AVAILABILITY AND USE OF LIBRARY RESOURCES IN TRAINING LIBRARIES BY STUDENTS

1.0 Introduction

The term, “use of library” is defined as pursuing the stock (browsing), asking for assistance from library staff, actually finding information of value, taking out a book in the library, studying one’s own material in the library, coming into the library and so on. But using library resources is not restricted in the above listed actives, rather it is likely to be a combination of any or all of these and perhaps several others. However, using library means the holding of library borrower’s cards and using or not using them. It also includes library attendance.

Historically, the use of the collections of the library was restricted to the library building and it otherwise guarantee deposited by the users involved. Besides, as the number of books increased from a few hundred to a few thousands. The book chests gave way to book closets and then to small library rooms. Later on the medieval era, the book was simply for safekeeping because few copies were available.

The role of the training library could be described as that of acquiring materials, processing them and making them available for use rather than preservation. As the library attached to an academic department, it is of necessity educational in purpose. It constitutes an indispensable intellectual store/repository in an academic community and form the never centred around which academic work revolves.

The factor of availability is often talked about than recognized. Ease of use and ready accessibility, as countless studies have found, are the two major factors in determining which information is used. Information being the life wire of any society whether complex, industrial or simple, can be retrieved from the wealth of resources housed in the library.

The essential logical problem of making library books physically available when needed by the library users is central to librarianship. Intellectual access to recorded information has quite properly been a major preoccupation of librarians. Its importance has been reflected in the effort devoted to the design and creation of bibliographies, catalogues, classification scheme and other devices that help establish the existence of individual documents and their relevance to specific enquires. However, intellectual access needs to be accomplished by physical access if the documents are to be used. The essential logical of making books available to library users has received far less attention in the literature of librarianship that has the discussions of intellectual access.

Unfortunately, current library practice has paid little attention to the definition of “availability” let alone “use”. Also the number of books acquired tends to have little relevance in the objective assessment of readers requirement. The effective regulation of not borrowing out books is quiet understood, in the departmental library presently, not many copies of materials are acquired, and they are not loaned out to users, though the materials may be lent for photocopying. In photocopying the books, the students have to submit their ID and, school fees receipts or mobile telephone sets.

Unfortunately no survey has been made prior to the present study. This present study therefore is to carry out an investigation on the “Availability and use of library resources in training library by students’. This is with a view to determining the extent to which the resources in the library are able to meet the needs and at the same time find out how the students make use of the resources.

Resources in the library can be both books and non-book materials. The users are mostly students in the library and information science department, the use of library depends on the services provided by the students.

It should be appreciated that the use and non-use of training library resources make a very important difference to a person’s attainment of his / her ultimate educational objectives. If then a library primary objective is to encourage optimal use of the service which it provide and it is true the successful use breed more intensive use.

1.1 Background of the Study

Historical Background of the Study Area

Imo state Edict-No. 16 of April 1976 established the Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri. Among other things, the edict empowered the polytechnic to erect, provide equipment and maintain a library.

In response to this, a chief librarian was appointed on March 1978. By the time the polytechnic open on the 5th of December 1978, a clerk typist and a messenger had been appointed to assist the chief librarian. By the time the polytechnic was till operating at a temporary site at the government technical college Owerri. It was exactly on this date that the library started operating with an initial collection of 300 volumes including serial titles, newspapers, periodicals etc. which were organized and consulted by users in a separate segment of the library.

The polytechnic move to its permanent site in Nekede in November 1980, with the library occupying one room in the engineering block with a separate partition for serials in January 1983, the library moved to the classroom complex where it occupied more rooms.

Today, the polytechnic purpose built a befitting academic library which occupies a two storey building was constructed under the regime of the former rector Dr. C. I. Osuoji and was completed.

The polytechnic new college library was commissioned on Saturday May 19, 2001. By Prof. A. B. Borishade and opened to the members of the polytechnic Nekede (staff and students) in January 2002.

