Digital literacy skills & electronic resources utilization by undergraduates in public university libraries in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examines the influence of digital literacy skills on electronic resource utilization by undergraduates in public university libraries in Lagos, Nigeria. The study adopted a survey research design which utilized a self-structured questionnaire titled: “Digital literacy skills & electronic resources utilization by undergraduates” as instrument for data collection and measured on a four-point Likert-type scale. The population for the study was 49,165 undergraduates and sample size of 394 was selected from the 200-500 level. Data were obtained from undergraduates on the level of e-resources utilization and the level of digital literacy skills. A response rate of 351 representing 89.1% was achieved and data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The finding revealed that undergraduates possessed a high level of e-resources utilization with a score of x=3.36 and a high level of digital skills with a grand of x=3.28. The finding further reveal that digital skill (β=0.434, t = 8.564, p<0.05) have a significant influence on electronic resource utilization. The study concludes that undergraduates in public universities in Lagos State have high digital literacy skills that significantly influence the use of electronic resources in libraries. The study recommends that management should improve in providing more digital literacy skills training programs that can help the undergraduates to sustain and acquire more skills in selected universities in Lagos State.