FREQUENCY OF CLIENT’S PATRONAGE OF UNIVERSITY LIBRARY INFORMATION RESOURCES AND SERVICES IN NORTH-EASTERN STATES OF NIGERIA

Abstract

The study focused on two objectives which are to find out the frequency of patronage of university library information resources and services in North-Eastern Nigeria and to Establish the reasons why clients patronize university library information resources and services in North-Eastern Nigeria. Two research questions were used and two hypotheses in guiding the study. The population of the study is five thousand, forty-eight (5048) registered university library clients across five Federal University libraries in the region, a sample of four hundred and four (404) respondents were drawn using a nonprobability convenience sampling technique. The research questions were answered using descriptive statistical technique in analysing the data while the hypotheses were analyzed using inferential statistical method. the finding of the study shows that only thirty-six (36) % of university library clients patronize their library information resources and services frequently in North-Eastern Nigeria. The study equally reveals that, the major reason why university library clients in North-Eastern Nigeria patronize their university libraries is the conducive library environment for learning with a mean of 1.58 and (58.1%). Other factors like availability of relevant information resources, library staff attitude amongst others that were presented to the respondents recorded low responses. It was also established by the study that, there is no significant difference in the frequency of patronage of university library information resources and services across the five university libraries that were studied with P <0.05, and X2 calculated > X2 computed at df 4. Similarly, no significant difference was recorded on the reasons why clients patronize university library information resources and services in the North-Eastern Nigeria with P < 0.05, X2 calculated > X2 critical at df 4. It was recommended that, the managements of university libraries in the North-Eastern Nigeria must make the libraries more attractive for their clients by providing more relevant and up-to-date information resources and services. They are also to provide the type of services that will meet the needs and peculiarities of their clients.