Accessibility from Scratch: One Library’s Journey to Prioritize the Accessibility of Electronic Information Resources

This study explored undergraduates’ perception of accessibility and utilization of electronic universityin university libraries in Nasarawa State. The study was guided by two objectives and two research questions. A questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection. Checklist was also used to ascertain the availability of the electronic information resources in the libraries understudied. The study adopted survey research design with a population of 4289 registered 300 Level student library users. The population consisted of 3819 undergraduate students of Federal University, Lafia, 146 Nasarawa State University, Keffi and 324 undergraduates of Bingham University.300Level student was used, been that they have stayed long in the school system and have already familiarize themselves with the electronic information resources available in the library. The descriptive statistics of percentage, frequency, mean and standard deviations was used to answer research question while chi-square was used to test hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that there are several available electronic information resources such as e-books, e-journals, e-newspapers, e-magazines, e-preprints, CD-ROM, e-projects, e-lecture notes, e-research reports, online databases, and internet services in the two universities libraries sample. The findings revealed that the available electronic information resources, though accessible, but were not sufficient for adequate use by the respondents. Considerably, majority of the respondents have a positive perception of electronic information resources and services. Based on the result of findings, that increase in accessibility and utilization of electronic information resources by undergraduate’s student in the three surveyed universities will lead to increase in learning, research and be beneficial to undergraduate, researchers, university community and librarians. Based on the result of findings, it is therefore concluded that undergraduate perception on accessibility and utilization of electronic information resources in the three surveyed universities is to a high extent and will increase if the challenges identified by the target area are looked into and also if the listed electronic information resources are made available to the library patrons, it was recommended that a well-articulated and sustained effort is required to provide information and communication technology (ICT) facilities (Internet) in the university libraries to make information accessible to the students thereby continually meeting their information need and use.

This study examines undergraduates’ awareness, accessibility and use of Electronic Information Resources (EIRs) in federal universities in South West, Nigeria. The total population of this study was twelve thousand, eight hundred and fifty six (12,856) undergraduates of the federal universities understudy. A sample of420 respondents was drawn from the total population using simple random sampling technique. Questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents. The data collected for this study was analyzed using simple percentage/frequency counts and weighted mean. Findings from this study revealed that undergraduates’ in federal universities, to a very great extent, are aware of the types of electronic information resources that are accessible for use in their university libraries in South West, Nigeria, also the study found that the extent of undergraduates’ accessibility of electronic information resources in federal university libraries in South West, Nigeria is very high, that undergraduates’ in federal universities in South West, Nigeria use electronic information resources for: Accessing useful and relevant databases not subscribed to by the library; Access online/electronic news; Gaining access to information material not available in hard copies among others. The following challenges were faced by undergraduates’ in their effort to use the library: Poor maintenance of electronic information resources; Lack of training for students on the use of electronic information resources and erratic power supply among others. The following were suggested to improve on accessibility and use of electronic information resources by undergraduates’ in Nigerian universities: the library management should try as much as possible to acquire and make recent electronic books and journals available or students since their level of accessibility and use are very high in federal universities in South West among others.

Today IT is one of the most important factors that has a strong impact on the education and science system quality in the whole world as well as in Latvia. The basis of the use of information technologies in higher education and science research is the system analysis qualitative combination of methods. During the research the existing base of scientific literature, methods of analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, concretization, methods of generalization and analogies were used. As a result of the research, it was found that the introduction of information technology in the field of science and higher education is of great importance for the actual development in these fields. It will be helpful for the professional training of specialists capable of developing selected spheres and competing in the modern labor market. In the course of the research, the main indicators which conduct to the increasing the level of information literacy were identified. A number of advantages and disadvantages of information technologies in the scientific and educational sphere use are highlighted. One identified the main tasks of using information technologies in the field of science and higher education. The main advantages of information system in the process of learning in higher educational institutions use are highlighted. The results of the research are of great practical importance, as they can be used as a basis for further work in this direction.

Today IT is one of the most important factors that has a strong impact on the education and science system quality in the whole world as well as in Latvia. The basis of the use of information technologies in higher education and science research is the system analysis qualitative combination of methods. During the research the existing base of scientific literature, methods of analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, concretization, methods of generalization and analogies were used. As a result of the research, it was found that the introduction of information technology in the field of science and higher education is of great importance for the actual development in these fields. It will be helpful for the professional training of specialists capable of developing selected spheres and competing in the modern labor market. In the course of the research, the main indicators which conduct to the increasing the level of information literacy were identified. A number of advantages and disadvantages of information technologies in the scientific and educational sphere use are highlighted. One identified the main tasks of using information technologies in the field of science and higher education. The main advantages of information system in the process of learning in higher educational institutions use are highlighted. The results of the research are of great practical importance, as they can be used as a basis for further work in this direction.

