staff – – – 29
Problems hindering ICT facilities availability – – – 33
Challenges associated with ICT skills development – – – 35
Strategies for enhancing ICT skills development – – – 37
Theoretical Framework – – – – 39
Connectivity theory – – – – – – – 39
Self-efficacy theory – – – – – 41
Wormell model – – – – – – – – 42
Empirical Studies – – – – – – 43
Summary of Literature Review – – – – 46
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODS – – – – 48
Research design – – – – 48
Area of the study – – – – – 48
Population of the study – – – – 49
Sample and sampling technique – – – 49
Instruments for data collection – – – 49
Validation of the instruments – – – – – 50
Method for data collection – – – – – 50
Method for data analysis – – – – 51
CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION OF DATA – – – 53
Research Question 1 – – – – – – 54
Research Question 2 – – – – – – 57
Research Question 3 – – – – – – 58
Research Question 4 – – – – – – 59
Research Question 5 – – – – – – 60
Research Question 6 – – – – – 61
Research Question 7 – – – – – 62
Summary of findings of the Study – – – – 63
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION – 65
Discussion of the Findings – – – – – 65
Implications of the Study – – – – – 70
Recommendations – – – – – 73
Limitations – – – – – – – 74
Suggestion for Further Research – – – – – 74
Conclusion – – – – – – 75
References – – – – – – 77
Appendix 1 – – – – – – 85
Appendix 2 – – – – – – 86
Appendix 3 – – – – – – 91
List of Tables
Table 1: Distribution of questionnaire among the institutions – 53
Table 2: Staff response on ICT
facilities available in libraries of academic
institutions in Benue State – – – – – – 54
Table 3: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities availablein libraries of academic institutions in Benue state – 56
Table 4: Staff responses on extent of skills possessed by staff of academicinstitutions in Benue state – – – 57
Table 5: Skills
acquired by the staff of academic institutions in Benue
stateas a result of ICT availability – – – – – – 58
Table 6:
Training methods used by staff of academic institutions in BenueState to acquire ICT skills – – – – – – 59
Table 7:
Problems militating against the availability of ICT facilities inlibraries of academic institutions in Benue State – – – 60
Table 8: Challenges militating against effective acquisition of ICT skills by staff of academic institutions in Benue State – – – 61
Table 9: Strategies for enhancing the acquisition of ICT skills by staff of academic institutions in Benue State – – – – 62
Table 10: t-test analysis of significant difference
in mean scores of staff of universities and that of other tertiary institutions in Benue state regarding extent of ICT skills possessed – – – – 63
Abstract
This
study looked at information and communication technology (ICT) facilities and
skills development in academic libraries in Benue
state. Seven research questions and one hypothesis guided the study. It sought
to find out among other things the ICT facilities available in the
institutions, extent of ICT skills possessed by the staff, ICT skills possessed
as a result of availability of ICT facilities in the institutions and the
training methods used by the staff to acquire their ICT skills among others. Descriptive
survey design was employed for the study and the entire population of 248 staff
comprising professional and paraprofessional library staff was used. The
instruments used for data collection were questionnaire and observation
checklist. The questionnaire had seventy eight (78) items while observation
checklist had sixteen (16). Descriptive statistics including frequency tables, percentages,
and mean (x) were used to answer research questions while t-test was used to
test the hypothesis. It was revealed from the study that, most ICT facilities
are available including computers (190), printers (14), photocopiers (15),
CD-ROMs (386) etc and that, staff of academic libraries in Benue State
possess to a large extent all the ICT skills. It was also found that library
staff of academic institutions in Benue State does not acquire their ICT skills
as a result of the availability of ICT facilities in the libraries and that the
staff obtained their ICT skills through personal efforts. Different problems
ranging from inadequate funds, poor or erratic power supply, to poor attitude
of library staff towards ICTs were found to militate against availability of
ICT facilities in these libraries while various challenges spanning inadequate ICT skills by management staff hinder
effective acquisition of ICT skills. Sourcing for funds internally for ICT projects, better funding
of ICT programmes, adequate training for librarians on the use of ICTs, improvement of power supply among others
were suggested as strategies for improving ICT facilities and skills.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Academic
libraries are those that are located in institutions of higher learning
(Universities, College
of Education,
Polytechnics and monotechnics). Reitz, (2004) considers academic
libraries to be libraries that are an integral part of a college, university or
other institutions of post secondary education administered to meet information
and research needs of its students and staff. In a similar vein Ifidon and Okoli
(2002) in Oyedode (2004) maintains that, academic libraries are attached to
tertiary institutions. The reason for the attachment is to help fulfill the
curriculum requirements as well as promote studies and research in the parent
institution.
