School of Social Sciences

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Availability and utilisation of information resources by academic librarians for job performance enhancement in selected university libraries in North-Central Nigeria.
(2020) Kutu, Jacob Oloruntoba.; Garaba, Francis.
The study examined availability and utilisation of information resources by academic librarians for job performance enhancement in selected university libraries in North-Central Nigeria. Five research questions and four hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Task-Technology Fit were the theoretical frameworks underpinning the study. Research questions were matched to the theories while post-positivism research paradigm with survey research design was employed. The extant literature reviewed showed that job performance of academic librarians in African university libraries, particularly Nigerian university libraries was low, when compared with that of their counterparts from the developed parts of the world. The literature also revealed that little or no attention has been paid to examine the importance of information resources use in achieving academic librarians' job performance. The study used explanatory design as a choice of mixed method research. Both qualitative and quantitative data were gathered from the academic librarians from seven selected universities in the north-central geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The data arising from the study were analysed with the aid of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 24.0). For the research questions, descriptive statistics (frequency counts, percentages, mean and standard deviation) were employed to describe the variables and their occurrences among the respondents. Inferential statistics were used to test the hypotheses. The qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. The results of the evaluation contributed immensely to enhancing the researcher’s confidence in the reliability of the instruments and the data emanating from such procedures. The ethical aspect of this study was achieved by adhering to the ethical protocol of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The reliability coefficient of the instrument was computed using Cronbach’s alpha (α) through a pre-test reliability method. A Cronbach’s alpha (α) value of r = 0.876 was obtained. The total enumeration technique was thereafter used to select academic librarians in the seven selected federal universities in the north-central region of Nigeria. One hundred and twenty-eight (128) copies of a questionnaire were administered across the seven university libraries. Out of this total, 103 copies were duly completed and returned for quantitative analysis, giving a response rate of 81%. However, a response rate of 100% was achieved for the qualitative data. In addition, the census method was used, in line with Israel (1992). Copies of the survey questionnaire were used mainly to collect quantitative data from the academic librarians, while interviews were used to collect qualitative data from university librarians (heads of library). The findings indicated that 90% of the respondents noted that there is high availability of information resources for their job performance. A relationship between level of information resources utilisation and academic librarians job performance was established in the selected university libraries at (β= 0.591; p<0.05). The hypotheses tested revealed that job performance was significantly related to information accessibility and information utilisation. Though, information availability was found to be positively related to job performance, the relationship was not statistically significant (β= 0.081; p>0.05). Theoretically, the study contributed to validating Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Task-Technology Fit. The need for university libraries to sustain awareness among library staff on the importance of engaging in the use of cataloguing services for effective job performance, maintenance of acquisition policy on selection of print and non-print information resources, provision of regular electricity supply, improved Internet connectivity, attendance of periodic ICT-based training and improved library budgetary allocation were recommended as strategies for effective job performance among the academic librarians in the selected university libraries in North-central, Nigeria.
An investigation into the possibility of mainstreaming library user education into the curriculum of the Engineering Faculty of the M.L. Sultan Technikon.
(2000) Webster, Lucille Elizabeth.; Bell, Fiona Ruth.; Leach, Athol Brian.
This study investigated whether it is possible to include user education in the curriculum of the Engineering Faculty at the M.L. Sultan Technikon. Although the user education programme is offered to all students at the Technikon, it is based on an informal arrangement between the lecturer and the librarian. The programme is not time-tabled or credit-bearing, and many students regard it as a course outside the curriculum which has little, if any, impact on their studies. In a bid to assess the feasibility of including user education in the curriculum, the study sets out to establish the views of the academic 1 staff of the Engineering Faculty and the librarians from the Library as well as those the Department of Library and Information Studies, regarding the inclusion of user education. A further objective of the study is to determine what type of skills both groups of respondents think should be taught in user education and who should be teaching the course. A description of the M.L. Sultan Technikon and the origins of its establishment and the impact of the recent inclusion of outcomes-based education in educational institutions in South Africa provide an introduction to the research. User education and its origins in tertiary institutions are discussed and the literature dealing with the inclusion of user education in international and local institutions is reviewed. The population of this study consisted of ninety-one respondents, eighty from the : lecturing staff of the Engineering Faculty, six librarians from the Library and five from the Library and Information Studies Department. Two population-specific questionnaires were designed and the method and data collection technique used in this study was the survey and the self-administered questionnaire. Thirty-two (40 %) questionnaires were returned from the Engineering Faculty and seven (64 %) from the librarians. Of the 7 responses from the librarians 4 were from the practicing librarians and 3 from the librarians from the Department. The findings of the survey reveal that the majority of both groups of respondents support the possible inclusion of user education into the curriculum of the Engineering Faculty. The ability to use the online public access catalogue (OPAC}, computer literacy and information in electronic format were rated as important skills by-the Engineering Faculty, while the librarians rated the ability to use the OPAC and indexes and the ability to find journals as important skills that should be taught in the user education programme. Conclusions, recommendations and suggestions for further research are made in the light of the results of the survey.
