User Expectations in Higher Education Library Services in Nigeria: a Librarian's View

This paper outlines the developments in Nigerian higher education with emphasis on the universities. The population of students and faculty has grown; funding for university libraries has declined; books and journals have become scarce and costly. User needs have not diminished. There is pressure on the university libraries with increasing expectations from users. These expectations provide the vision for librarians to tune their sentences to satisfy the users. The paper finally urges the Committee of University Librarians of Nigerian Universities (CULNU) to act now and not give excuses for failure to do so.     

A Study of the Causes of User Dissatisfaction in Academic Libraries: A Case of University Students in a Developing Country

ABSTRACT

This article investigates students’ perceptions and expectations of service quality to understand the causes of dissatisfaction with the services delivered by the university libraries in Bangladesh. A total of 623 usable responses were collected from ten public and private university libraries in the country. The survey data were collected using a modified five dimensional SERVQUAL-based questionnaire, consisting of 26 service items. To determine the level of user satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the service items, the study used the disconfirmation theory with slight modification. It was found that users’ unrealistically high expectation for quality services is one of the key sources of their dissatisfaction. The other causes of dissatisfaction include lack of user-employee relationships, lack of attention to users’ needs, an external communication gap between library and users, lack of attention to enhance staffs’ performance, etc. Based on the service deficiencies identified, the study offers some measures that could be used as a way to improve service quality, and thereby user satisfaction.     

Scholarly Use of Web-based Information Resources and Services in University Libraries in Kerala (India)

Abstract

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the use of web-based information services in university libraries in Kerala, India.

Design/methodology/approach: A survey method was used for the collection of data. The questionnaire method was used to collect data for the study. The study was conducted among the research scholars of four selected universities in Kerala, India.

Findings: This study has analyzed the services and resources in the libraries which are provided through the medium of the internet and also the usage patterns of web information services by the scholars of the selected universities. The analysis reveals that most of the university libraries have implemented web-based information services. However, the extent of usage is not to the expected level and this is due to the lack of sufficient awareness about the usage methods of web resources and services. With the help of proper user education and training programs, the present situation can be ameliorated. The findings of this study can be helpful to the authorities to improve the services in the libraries.

Originality/value: Proper use of library resources is essential for scholars to bring forth productive research outputs. This study provides recommendations for enhancing web-based services in university libraries in Kerala to provide better services to the users.     

(2) Libraries in Jordan

Abstract

Library automation assumed a great deal of importance in libraries in the mid 1960’s. Since then it has become a household word in librarianship. Library automation in university libraries in Ghana is a relatively new concept. Even though computers have been installed in the three university libraries in Ghana, computerization has not had much impact on the services provided by these libraries. This paper reviews the computerization projects in the university libraries in Ghana, with a particular reference to the Balme Library of the University of Ghana. Reasons for automation, areas of application and problems associated with automation are discussed. Also highlighted are barriers militating against successful university library automation, like financial problems, attitudinal problems, lack of co-operation among university libraries, hardware and software problems and personnel problems. Recommendations are made for the improvement of automation at the university libraries in Ghana. These include evaluation of existing systems, properly planned automation project, financial support and co-operation among the university libraries.     

Strengthening professional expertise: Mentoring in knowledge transfer,the cataloguers’ perspective

Abstract

University libraries provide support for institutions to achieve their objectives. To realise these objectives, universities allocate considerable funds for the library’s development and provision of needed resources that support teaching/research activities. This is for the simple reason that a university’s excellence is synonymous with the effectiveness of its library services. Hence, there is a need for continuous training and retraining for retention of librarians who manage the libraries to achieve the university’s objectives. Of the few on-the-job training models, mentoring as a Continuing Professional Development programme for librarians in a university library has often been overlooked. This study surveys the uses of mentoring in knowledge transfer for cataloguing, managerial, and research skills development for cataloguers in Nigerian academic libraries. The findings show that mentoring as a tool for knowledge transfer influences cataloguers and their skills development. The result indicates that mentoring in knowledge transfer has a moderate to strong correlation with skills development, and it improves catalouers’ proficiency and overall development.     

