Nursing and Midwifery Students’ Attitude Towards the Use of Library Services and Facilities in Bingham University
Chapter One
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The main objectives of the user survey were
- To learn what library services, resources and facilities Nursing and Midwifery Students use of their learning and research.
- To know how satisfied students are with available resources and services in the library.
- Examine the student’s attitude toward computerized library services.
- Find out the term of provision of the services to the library users.
- Find all the hindrances to the use of the services in the library and how such could be curbed.
- To suggest remedies that may help the Nursing and Midwifery Students to use the library more effectively.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
The concept of the Library
A library is an organised collection of published books, other reading and audio-visual materials and the services of staff which are able to provide and interpret such materials as are required to meet the information, research, educational or recreational needs of users (UNESCO 1976). Libraries are in the vanguard of information generation, acquisition, processing, organization and dissemination in institutions, groups and in society. The services provided by the libraries boost self-development, organizational development as well as national development (Nwalo, 2002). The library and information Commission (1998) explains that libraries and information services of all kinds are catalysts for learning. Oyewumi, Oladapo, and Adegun (2014) describe the library as total means available and organized for the support of learning, teaching and research for the public, an organization or for an individual.
A review of literature reveals a number of functions that libraries perform. According to library Association (2001), libraries are important because they provide gateways and access to information, advice, guidance and quality assurance. They provide relevant information resources necessary for sustaining teaching, learning and research functions of the institution (Okiy, 2005). They also allow for opportunity to learn by providing resources of an appropriate range and quality, personal support for learners, accessibility through resources and expertise at times and places convenient to learners. Libraries are, quite naturally, a source of general information on virtually every topic imaginable (Akinola, Apotiade, Ogunmodede & Oyetola, 2013). According to Akinola, et al (2013), the importance of this function cannot be glossed over in the increasingly complex and confusing information-based society of today and libraries are one of the few institutions in society that have a long history of specializing in organizing and in providing access to information to patrons.
Types of Library
Generally, library can be classified based on the users they serve. It could be the general community or a group of people who make up an organisation. A Library could be a Public library or Organization based: for example, a university library (Muhammed, 2006; Ashaver & Bem-Bura, 2013).
Public libraries: Muhammed (2006) stated that the public library, through various forms of activities such as indexing, abstracting and classification is able to group multiple and interdisciplinary nature of knowledge into logical arrangement so that communities use the materials without difficulties. The American Library Association cited in Muhammed (2006) maintained that the public library supplies materials and services to a community in order to support the community’s educational, informational, cultural and recreational needs. Public libraries played an indispensable role in the life of the community/institution they serve, some of which include the promotion of reading culture among members of the society, and provision of good information and reference centre for the masses through the building of collections that relates to local interest (Abdulkarim, 2010).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
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Research Design
This study adopted a survey research design, which is commonly used in social science research to collect data from a specific population or sample at a given time. This design was deemed most appropriate as it enables the researcher to systematically gather quantifiable data through the administration of structured questionnaires. The survey method allows for the exploration of the opinions, perceptions, and attitudes of the target respondents toward the research problem, thus providing reliable and generalizable data for analysis and interpretation. The rationale for choosing this design lies in its effectiveness for examining the behavior, usage patterns, and responses of Nursing and Midwifery students regarding the phenomenon under investigation.
Population of the Study
The target population for this study comprises Nursing and Midwifery students at the Karu Campus of Bingham University. These students were selected because they form an integral segment of health science learners and are often frequent users of library and academic resources, which made them relevant for the context of this research. The population size is not precisely known but includes students spread across various levels and departments within the faculty of health sciences.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION/ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS
Responses were compiled into frequency tables according to the objective being examined. Data collected was analysed using descriptive statistic (frequencies, simple percentages and mean). Mean index was used to measure perception of library resource, extent of use of library services and perceived effectiveness of library services. T-test was also carried out at a 5% level of statistical significance.
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
The provision of service(s) is an essential part of libraries which should not be taken for granted. Libraries, most especially university libraries have to ensure that the services provided are effective and satisfying to users as a means of maintaining patronage especially
in an electronic age when information can be acquired from various sources independent of the university library.
Based on the findings from this study, it is recommended that library enlightenment programs should be built into the curriculum of the Nursing and Midwifery Students studies. This will boost students’ awareness level and serve as a means to inform of library innovations that may come up from time to time. In addition, to improve on the perception of the effectiveness of library service, a quality assurance process should be put in place. Such quality assurance process will allow for the evaluation of quality of library’s information resources and services. Furthermore, to increase library usage, students’ expectations of the library should be regularly assessed and these expectations should be considered when investments have to be made on the library.
REFERENCES
- Abdulkarim, M. (2010). Improving public libraries in Nigeria. Weekly Trust. Aboyade, B.O. (1982). The making of an informed society. Ibadan: University Press.
- Aguolu, I. & Aguolu, E. (2002). Libraries and Information management in Nigeria: Seminal essays on themes and problems Maiduguri, Nigeria: Ed-linform Services.
- Ajiboye, J. O., & Tella, A. (2007). University Nursing and Midwifery Students students’ information seeking behaviour: Implications for quality in higher education in Africa. TOJET: The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 6(1).
- Akinola, J. O., Apotiade, J. K., Ogunmodede,T. A. & Oyetola, S. O. (2013). A Survey of the Services of Public Libraries in Meeting the Information Needs of Post-Secondary School Students in Some three Selected Public Libraries in Nigeria. Greener Journal of Internet, Information and Communication Systems, 1(1), 1-12.
- Amusa, O. I. & Iyoro, A. O. (2013). Influence of Library Environments, Instructional Programs, and User- Librarian Collaborations on Library Use by Nursing and Midwifery Students Students in Nigeria Chinese Librarianship: An International Electronic Journal, 35, 11-18.
- Ashaver, D. & Bem-Bura, M. D. (2013). Student’s Perception of Library Services in Universities in Benue State. Journal of Research & Method in Education, 1(5), 41-48
