DIGITAL RESOURCES INFORMATION NEEDS, USES AND SEEKING BEHAVIOURS OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING STUDENTS: A CASE STUDY OF BAYERO UNIVERSITY, KANO

Abstract

This study dwelled on the emergence of the digital resources as a cornerstone for information needs, uses and seeking behaviours among mechanical engineering students of Bayero University, Kano.  Digital resources have become a pivot in which students depends in meeting their information needs. This is because digital resources are meant to assist students and indeed library users in bridging the prevailing information provision gaps in the access to information, learning and research needs.   Literature review identified concepts of digital resources, its uses and behaviours of student in seeking for information. The paper also viewed the digital resources in university libraries. The paper examined the usage of digital resources by mechanical engineering students. The paper also emphasizes on the importance of digital resources usage among mechanical engineering students, as well as the digital resources for information seeking behaviours among Mechanical Engineering students. Challenges such as poor usage of digital resources, lack of digital awareness, Poor Internet connectivity, inadequate power supply and poor funding were discussed. The paper concluded that the usage of digital resources such computers, smartphones, DVD, scanners, printers and the Internet, contributes immensely to facilitates easy access to information seeking behaviours among the students at Bayero University, Kano. However, gaps still exists in the usage of digital resources among some undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Students in their inabilities to be familiar and skillful in the use of the digital resources for better information service delivery. It recommended that it is imperatives for the University and the library to organize in-house training for mechanical engineering students in server installation and computer infrastructural development in libraries, so as to meet the global information needs and research output.