Historical Brief of the Departmental of Library and Information Science

The department of library and information science, college of technology now federal polytechnic, Nekede (hereafter referred to as Nekede Library school) is the older of the two library schools in a critically complex occupation as the most efficient way to transmit t he tricks and concept of the work to beginners. This association partly accounts for the establishment of library schools in different places. However, while educators and institutions in other parts of Nigeria were literally re-inventing the wheel by concentrating on University-based library school.

from Ikpa-Iroh’s (2006) account, this library school was established in 1979 at then college of technology Nekede at the outskirt of Owerri, the capital of Imo state. However the first set of students was admitted in the year 1980 / 1981 academic session. In the same academic session, Okpa-Iroha (1980/81), unarguably the father of polytechnic based library education in Nigeria made a formal application for polytechnic in the country to offer library science at National Diploma and Higher National Diploma levels. The details of his submission to the national Board for Technical Education (NBTE) titled: A case for running of library and information science programmes in the polytechnic system of Education in Nigeria.

The uniqueness of the Nekede library school was captured by Ngoha (1984) who described it fittingly as the first one to be established outside the aegis of a university. It is therefore an undesirable historical fact that while the lending lights in Nigeria library practice and education were engrossed in a heated debate about the issue of library leaders education and the superiority of the programmes of existing library school, the authorities of the college of technology in Imo state provided the resources, facilities and personnel required to put the suitability and practicability of a non-university-based library school to test. This singular decision, which has radically attend the course of library education in Nigeria for the better is not worthy and commendable.

As focused trailblazers, the promoters of the Nekede library school were conscious of the scepticism that trailed their new experiment in polytechnic based library education. Elder Okpa-Iroha, ably supported by his faculty colleagues and management of college of Technology, Nekede design a further two years Higher National Diploma (HND) in library science. Graduates of the National Diploma (ND) are eligible to enroll into the H N D programmes after a mandatory 12 months interlude of internship in libraries or allied information institutions. This maiden ND and HND programmes in library science were accredited in the 1985/86 academic session following successful defences of the proposal before the NBTE and other relevant authorities.

The opportunities for the acquisition of library education in Imo State was widened further in 1990/2000 academic session. When the Nekede library school introduced a 1 year pre-national diploma in library and information science.

1.2 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that libraries come in many forms and serve a wide range of users with different information services. These are organizations that provide social services and customize them to meet the needs of specific groups. So, in order to meet the needs of instructors, students, and non-academic staff for information as well as for teaching and research, an academic library was established.

Library practitioners, educators, and patrons will all be affected by this issue. If there is anything the students can learn or gain from using the library, it will be interesting to know and provide a helpful insight. Hence, this research tends to answer the following questions:

• Does using the library help students do better academically?
• Is it simple to convert library use into a benefit that is identifiable?

1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The aim of the study is to investigate the types, quality and quantity of available resources in the training library. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To find out the level of available resources in the training library by students.
2. The frequency of use of the library material by the students.
3. To find out reasons, if any why students do not use the training library.
4. To check the recency of the library materials.
5. To find out the information resources available for library science students.
6. To find out if the available materials meets the needs of the students.
7. To determine whether the library offer them services.
8. To find out whether the library science students are satisfied with the services provided for them.

1.4 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• What are the information resources available for library science students?
• How do library science students obtain resources required for their commitment
• Do library students get satisfied with the resources provided?
• What are the problems associated with satisfying the needs of library science students?
• How would the identified problem be solved?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This work is on availability and use of library resources in training library by students. This is to extend the frontier of human knowledge and in other to solve human problem encountered in training libraries when making resources available to students. It is an addition to the literature in library and information science. It will also guide future researchers and consultants who would replicate this work to improve on it.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The research work is on availability and use of library resources in training library by students of library and information science department of federal polytechnic Nekede Owerri.

1.7 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, there were some problems encountered which stood as limitations to the research work. Some of the limitations include:

1. Time Constraint:

   The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.

2. Financial Constraint:

   Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

3. Initial Cooperation Delay from Respondents:

   A particular limitation of this work came as a result of the respondent refusal to offer their cooperation at the initial time they were contacted. This contributed in making the success of this research study difficult.

1.8 Definition of Terms

Availability:

The quality or condition of being available, capability of being used being at hand, being ready. The availability of library materials by student. Making the library resources available for students

Use:

To put into action or service, utilize use ones knowledge, the way using ones time a poor use of a material. How library resources can b used.

Library:

This is a collection of books, a room or building where a collection of books; periodicals, manuscript and other materials, is kept. A classified group of objects collected and arranged for users to study.

Resources:

The actual and potential wealth of country natural resources. Any supply that will meet a needs stock or reserve upon which to draw when necessary a possibility of aid on assistance.

Library Science:

It means Artefacts of communication (Oduagwu, 2002)

Students:

It entails people who are studying at a school, college and university. (Hornby, 2000)