Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Date of this Version
Summer 7-28-2021
Document Type
Article
Abstract
The study was designed to examine use of library resources by medical students in LAUTECH College of Health Sciences, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. The study employed the descriptive survey design to collect primary data from Medical students of College of Health Sciences, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. A total of two hundred and eighty (280) medical students (400 -600 level) of College of Health Sciences were randomly selected for the study. The main instrument for data collection was a structure questionnaire which was administered to the respondents shortly after their lectures. Both face and content validity of the instrument were carried out. The reliability test of the research instrument was done by means of the Cronbach alpha test and a Cronbach’s score of 0.7 was derived. The data gathered was analyzed using relative importance index. Relative importance index helps to rank the criteria according to their relative importance. Findings from the study indicated that medical textbooks (0.812) ranked first of the library resources available to students, closely followed by dictionaries (0.754), newspaper magazines (0.696), internet (0.687), medical journals (0.598), encyclopedia (0.552), data base (0.519), world health publications (0.514), OPAC (0.474), thesis & dissertation (0.446) and CD-ROM (0.438). With regards to purpose of use, it shows that research (0.826), followed by examination preparation (0.825), advancing knowledge (0.808), and self-development (0.806), were the major reasons for using the library. Those materials frequently used include medical textbooks (0.608) ranked first in the frequency at which library resources are used, followed by dictionaries (0.676). Others are internet (0.666), newspaper magazines (0.661), medical journals (0.608), encyclopedias (0.596), thesis & dissertation (0.564), world health publication (0.561), CD-ROM (0.542), data-base (0.534) and OPAC (0.533) lastly, with regards to barriers militating effective use of the library and its resources, the study shows that obsolete library resources (0.743), difficulty locating resources (0.703), poor sitting arrangement (0.671), poor ventilation (0.675), noisy library environment (0.652), and slow internet network (0.733) constituted major barriers. The study recommended that the college authority should urgently looked into the critical barriers highlighted in this study and adopt workable strategies to effectively improve the overall library condition both in terms of physical and material resources that are hindering effective library utilization among medical students and scholars in the college.