1.1 Introduction
The Library has the responsibility for selecting, acquiring and organizing books, periodicals, documents, newspapers, maps, digital databases, audio-visual materials and other materials that will effectively assist learning, teaching, research and recreational activities of the University. A university library is a part of a university organization which aims at the advancement of the functions of its parent body. A library is of good quality if it has a good collection and provides effective services for finding the collection it offers. Without any reservation the “library” is a challenging and exciting place, if its resources are properly organized and made accessible to users.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Limitation of the study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
The academic libraries have been described as the “heart” of the learning community providing a place for students and faculty to conduct their research and advance their knowledge. In the education system, an academic library is the centre of academic life. A university library or any library attached to an institution of higher education exists to support the goal of its parent organization, since university libraries are an integral part of the higher education system, they should provide support services for the formal educational programs as well as for facilities for research and for generation of new knowledge. It is important of any information professional working in an academic or any other library to know the real needs of the user community.
The major objectives and functions of these libraries are to help her parent organization to fulfill her primary objectives which are teaching, learning, research documentations and publishing. Therefore their primary goals are to meet the information needs of the staffs and students of the institutional community they are attached to first, then their host community, state, nation and the larger global community. Kumar (2006) asserts that a university is supposed to perform the following functions: Teaching, Research, Publications, and Conservation of knowledge and ideas and Extension services. The information materials of academic libraries are acquired to support academic programme offered in the institution.
Due to the emphasis on research and documentation, academic libraries concentrate on the development of material on current information. This accounts for why they have large consignments of journals, books and other current materials. As such, they are as varied and distinctive as the institutions which they serve. That is to say that an academic library reflects the development of the colleges and universities of which they are part. As integral parts of the institution that they serve, these libraries often design their collection and services to meet the instructional programme of the particular institution. It houses various resources that cover all courses being offered in the institution.
The University library exists in component. That is, it is made up of several divisions, departments and units that function inter-related to achieve its primary objectives. There is no universal system of grouping the departments and units in the library, as every library is based on the realities of its environment, management style and library system may decide to organize her library in such a way and manner that enable it render efficient service to its users. The technical service department is the most important department in the library. It is the heart of the entire library system and it is regarded as the fundamental process in the library management. Effective library services depend on the outcome of the activities in this department.(Ishola,2014). Ifidon, (2004) opined that technical services form the backbone of all library processes, and ensures a systematic organization of all library materials for effective use.
A building filled with books is not necessarily a library unless the books have been organized for access and made available for use. The cataloguing unit's functions are to organize the total library resources with suitable bibliographic controls to facilitate access to the resources by clientele. The traditional means for accomplishing this goal are descriptive cataloguing, subject cataloguing and classification. This assignment requires effective records prepared with a reasonable economy, (Nwalor 2003).
Computers in libraries have proved useful in assisting the information processing aspect of traditional library, operations like acquisitions, registration of readers, circulation functions and keeping track of reading and research interests of user. Thus repetitive and untie data processing tasks which characterized most library, are effectively and efficiently handle by computer. The computerization of students library services brings with it many benefits meant to improve the quality of services that the library renders to its users some of the benefit of library facilities includes, enhanced productivity, increased output, more productive tasks.
Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Attitude of Library Users towards Effective Use of the Library for Academic Success.
1.3 Statement of the Problem
Investigation revealed that it has been observed that most Nigerian students do not make use of the library Catalogue (OPAC and traditional card catalogue) provided in the library. This may be as a result of lack of orientation on library usage. It is against this backdrop that this research work intends to study users attitude towards the use of library catalogue in two academic or university libraries in South West Nigeria.
The use of library facilities cut's across all professions in any society. Awareness of the need for the use of libraries facilities has become very popular. In the library, a computerized cataloguing system enable the use of centrally produce bibliographic records other such services offered to users in library include emails, online database/electronic journal access co-nontechnology and OPAC. The role of the information providers to understand, the need of the users their attitudes towards seeking their needs only then can users optimize the benefits that such services tend to offers.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to examine the attitude of library Users towards Effective Use of the Library for Academic Success. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To learn what library services, resources and facilities undergraduates use of their learning and research.
- To know how satisfied students are with available resources and services in the library.
- Examine the student's attitude toward computerized library services.
- Find out the term of provision of the services to the library users.
- Find all the hindrances to the use of the services in the library and how such could be curbed.
- To suggest remedies that may help the undergraduates to use the library more effectively in order to achieve academic success.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- Is there any difference between library users and the academic success of students?
- Does students satisfaction in the available resou9rces and service produced in library?
- Does students develop positive attitude towards the use of library?
- Does a barrier discourage students from use of library?
- Does a library user require any particular skill to use library facilities?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
Hypothesis One
- H0: There is no significant difference between library users and the academic success of students
- H1: There is significant difference between library users and the academic success of students
1.7 Significance of Study
The library will subsequently deliver information to literacy programs throughout students' educational programs in an ongoing effort to engage them and to get them involved in tertiary institution wide activities. The research will examine what impact the library efforts to engage students in library and information use and their learning and research has had by understanding their pre-university experience, expectations and knowledge and skills about libraries and information use.
This study will be of immense benefit to researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.
1.8 Scope of Study
The study focuses on the Attitude of Library Users towards Effective Use of the Library for Academic Success in Nigerian Tertiary Institution.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this project work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this establishment to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
1.10 Definition of Terms
Library:
A library is a building or room containing collection of books periodicals, and sometimes fits and recorded music for use or borrowing by the public or the members of an institution it can be maintain by a public body, an institution, a corporation, or a private individual, public and institution, collections and services may be untended for use by people who choose not to or cannot afford to purchase on extensive collection themselves.
Services:
A valuable action deed or effort performed to satisfy a need or to fulfill a demand services can be renter in various from such as Banking lodging and Health care services for example, most sort whether it is a hmo or ppo these provide will typically see all patients, but people not participating in the network will be changed more than those that belong to the network, or A Banking arrangement under which a bank or supplier extents an advantageous service (such as an overdraft or deferred payment to a customer).
Performance:
It is the act of performing a play, concert or some other form of entertainment.
Academy:
It is a school or college for special training.
Student:
The word “Student” means any person who is ready to learn and engage in learning activities.
Facilities:
General, permanent semi-permanent or temporary, commercial or industrial property such as a building plant, or structure built, established, or installed for the performance of one or more specific activities or functions.
Environment:
Environment can be seen as the totality of the natural and artificial (manmade) phenomenon having direct and
Learning:
Learning is basically a process of adapting to and improving the environment. What is learned can be measured either by those things that we observe in the behaviour of the individual.
