Determinants of Reading Habits for Serials Publications by Undergraduate Students in Bayero University Library, Nigeria

Abstract

This study on the determinants of the reading habits of undergraduate students for serials publications in Bayero University Library employed  cross-sectional survey design to ascertain the reading habits of 297 undergraduate students of Bayero University. Using simple random sampling technique, the study comprised 185(62.3%) males and 113(37.7%) females, predominantly in levels 300 and 200. The study revealed that the reading habit of undergraduate students for serials publications was predominantly inclined towards leisure than academic purposes such as examinations, research and class assignments. Furthermore, undergraduates mostly read serials publications occasionally and their most read serials publications comprise bulletins, newspapers, magazines and journals. Chi-square test empirically indicated that information literacy skills is a determinant factor  for the reading habit of undergraduates towards serials publications. Specifically library services and access were determinants of reading  habits for serials publications by undergraduate students.. Conversely, library facilities and availability were not determinants of reading habits for serials publications by undergraduate students. The challenges facing the reading habits of undergraduates towards serials publicatiosn include inadequate literacy skills on access, retrieval and use of serials publications, inadequate awareness about available serials in the library and erratic Internet services or facility for accessing serials publications online. To improve the preference of undergraduates towards more academically  inclined reading of serials publications, the library should evolve marketing strategies aimed at promoting the relevance of serials for learning in  terms of writing assignments, term papers, articles and conducting research.