Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Date of this Version
2024
Document Type
Article
Abstract
University libraries play a crucial role in supporting the goals and values of universities across the globe. As a service provider, the university library needs to be used by members of the university community such as undergraduates. University libraries however have been observed to suffer adequate use by undergraduates probably because of the poor library factors or lack of adequate user education undergraduates. This study, thus, examines library factors and user education as determinants of library use by undergraduates in two universities in Oyo State, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population of the study comprised 21,838 undergraduates in the University of Ibadan and Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was adopted to draw a sample size of 388 undergraduates later used for the study. Questionnaire was used to gather data while, frequency count, percentages, mean, standard deviation, correlational and regression analysis were used to analyse data. The prominent purpose of use of library by undergraduates in the two universities were to study/read for examinations ( = 3.26) and for personal reading/studying ( = 3.22). Undergraduates rarely use the university library and lack proper user education. The predominant library factors in the university libraries are strategic location of the library ( = 3.36) and comfortable library furniture and seating arrangement ( = 3.20). Library orientation was common method of user education deployed by the university libraries, which is often undertaken once per session. There is a positive and statistically significant relationship between: library factors and library use by undergraduates in the selected universities (r = .423, P < 0.05); user education and library use by undergraduates in the selected universities (r = .400, P < 0.05) as well as library factors and user education by the selected university libraries (r = .464, P < 0.05). The findings also revealed that library factors and user education jointly and significantly predicted library use (F = 56.579, P < 0.05, R2 =.232). Library factors and user education influence library use by undergraduates. University libraries should therefore enhance the physical features (furniture and seating arrangement, lighting, temperature control, beautification etc.), resources (information material and library personnel) and services. User education programmes should be carried out at intervals.