Technology is changing the way teaching and learning take place. The main purpose of this study is to investigate tertiary students' attitude towards integrating information technology (IT) in higher education. Using stratified random sampling, 180 questionnaires were distributed to students from six tertiary institutions in Mauritius. Exploratory Factor Analysis followed by multiple regression analysis were used to identify factors which influence the perception of students towards integrating IT in education. Our findings show that prior experience, IT self‐efficacy, compatibility and institute support are the main determinants of the attitude towards IT integration in tertiary education. Our findings are expected to be useful to a number of players in the tertiary education sector.

This paper uses the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Management in the 1990s Research Framework as a basis for examining the challenges of managing information technology in higher education, with particular reference to open and distance education. Each of the five factors in the strategic framework (strategy, technology, structure, management processes, staff skills and roles) is individually examined with relationships between aspects of each factor highlighted. The importance of aligning factors with the pivotal factor in the framework, strategy, is then explored. The framework serves as an aid to help both construct an overall picture of the key factors which need to be managed holistically in order to ensure that information technology (IT) contributes to the betterment of an organisation and to deconstruct those factors (and their relationships) so that constituent components are also well managed. The authors draw some conclusions on the need for universities to be truly learning organisations in relation to their response to the IT imperative. Cautious optimism is advanced about universities’ current apparent capabilities to respond fully, creatively and adaptively to the potential benefits that IT might bring to teaching, learning and research in higher education.

The number of distance education and e-learning programs has been on the rise for some time now (Hannan & Silver, 2000). In the United States, the National Survey of Information Technology in Higher Education, as part of its Campus Computing Project, carries out regular surveys of the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in higher education (USA-DOE, 2000).

The development of modern information-communication technologies has enabled the development of electronic knowledge distribution channels that expand the effective level of general and specialist education. This trend is also present in higher education because higher education institutions and institutes increasingly rely on the use of modern information-communication technologies in their operations. The effects of the use of personal computers, the Internet and global social networks are multiple in the higher education system as well. In the process of acquiring new knowledge, developing creativity, as well as ensuring greater activity in the process of education, new learning technologies, with the use of multimedia systems, created the prerequisites for the engagement of all individual and collective resources. The most important source of the state’s competitive advantage is the ability to educate and retain highly educated personnel in the field of information technologies. From that aspect, the paper discusses information technologies as a scientific discipline and general conditions for education in the field of information technologies. The impact of technical and pedagogical changes on education in this area is analyzed with particular attention. It is known that information technologies are suitable for vocational education, and the modern environment sets specific requirements regarding the applicability of knowledge acquired in higher education institutions. The dynamic and turbulent market emphasizes the applicability of knowledge as a key requirement in the educational process. These short researches propose new educational modules that should structure teaching in the field of information technologies in accordance with the global demand in this sector. Every society strives for a more efficient and economical system of education, and therefore the issue of the use of new information technologies in education comes down to the problem of creating a theoretically ideal model of the use of these technologies at all levels of education and work.

Modern information technology is advancing and intervening in every aspect of society at a rapid pace, including the field of education. With the rapid development of multimedia technology, communication technology and network technology, the application of modern information technology in higher education has become more and more extensive. The development, update and application of modern information technology is bound to break the traditional teaching model with teachers as the center and as the main body, so that the role of teachers will be transformed from crammer to leader of learning. Modern information technology has become an important tool for teachers to help students learn. It is not limited by time and space, and provides convenient conditions for students' selective learning and teachers' contact with actual teaching. It is an inevitable trend of education development to promote the modernization of education with information technology and use information technology to change the traditional education model. This paper analyzes the role of modern information technology in higher education teaching, and gives prospects and suggestions on how to better use information technology to carry out education and teaching.

The article outlines the legal basis for the use of information technology in higher education. Digital technologies are considered, which are actively used both in the practice of Russian universities and foreign ones. At the same time, it is noted that in foreign countries the process of digitalization of educational services is quite broader than in Russia. Within the framework of the domestic legal order, only the basic development of both legal regulation in this area and the practical implementation of the researched direction takes place. Particular emphasis is placed on modern problems of using information technologies in the field of higher education, which are typical for domestic practice and legal regulation. The author identified problems of a legal and organizational nature. As conclusions, directions for improving legal regulation and practical implementation of information technologies in the field of higher education in Russia are formulated. The author proposes to resolve possible problems of an organizational, technical and legal nature, while taking into account the existing experience of distance learning in the state.