Reference Services in Law Firm Environments

SUMMARY

Law firm libraries have undergone drastic changes in recent years. This chapter chronicles the evolution in the size of the law firm library and its collection, the changing expectations of law firm library users, and the inventive ways that law firm librarians are fulfilling the needs of the law firm library users with technology and other means. This chapter also explores how law firm libraries can improve service and overall efficiency through limited outsourcing of reference services.     

Retrospective Conversion of Bibliographic Records in Nigerian Academic Libraries: An Empirical Study of Libraries using KOHA ILS

Abstract

Retrospective conversion of bibliographic records is not a recent practice among Nigerian academic libraries. However, the end product of this process, which is a functional Online Pubic Access Catalog (OPAC) has been underwhelming. This is due to various challenges that have hindered the libraries from achieving a successful retrospective conversion. Some of these challenges include unreliable software, lack of a union catalog, and sheer absence of exchange of information among the libraries. This study therefore measures the practices and experiences of twenty Nigerian University Libraries in the course of carrying out retrospective conversion of their resources using the KOHA library software. The study adopted a survey method of research with a self-developed questionnaire as the instrument of data collection. Data analysis was with the aid of the SPSS software and the presentation was done using simple frequency and percentage. Findings show that erratic power supply and low Internet bandwidth are the major challenges facing Nigerian libraries in the course of retrospective conversion.     

(7) Need for a Municipal Library System for the City of Calcutta

Abstract

A study of the development of third generation Nigerian university libraries established between 1980-1984 was conducted during the latter part of the 1990/91 session. The study, which was carried out through the use of a questionnaire, personal visits, as well as informal discussions with the staff, had the objective of determining the similarities and dissimilarities in the growth of the libraries using indices such as governance, finance, stock and services, etc., as well as problems affecting their effective performance. The outcome of the study showed that there are more areas of similarities than dissimilarities in the ways they operate. Poor funding, scarcity of foreign exchange for the purchase of library materials from abroad, near absence of modern information retrieval technologies as well as theft and mutilation of materials, were found to constitute major problems to their rapid development. The recently negotiated World Bank loan for the Nigerian university sector designed to inject some US$120m for the purchase of books, journals and library equipment among others gives a ray of hope, though on a short-term basis. It is suggested that to take the university libraries out of the woods, massive injection of funds on a long-term basis is required.     

(7) Yugoslavia: Library education in Yugoslavia

This paper discusses Nigerian university library buildings from 1948, when the first university institution was established, up to 1998. Through the use of a questionnaire, study visits to 12 of the 31 university libraries, interviews with library staff and review of the literature, it was found that all Nigerian university libraries started from temporary sites. While all five first generation universities had their first permanent library buildings erected within the first decade of their establishment, only five of the eight second generation universities have moved into their permanent library buildings after over 25 years of existence. Of the 15 third generation universities established in the 1980s, only five have erected and occupied their permanent buildings. Library buildings of the first generation universities were found to be very standard and grand in design while the same cannot be said of most of their second and third generation counterparts. For libraries with permanent structures, the designs were mostly modular. The paper recommends that library buildings be given priority in universities' physical development plans and that realistic library building standards be formulated with the co-operation of the National Universities Commission, the Nigerian Library Association and the Committee of University Librarians of Nigerian Universities (CULNU).     

Resource Sharing in the ICT Era: The Case of Nigerian University Libraries

The paper examines how information and communication technology can be utilized for resource sharing among university libraries in Nigeria. It was based on the study and review of recent library and information science literature on both print and electronic resources. It discusses the meaning of information and communication technology, resource sharing practices, and how information and communication technology facilitates resource sharing. It traces the history of resource sharing among Nigerian libraries. The current state of information and communication technology application and utilization in Nigeria and its university libraries is revealed, with emphasis on university libraries that are located in different zones of the country. The paper examines challenges facing Nigerian University Libraries with respect to information and communication technology application and utilization for resource sharing, as well as to areas of library operations to which information and communication technology can be applied and utilized for resource sharing. It concludes by proffering solutions for viable information and communication technologies–based cooperation among university libraries in Nigeria.     

