Availability and utilisation of information resources by academic librarians for job performance enhancement in selected university libraries in North-Central Nigeria.

Abstract

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.