USE OF LIBRARY INFORMATION RESOURCES AND SERVICES FOR RESEARCH ACTIVITIES BY UNDERGRADUATES IN UNIVERSITIES IN NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study investigated the use of university library recourses and services by university undergraduates in Nasarawa State. Four research questions were raised to address the aim of the study which include, identifying the resources available and services rendered, examining the extent of use of resources and services rendered. Two hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 levels of significances. The study adopted a survey research design. The sample size for the study is 385 users drawn from a population of the study. The findings of the study revealed that: The university library provides available resources; with the university library having available services; the university undergraduates satisfied the extent of resources used and the university undergraduates satisfied the extent of services rendered. The study further revealed that erratic power supply, inadequate budgetary allocation, poor maintenance culture and low internet access ranked highest among other constraints to use library resources and services. Again, university libraries are faced with little challenges ranging from inadequate funding, lack of professional staff and inter –library loan services. Finally, the study recommends that: University library management should ensure that proper library orientation is put on the priority list, especially for the first year students. alternative sources of power should be provided to ensure that there is uninterrupted power supply to facilitate learning, university should deploy personnel who would be ready to assist users; in order to foster users librarians interaction and there should be provision of adequate budgetary allocation to university libraries to enhance provision of necessary resources and services in universities in Nasarawa State.