The Nexus Between Academic Libraries and Students’ Academic Achievement

Abstract

Academic libraries offer students various services that cater to their academic needs. The use of these libraries goes beyond just fetching a book for research and an assignment; they also encourage the culture of reading. The services provided by academic libraries have a prime impact on students’ academic achievements. Libraries amalgamate information resources and technologies to provide students with online resources such as electronic journals, databases, e-books, journal articles, government gazettes and physical books. Educational systems around the world are highly supported by academic libraries. Thus, this study examined the relationship between academic libraries and students’ academic achievement in South Africa. While this study is highly theoretical and relies profoundly on journal articles, books, latest case studies and dissertations to present its argument, fifty students from different universities in South Africa were randomly selected for the study from the University of Johannesburg, University of Limpopo, Vhembe Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college, Rosebank College and Richfield Institute of Learning, University of Pretoria, University of Venda, and the University of South Africa. These students were selected through stratified sampling, and the researchers used an online survey developed and distributed through Google Forms. The findings of the study revealed that a relationship exists between academic libraries and students’ academic achievement. Lastly, the study recommended that higher institutions of learning provide books, articles, journals, theses, and dissertations that are up-to-date and relevant to all fields of study. Moreover, it is important to provide digital access to library services as South Africa embraces the technological era. A systematic literature review has been used to study documented evidence, and data were collected from a stratified sampling using an electronic survey questionnaire.