Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Date of this Version
2-9-2016
Document Type
Article
Abstract
With the proliferation of literature on Open access (OA), extensive literature can be found focusing on issues relating to OA publishing from the viewpoint of libraries and publisher, very little have been done on issues influencing authors’ adoption and use of OA by academic librarians in Northern Nigeria. This study investigated the utilization of OA among academic librarians in Northwestern States of Nigeria. The findings from the study revealed that majority of the respondents indicated high level of awareness of OA publications concept but posses little Knowledge about OA initiatives. The study also discovered that librarians use OA resources and give priority to it when sourcing materials for their work. The study further revealed that inadequate funding for building and upgrading ICT infrastructure, unstable power supply and slow Internet connection (bandwidth) among others were the major factors militating against the use of OA resources. It is therefore, recommended that advocacy on OA initiatives have become imperative to encourage librarians publishing via OA models. Finally, adequate funding is seriously needed for building and upgrading ICT infrastructure in the academic institutions. This will go a long way in encouraging academic librarians to exploit fully the benefit of Open Access and also to contribute to the body of literature by publishing via Open Access models.