The study investigates the availability and accessibility of electronic information resources in federal college of education libraries in Northern Nigeria. The research adopted mixed research methods with a concurrent triangulation research design. The population of the study is 34, 846 library users and 12 college librarians. The sampled respondents were 378 and 9 college librarians. The research used interview and questionnaire for data collections. The data collected were analyzed using thematic analysis and descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of the study revealed that electronic information resources were found to be available on the platform of e-databases, institutional repository, e-Granary and CDS. Majority of the users had access to e-journal, e-newspapers and audio visual resources available. E-manuscripts, e-dissertations/theses/projects, e-discussion and e-images available were not accessible by majority of the respondents. The libraries had invested in EIRs development and provision of good access is a prerequisite to maximum use of the resources to enhance research, teaching and learning. The study recommended that libraries should acquire resources that are relevant to all users and provide unlimited access remotely, and network facilities should be boosted. Also, training on search skills should be given to enable users have access and use the resources without difficulty. Lastly, the management of the college and their libraries should ensure that all the challenges, such as power outages, denial of access and network fluctuations are minimized in order to encourage access and use of the resources in the libraries.   Key words: Availability, accessibility, barriers, Electronic Information Resources, libraries, training.

The quick evolution and development of digital technologies contribute to changes and turning points in every aspect of the modern society. Managing these the digital changes and turning them into long-term sustainable solutions for higher education could be a real challenge. Technology offers immeasurable opportunities to the learning environment and higher education is rapidly integrating information and communication technology (ICT). This paper is discussing the concept of enhanced sustainability in education through learning technologies like applications, electronic resources, and teaching methods for educational development. Technology in higher education is particularly important, therefore it is important to assess the quality that it can provide and the impact on sustainable education. The educational system has been also harshly affected by the latest pandemic situation, which brought significant consequences on the social, economic, and cultural life worldwide. This paper aims to contribute with insights to the literature in the field, by emphasizing that the latest situation around the world could be a great opportunity for further implementation and development of digital technologies for sustainable learning. The methodology used for fulfilling the study goal is a qualitative one, particularly the technique used is data analysis from secondary sources. The results of this analysis lead to the conclusion that there is need and room for improvement of digital sustainable resources in higher education, which includes the challenges that the academic environment face and need to overcome if their goal is to stay relevant on the education market.

This paper investigated access and use of electronic information resources among medical students in University of Port Harcourt Library. The study adopted a correlational survey research design. Questionnaire was used as instruments for data collection. The population of the study was made up of all the medical students in University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, totaling five hundred and forty two (542), and one hundred and eight(108) were selected as sample and used for the study, three research questions and three hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Mean and standard deviation were used to analyze the data collected. The null hypotheses formulated was rejected suggesting that there is significant relationship between Access and Use of Electronic Information Resources among medical students in University of Port Harcourt. The study revealed that most of the medical students lack the ability to access and use these electronic information resources. The study recommends trainings and orientation for students on the use and access of relevant electronic information resources which will boost their retrieval skills. Keywords : access, information, resources, electronic, utilization DOI : 10.7176/IKM/9-4-08 Publication date : April 30 th 2019

The paper examined electronic information resource management in academic libraries. The paper is an opinion paper based on existing and related literature. The paper provided an introduction to academic libraries and electronic information resources (EIRs) as part of its resources. Other issues discussed in the paper include the concept of electronic information resources (EIRs), types of electronic information resources, benefits of electronic information resources and services in academic libraries, electronic information resource management in academic libraries, and challenges of managing electronic information resources in academic libraries. The paper concludes that proper management of electronic information resources (EIRs) in academic libraries is imperative to guarantee that users have access to sufficient and up-to-date information. Recommendations include continuous training programs for library staff and users, user-centric support services, collaborative partnerships with faculty and researchers to understand their needs, accessibility initiatives, usage data analysis, and the continuous effort of librarians in charge of academic libraries.

The digital transformation of education necessitates robust access to electronic information resources (EIRs) in academic libraries. This study investigates the availability and accessibility of EIRs within federal college of education libraries in Northern Nigeria, a region facing unique infrastructural and socio-economic challenges. Employing a survey research design, the study assesses the types of EIRs available, the infrastructure supporting their access, and the perceptions of both library staff and users regarding their usability and utilization. Findings indicate a significant gap between the potential benefits of EIRs and their actual provision and seamless accessibility, often hampered by inconsistent power supply, limited internet bandwidth, and insufficient digital literacy among users and some staff. The study highlights the critical need for enhanced funding, improved infrastructure, continuous training programs, and proactive library policies to fully leverage EIRs for teaching, learning, and research in these institutions. Recommendations are provided to bridge the existing disparities and foster a more conducive environment for digital scholarship.