Libraries and Distance Education in Nigerian Universities: A Revisit

The emergence of the system of open and distance education is an inevitable development in the evolution of education internationally. With the increasing popularity of distance education, focus has turned to the role of libraries in the distance learning process. The library is an important tool for individuals' intellectual development. Academic libraries contain resources for research, teaching, and learning. This paper examines the efforts being made by Nigerian university libraries to fulfill the information needs of distance education students in their respective institutions.

This study was carried out in four Nigerian universities running distance education programs. The questionnaire method was used for data collection. The respondents used in this study were randomly selected from the distance learning (DL) students of the universities under study. It was discovered that DL students were not adequately catered for as far as the use of library resources is concerned. A student could graduate without having used libraries. The study recommends that adequate planning and financing should be made for DL students to be able to make use of the libraries and information resources. It adds that this would enhance their critical thinking and also enhance their degree of exposure to existing knowledge.     

Five Decades of Nigerian University Library Buildings

This paper discusses Nigerian university library buildings from 1948, when the first university institution was established, up to 1998. Through the use of a questionnaire, study visits to 12 of the 31 university libraries, interviews with library staff and review of the literature, it was found that all Nigerian university libraries started from temporary sites. While all five first generation universities had their first permanent library buildings erected within the first decade of their establishment, only five of the eight second generation universities have moved into their permanent library buildings after over 25 years of existence. Of the 15 third generation universities established in the 1980s, only five have erected and occupied their permanent buildings. Library buildings of the first generation universities were found to be very standard and grand in design while the same cannot be said of most of their second and third generation counterparts. For libraries with permanent structures, the designs were mostly modular. The paper recommends that library buildings be given priority in universities' physical development plans and that realistic library building standards be formulated with the co-operation of the National Universities Commission, the Nigerian Library Association and the Committee of University Librarians of Nigerian Universities (CULNU).     

A university library management model for students’ learning support

Abstract

This research was aimed at developing a university library management model that would support students’ learning. The research was conducted in three phases: 1) an investigation into the requirements of a university library service of instructors; 2) an investigation into the attitudes of librarians, libraries’ administrators, and university’s administrators toward the roles of library and policy concepts relating to university library management that promote students’ learning; and 3) the development of a university library management model for students’ learning support. A mixed research method was applied comprising qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data was collected using in-depth interviews and questionnaires. The findings have led to a proposal of a university library management model that supports student learning, which is comprised of five components: 1) management policy and system; 2) learning resources; 3) learning support services; 4) learning environments; and 5) the competency and roles of information professionals. It can be stated that studies into Thai university library implementation, strategic plans, and self-assessment reports under the quality assurance system showed that even though libraries have updated resources and services following changing situations in policies, technologies, and users’ needs, there is no clear indicator that Thai university libraries have any strategy for acquiring roles to support students’ learning with practical outcomes. Through reliable research work, this study into a model for university library management would result in a means of developing university libraries that truly supports university student learning based on information from instructors, library administrators, and librarians.     

Special Academic Libraries and the Millennial Patron

ABSTRACT

Special academic libraries are in the unique position to blend the innovative and user focused services of academic libraries with the niche collections of special libraries when serving their Millennial student population. Millennials are a highly researched generation, but special libraries may have not updated their services to reflect the needs and expectations of this rising generation. Maine Maritime Academy's Nutting Memorial Library serves as a case study of methods in which special academic libraries can incorporate Millennials' expectations of library spaces, services, and collections in sustainable ways.     

