Use of Library Resources by the Undergraduate Students in Nigerian Federal Universities

Abstract

Students' use of university library resources is essential in order to achieve their educational objectives in the universities. This paper, therefore, assessed the level of undergraduate students' use of library resources in Nigerian federal universities. The study also ascertained which of the library resources the undergraduate students use most in the university libraries. The survey research method was used for the study and the study population was 1,453 undergraduate students from across Arts, Education, Engineering, Law, Science, and Social Science faculties in the selected universities. The main instrument used for the data collection was a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage tabulation were used in analyzing the data. Results revealed that the level of students' use of library resources in Nigerian federal universities is low. The study also revealed that students frequently visit the federal university libraries in Nigeria in order to use resources to support their classwork activities. To increase the level of library use by undergraduate students in Nigerian federal universities, the majority of the respondents indicated the need for the provision of electronic resources/internet-connected computers and the creation of a more conducive atmosphere, among other recommendations, to attract students to effectively use the university libraries.