The objectives of academic
libraries, according to Ifidon et al (2002) in Fabunmi (2004, p151) are:
- Provision of materials for undergraduate
instruction, term papers and projects as well as for supplementary reading.
- Provision of materials in support of
faculty, external and collaborating researches.
- Provision of materials in support of
post graduate research.
- Provision of expensive standard works
especially in the professional disciplines.
- Provision of materials for self
development.
- Provision of specialized information on
the region within which the academic institution is situated.
- Cooperation with other academic library
resources that are at the disposal of all scholars.
Academic
libraries in Benue state include libraries of
three universities (Federal, state and private universities), two colleges of
education libraries and two polytechnic libraries as well as one monotechnic
library. The eight academic libraries are located in academic institutions
spread across different locations in the state.
Academic
libraries employ various resources at their disposal (both physical and human)
as well as services in order to achieve these objectives. Thus academic
libraries require good building, a rich collection of information materials
(books, journals, government documents, grey literature etc) in both print and
electronic forms in order to meet up the information needs of their users.
Adequate facilities like computers, telephones, scanners, etc; comfortable
furniture and sufficient funds are needed. The resources above are manipulated
and managed by library staff of different categories in order to achieve the
objectives. The staff are like entrepreneurs that combine the other factors of
production to create products and services.
The staff of academic libraries are “the
entire group of paid employees responsible for the operation and management of
library or library system” in institutions of higher learning. They include
university/college librarians, librarians, paraprofessionals, technical
assistants, clerical personnel, pages and student assistants (Reitz, 2005, p416).
University/College librarians are
heads of the library department in universities, colleges of education,
polytechnics and other higher institutions as the case may be. Librarians refer
to those library personnel that have studied library science in universities
and have obtained a degree in library sciences, library and information science
or library studies as the case may be. Another category of librarians are those
with post graduate qualification in library and information science like post
graduate diploma, masters degree and PhD in library and information science.
Reitz, (2005) defines librarian as a professionally trained person responsible
for the care of a library and its contents including selection, processing and
organization of materials and delivery of information, instruction and loan
service to meet the needs of the users. Librarians also manage and mediate
access to electronic based resources. A paraprofessional, according to Reitz,
(2005, p522) is “a library support staff who is
trained to understand and undertake specific procedures according to
pre-established rules without exercising professional judgment”. We shall consider those with diploma and
certificate in librarianship as paraprofessionals. All these categories of
staff are found in academic libraries.
They provide such services as
reference services, current awareness services, reprographic services,
Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI), interlibrary loan and others
(Oyelode, 2004). These services are provided to both staff and students with
the aim of supporting learning and research.
Efforts have been made over the
years in the traditional library setting to provide these services to library
users. The use of catalogue cards, newspaper indexing and press cuttings, use
of post offices to deliver photocopied documents on inter-library exchange were
some of the commonly used traditional library tools. However, the traditional
library tools are incapable of coping with the management of large volumes of
information materials that emanated from information boom or explosion (Oyelude,
in Madu, 2004). Thus the need to introduce ICTs as a way of improving and
transforming libraries’ house-keeping operations.
The twenty first (21st) century
library, has therefore been transformed from its traditional status of store
house of information materials (mostly print) into information centres where
information and communication technologies (ICTs) are used to acquire, process
and disseminate information. The emphasis on print resources or total
dependence on them is no longer tenable. This is because, apart from cost,
delay, bulkiness etc that characterize print resources, print has a deficiency
of assuming that everyone learns at the same pace and in the same manner and is
therefore not sufficient in today’s high tech. multi-sensory approach to
learning (Watson, 2005). Many libraries across the world have therefore
converted and are fast converting their information resources into digital
content with the aid of information and communication technologies to make
service delivery to patron faster
and more efficient. ICTs have therefore become a major resource used by
librarians to enhance effective services delivery. This is because one’s ability to access information in
the digital age depends greatly on his skills in the use of information and
communication technology (ICT) facilities.
Information and communication
technology (ICT) consist of computers and other communication facilities like
telephones, fax machines etc that are used to process and communicate
(disseminate) information. In line with this, Ukwugwu (2004) indicates that ICT
is used to describe a wide range of new technologies and their applications
such as telephone, World Wide Web (WWW), e-mail etc. It is also described as
“an umbrella term for acquiring, processing, storing and disseminating
information whether textual, numerical, graphic or vocal form using computer
and telecommunications” (Johannsen and Page, cited in Onyekweodiri, 2008, p7). It then follows that the
presence of such facilities like computers, Internet, CD-ROMs, flash disc,
digital cameras, telephone lines, library softwares etc. which are some of the
ICT facilities will greatly enhance library operations and improve the
competence of staff in information services delivery.