The book collections of British university libraries an American reaction

This study summarizes a survey conducted to discover the extent to which professional librarians in Nigerian university libraries have achieved academic/faculty status. The survey revealed that: (1) almost all professional librarians (16 or 80%) in Nigerian universities have full faculty status, coupled with mandatory research and publication for promotion, in 17 (85%) of the libraries; (2) publications in subject-fields and in library/information science carry equal ratings; and (3) academic librarians in Nigeria are entitled to the same rights, privileges and responsibilities as their teaching counterparts. This paper urges the Nigerian Library Association and the Committee of University Librarians to set standards for the attainment of faculty/academic status for professional librarians in Nigerian universities and colleges.     

Opportunities for Libraries with Print-on-Demand Publishing

ABSTRACT

Academic libraries, university presses, and commercial ventures are embracing print-on-demand publishing to improve services as well as reduce costs. The concept dates to the early 1990s, but problems with the technology coupled with a lack of interest by libraries and book vendors hindered its popularity. Today, print-on-demand remains ideal for institutional repositories and digital collections, as well as for collection development. It is especially popular for users with print preferences. Many publishers and librarians believe print-on-demand holds more promise for libraries than electronic books.     

Social Media Marketing: Determining and Comparing View of Public Library Directors and Users

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The present study aims to determine and compare the views of directors and users of public libraries on the use of social media for the marketing of library services.

Methodology: Data collection was done through two researcher-made questionnaires, one from the viewpoints of directors and one investigating the views of users. The questionnaires’ validity was done by four libraries and Information Science professionals, and the reliability was determined by the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The statistical population of this research is made up of all directors and users of 12 public libraries of the city of Isfahan, one of the largest cities in Iran.

Findings: In users’ viewpoints, the “interaction capability” is the most important feature that social media marketing can have in libraries. From the viewpoints of the directors, “creating a true picture of the role of the library” and “informing users about library services” are among the most important reasons for the marketing of libraries in the social media. From the perspective of both groups, the Telegram is the most appropriate medium for the marketing of library services.

Results: To maintain their customers and their market position, libraries need to use more exciting tools such as social media for marketing. Library directors of this study emphasized on this fact and 79.1% of users expressed interest in receiving library information through social media.

Value: The findings of this study would help the library directors to better decide on the marketing of their library services in social media.

Type of the study: Scientific-Research     

The 21st Century Reference Department

Abstract

Reference service in academic libraries has evolved over the years from what was the “reference interview” to the kind of service transaction which takes many forms and involves numerous information resources and the highest librarian expertise in some situations. Reference is more versatile now than ever, and this may be attributed to the abundance of resources and the multitude of ways librarians can acquire access to needed information. Coordination of efforts, expertise, and resources can make a great reference department function efficiently and effectively. College and university libraries with huge reference departments may need reference managers or heads of reference to manage them, but there are smaller libraries with small reference departments which employ less than five reference librarians. Managing these small libraries with an even smaller pool of reference librarians may not seem as complicated as managing large ones.

The head of reference position is an important one in the library, both for the staff and for the users served. This article will try to present views on the qualities, qualifications, and requirements which the head of reference should possess in the 21st century.     

Academic Libraries and Copyright: Unveiling Inadequacies of Current Law Through the Analysis of Processes Included in Quality Management Systems

Most information resources that make up university library collections are copyrighted works, which means that conflicts between such rights and the activities of libraries are common. The development of the digital setting has affected both sectors. On the one hand, it has led to changes in copyright legislation; on the other, it has affected the services provided by libraries, as they adapt to the new needs of users and to the characteristics of digital information. This paper aims to discover where the main points of collision between the two sides lie, and to what extent they are adequately resolved by the present legislation governing copyright. To this end we use a list of the main processes of academic libraries taken from quality manuals of a sample of Spanish university libraries. The results make manifest that the evolution of both sides is not yet balanced, and important maladjustments interfere with an adequate provision of services in academic libraries. Some are resolved through new legal proposals, but for many others there is no proper solution in sight.