Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Date of this Version
3-25-2020
Abstract
Abstract
The introduction of electronic databases by university libraries has presented university lecturers with opportunities of obtaining accurate, timely and up-to-date information with little effort. However, research reports have revealed that there is low level of use of electronic databases by university lecturers. Hence this study investigated the frequency of use and awareness of electronic databases by lecturers in universities in South-west, Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to: i. examine the extent of awareness of electronic databases for teaching and research by university lecturers in South-west, Nigeria; ii. identify the means through which awareness of electronic databases are created; and iii. determine the frequency at which university lecturers in South-west, Nigeria, use electronic databases. The study adopted the descriptive research design of a correlational type. The population comprised 10,452 lecturers in fifteen public universities in South-west, Nigeria from which a sample size of 836 was drawn using a multi-stage sampling procedure. Questionnaire was used as instrument for data collection. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics at 0.05 level of significance. Findings of the study revealed that university lecturers in South-west, Nigeria are aware of the usefulness of most of the electronic databases for teaching and research; university libraries in South-west, Nigeria use different promotional methods to create awareness of the usefulness of databases; and the frequency at which University lecturers in South-west, Nigeria use electronic databases was very low. It can be concluded from the study that the frequency at which university lecturers in South-west, Nigeria, use electronic databases is very low. It is therefore recommended that university libraries should expand their library orientation programmes.