The Use of Electronic Information Resources in Tertiary Institutions Libraries in Kano Metropolis

Abstract

The study investigated the use of electronic information resources in tertiary institution libraries in the Kano metropolis. The objectives of the study were to; find out the types of electronic information resources (EIRs) that are used in tertiary institutions libraries in the Kano metropolis, determine the extent of use of the electronic information resources in the libraries and identify the challenges associated with the use of electronic information resources in the tertiary institutions' libraries. A quantitative research methodology with a cross-sectional survey design was employed for the study and questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents. The Taro Yamane formula was used to select three hundred and fifty-eight (358) respondents to constitute the sample size for the study from a population of forty thousand nine hundred and forty-eight (40,948) spread across the eight tertiay institutions. in Nigeria. Descriptive statistics was used in analyzing the data with tables to explain. The findings from the study revealed that most of the available e-resources in the libraries studied were not sufficiently used by the users. The users were also faced with the challenges such as very slow network, limited computer terminals, lack of awareness about the existence of EIRs, lack of technical skill by the users, erratic power supply, poor facilities, inaccessibility of EIRs, lack of cooperation from the library staff and lack of confidence in the use of EIRs among others. The study recommends that the libraries should endeavour to employ more professional and competent librarians, more computers with increased internet bandwidth should be provided to the library. Also, staff should be cooperating and assisting the users to search, find and access their needed information, the libraries should employ various strategies to create awareness about the existence of electronic information resources to improve their usage.