Professional development for subject librarians in KwaZulu-Natal.
(2019) Mchunu, Mbangiseni Eric.; Olasina, Gbolahan.
Professional development (PD) is an important consideration for academic librarians. The broad purpose of the study was to investigate the PD of subject librarians in four selected academic institutions in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The four institutions were the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), the University of Zululand (UZ), Durban University of Technology (DUT) and the Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT). The Maintaining Professional Competence Model provided the conceptual theoretical framework for the study. The model highlights the roles of both individual and organisational factors in what it refers to as “updating activities”. In terms of the methodology, the population numbered 50 subject librarians from the four institutions of which 48 responded giving a response rate of 96%. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were applied. The former comprised a questionnaire survey administered by email to all 48 participants while a focus group discussion constituted the qualitative method. Eight subject librarians from the Pietermaritzburg Campus of the UKZN participated in the focus group. In terms of the findings, PD was seen in a positive light by the vast majority of the respondents. Attendance of workshops and conferences and furthering studies were shown to be the leading forms of PD opportunities offered at the institutions and the prominent forms of PD activities. There was evidence of a “mismatch” in certain instances between what subject librarians thought was needed concerning PD and what management thought. Information communication technologies (ICTs) and information management skills emerged as the most sought after by the respondents. As expected, finance was identified as the major challenge and there was overwhelming support for the use of webinars in PD. The study confirmed that there is a strong support for PD taking the form of in-house training and workshops. The subject librarians perceived PD in a positive light being seen as both important and beneficial. Conclusions were made and recommendations put forward. Some of these include the need for management to recognise the importance of PD and ensure that they are supportive of it; to make more use of PD activities which had less financial costs (such as webinars using the Internet); to focus on the skills identified as needed by the subject librarians (including teaching and training skills); and to be sensitive to age and gender of their subject librarian staff with regard to PD. Finally, various suggestions for further research were made.
Usability of the Institutional Repository by Faculty and Postgraduate Students at the University of Swaziland.
(2018) Saulus, Nokophila Rene.; Mutula, Stephen M.
This study investigated service quality and technology acceptance factors that promote or inhibit UNISWA faculty and postgraduate students from effectively using their IR. This is based on the premise that the IR has remained under-utilised by faculty and postgraduate students, majority of whom are involved in research. They have also not been keen to deposit their published work in the IR. The study sought to address the following research questions: What are the perceptions of faculty and postgraduate students towards service quality in the use of the UNISWA IR? What quality factors influence the usability of UNISWA’s institutional repository by faculty and postgraduate students at UNISWA? What is the level of usage of UNISWA’s institutional repository by faculty and postgraduate students? What are the challenges of service quality facing faculty and postgraduate students in the use of the UNISWA IR? What is the role of librarians in promoting service quality of the UNISWA IR? The study was underpinned by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), and the Service Quality model (SERVQUAL). The study adopted a post positivist paradigm using the survey research design. A mixed methods approach was used, focusing on faculty, postgraduate students, and librarians. Data was collected using survey questionnaires and interview schedules. Quantitative Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) to produce descriptive statistics, and qualitative data was analysed thematically and presented through narration and tables. The findings revealed that the UNISWA IR did not satisfy users’ service quality needs. It was further revealed that faculty and postgraduate students’ intensions to use and adopt IR were influenced by UTAUT constructs including, effort expectancy, performance expectancy, and facilitating conditions. The findings also indicated that majority of faculty were aware of the existence of the IR, while many students were not. Even though awareness levels were high amongst faculty, many of these respondents did not use the IR, followed by those who infrequently used it. Reasons for the poor usage included lack of awareness, limited time, lack of knowledge, preference for other web sources, lack of skills, discouraged by slow internet, and preference for reputable journals among others. The findings indicated that while students were likely to be inhibited by lack of computer access from using the IR, this was not the case with faculty. Moreover, respondents were not likely to be inhibited by fears of violating copyright restrictions from using the IR. The results further revealed that librarians’ IR promotion efforts were not adequate. Respondents suggested IR promotion strategies that would include specialised departmental workshops, periodically emailing users, seminars and presentations, posters, brochures and leaflets, orienting new staff and students, library skills classes, using faculty board meetings, social media, media, and word of mouth. This study has implications for practice, policy, and theory. From the practical perspective, the study enhances awareness about the role of IRs in gathering, preserving and disseminating scholarly content. The study further provides information upon which relevant training programs for faculty and students can be based to enhance the IR service. From a policy perspective, the study provides a framework for the development of relevant policies to guide IR content recruitment procedures, and the overall functioning of the IR. Theoretically, the study validates the applicability of the UTAUT theory and SERVQUAL model in an online library setting, from a developing country context. The study recommends amongst other things the need for IR administrators to conduct regular service quality assessments and usability studies in order to understand users’ service and technology needs. The study further recommends the improvement of IR usage levels through raising awareness about the IR, frequently training users, and the formulation of policies to guide the overall functioning of the IR.

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Browsing School of Social Sciences by Subject "Academic librarians."