Utilisation of Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) among students of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria

Abstract

The paper investigated the utilisation of Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) among students of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria. The study, underpinned by the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), adopted a survey design, and questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents. The population of the study comprised of 343 part three students of the university. Simple random sampling was used to select the respondents for the study. The findings revealed that the students do use OPAC resources to locate library materials and the resources are mainly used to locate library materials. Social influence and facilitating condition are the two constructs of UTAUT that influenced the behavioural intention of the students to use the tool. The study also highlighted that most of the students use the OPAC twice a week and mostly within the walls of the library. The challenge that more often affect the use of OPAC was reported to be inadequate access to internet connectivity. The study recommended, among others, that the use of OPAC should be included in the curriculum of the use of library  course, and that an OPAC manual should be made available for every student in the university during the orientation programmes. The study contributes to knowledge in the area of social informatics.

Key Words: Online Public Access Catalogue, OPAC, Students, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Nigeria