Apart from the fact that ICT will
enhance library operations and improve competencies, there are other countless
benefits that the application of ICTs in libraries will bring to academic
libraries. According to Hinderson in Adebisi (2009), ICT in library services
ensures speedy and easy access to information, access to unlimited information
from different sources, facility for the reformatting and combination of data
from different sources, flexibility of the usage by any individual according to
his or her needs. Furthermore, ICTs have the potential of ensuring the
dissemination of precise and concrete information as well as facilitating
effective link between different categories of people and institutions
worldwide. Okore (2005).
To maximize the above benefits, ICT
skills and competencies are needed by both library staff and students of
academic institutions in Benue state. Skills are defined as the capacity to respond
in a particular way to the varying conditions and challenges posed by our
situations and jobs in such a way as to accomplish a goal or purpose (Xasa,
2009). Similarly, competency is defined as an ability to do something, especially
measured against a standard (Encarta, 2009). It is also defined by Hornby,
(2005) as the ability to do something well.
The
development of ICT skills is imperative to better accomplishment of library
routines and services. An academic library staff that is skilled in the use of
ICT resources can be a great asset to the student community he serves. Adebisi
(2009) enumerates some of the possibilities before an ICT skilled library staff
as follows:
- Access to electronic documents including e-books and e-journals.
- Better utilization of retrieval system
like CD-ROM databases of various disciplines including MEDLINE for
medicine, AGRICOLA and AGRINDEX in agriculture etc that can be used to
retrieve information for users.
- Better use of Inter-library loan
services using digitized collection and databases with which electronic
documents or holdings are easily released to the cooperating libraries.
- Possibilities for networking and online databases. He can log on to,
search, browse, copy or print data in various databases like full text,
multimedia, bibliographic, numeric etc either for free or for a fee.
- Ability to index and abstract
automatically.
- Efficacy of use of digital library. This is a library in which
all the operations are done electronically using software and hardware
(ICT resources).
Those who are
not able to process and access information using ICTs, according to Cullen
(2003), are increasingly disadvantaged in their access to information.
The chartered institute of library
and information professionals (CILIP): Continuing Professional Development (2004) recommends
workshops (e.g. on ICT,
Internet, professional and technical skills), conferences, chartership as well
as continuing professional development facilities for library staff in order to
acquire requisite ICT skills. The use of computers to check and retrieve
information on the internet, to access data bases, send and receive ordinary
and attached mails, ability to use scanners and printer etc are some of the
basic skills required of
information professionals in academic libraries in order to meet the (academic
etc) needs of their patron.
Accessing and retrieving information
on the Internet has been listed as one of the ICT skills required by an
academic library staff. Internet is “a connectivity that connects various types
of computers to one another in a way that a computer on the Internet can communicate and share
information with other computers in the network of networks, even though there
is no direct physical connection between them” (Ogomo, 2004, p55). Closely linked to the Internet is
the World Wide Web (WWW)
which is a portion of the Internet with web sites or computer sites that are
accessed electronically for information in multimedia formats (texts, graphics,
sound and video) on thousands of topics (Shelly, Cashman, Waggoner and Waggoner,
1997). Electronic mail (E-mail) which is also one of the services available on
internet can be described as an electronic post office. Ogbomo, (2004) asserts
that, it is a resource provided by the internet for sending and receiving
messages through electronic devices. It normally accepts mails of average
lengths but through file attachments, documents of hundreds of pages can be
transferred. This, in addition to the ability to access and retrieve
information on databases is highly needed by academic library staff. Libraries
have the privilege to subscribe to databases of organization for the benefit of
her users. The skill therefore becomes an added impetus for efficient
information service provision to patron. A database therefore is a larger,
regularly updated file of digitized information related to a specific subject
organized for ease and speed of search and retrieval (Reitz, 2005). Staff with
these ICT skills are highly needed by academic libraries.
Literature available reveals that,
developing countries in general have a challenge of access to ICT resources and
services. For instance, world population statistics of September, 2009
presented by Ezeani, (2010) reveal Africa’s
figure of Internet usage as about 67 million persons. This is very low compared
to that of Asia, Europe and North American
whose figure of Internet use stood at 738, 418 and 253 million respectively.
There is need for academic library staff and other information professionals to
have effective access to ICT resources as well as be highly skilled in the use
of the resources if they must function well in the academic environment.
