Delivery Of Library Services Research Articles

Fee-based electronic information services and effective service delivery by federal university libraries in Nigeria

The study investigated fee-based electronic information services offered in Nigerian federal university libraries, their effects on library services, challenges faced by libraries that implemented the services and possible solutions to address the challenges. A descriptive survey research design using stratified random sampling was used for the study. The population of the study was Nigerian federal university libraries. The population size for the study is 116. Using Krejcie and Morgan’s table, a total of ninety-two (92) professional librarians were sampled. Google form was used for data collection. Out of 92, 87 (80.04%) librarians responded to the questionnaire. The results obtained from the analysis were presented in tables using frequency and the mean by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, version 25). The findings of the study revealed that the only university of Lagos in federal university libraries that partially implemented two services (internet access and laptop lending). The research also revealed that in the university of Lagos, the services enable the library to generate more income, it increases library users’ patronage among others. The challenges faced by the University of Lagos while rendering the fee-based services include poor planning, the problem of pricing policy and negative perception of fee-based services by the patrons among others. The study concluded that Nigerian federal university libraries have not yet implemented fee-based electronic information services to their full course. The study recommended among others that seminars and conferences should be organized to enlighten the stakeholders of Nigerian federal university libraries on the benefits of fee-based electronic information services for effective library service delivery.

COVID-19 and Philippine Academic Libraries

Background. Libraries have rapidly adapted their services and policies during the lockdown and have likewise adopted new initiatives. This study investigated on the impact of COVID-19 to academic libraries in the Philippines.
 Objectives. The study aimed to: (1) determine the readiness of academic libraries to provide online services and resources in the pre-COVID-19 period or at the onset of the community quarantine in the Philippines in March 2020; (2) look into the different initiatives and innovations introduced by academic libraries during the quarantine period so as to continuously provide services and access to resources, in the absence of face-to-face interaction; (3) explore the different issues and challenges encountered by academic libraries in the delivery of library services during the pandemic; and finally, (4) find out how academic librarians envision the post-COVID-19 era of academic libraries in the country.
 Methods. The study made use of descriptive quantitative method. Data were gathered through survey using an instrument developed by the authors. Sampling was purposive with head librarians in academic libraries from all over the country as the respondents. Spreadsheet was used to process data which were presented in simple tables, graphs and charts. Responses to the open ended question were analyzed and manually coded using inductive coding.
 Results. Majority of academic libraries in the country were caught unprepared when the pandemic hit. Despite this, they managed to provide services that were delivered online, while simultaneously embarking on a number of different initiatives. COVID-19 showed to have made considerable impact in terms of staffing, utilization, collection development, and funding. Finally, the respondents envision academic libraries in the post-pandemic era to still be hybrid, with digital resources gaining prominence over printed resources.
 Contributions. The shared experiences of academic libraries in the Philippines amidst the pandemic and how they were able to rise above the challenges they were confronted with as they shift their services to online mode may serve as a guide and help inspire other libraries in developing countries faced with similar situations.
 Keywords. COVID-19 pandemic, Philippine academic libraries, pre-during-post pandemic scenario, innovation, online services, resilience.

Impact of COVID-19 on Academic Library Service Delivery in Zimbabwe

The higher and tertiary education system was greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic leading to tremendous changes in service delivery in academic libraries. All the higher education stakeholders were affected including lecturers, students, researchers, and librarians, and they were forced to adjust accordingly in order to remain relevant. A survey was done using a multiple case study design where online questionnaires were distributed and participant observation were used to collect data from three academic libraries in Zimbabwe. It was discovered that academic libraries changed the way they deliver their services to meet the new demands when teaching and learning was shifted to online as a way of curbing the spreading of the virus. The author recommends that academic librarians should be continuously trained to deal with the skills gap created by the COVID-19 pandemic. There is need to provide appropriate information and communication technology infrastructure and the supporting policies and guidelines for academic libraries to continue supporting the research, teaching and learning activities in the COVID-19 environment.

Relevance of Big Data Analytics in Nigerian Academic Libraries: University of Ilorin Library Experience

This paper reviewed the concept of big data with reference to the University of Ilorin, North-Central, Nigeria. In the study that directed this paper, a descriptive design was employed and thematic analysis was done on the information obtained through key informant interviews. The population of this study consisted of the two systems librarians who work in the electronic library (e-library) unit of the university library. The characteristics of big data, based on the V characteristics, were examined, as well as the various types of data sets found in academic libraries. The findings of the study revealed that while big data sets exist in libraries in Nigeria, none of the big data software was available in the library studied. The findings also revealed the various methods used by the University of Ilorin Library in generating big data. Also, the main challenges confronting the management of big data in the University of Ilorin Library include inadequate funding, insufficient infrastructure, and inadequate software tools for managing big data. The need to re-skill library practitioners in this new technology, as a means of surmounting challenges in service delivery in university libraries, was recommended.

To Levy or Not? The Paradox of Revenue Generation and Sustainability of Free Public Library Services in Ghana

As the gap between decreased budgetary allocation and the need to sustain free and improved quality public library services continues to increase, librarians are expected to think more innovatively about how to bridge this gap while ensuring the notion of free public library services is not compromised. This study aimed to investigate revenue mobilization and the sustainability of free public library services in Ghana. The study adopts a multiple case study approach, exploiting the advantages of the use of a combination of varied data collection techniques using 3 Regional Public libraries in Ghana to enhance representativeness. The data was collected from some major stakeholders, including Head Librarians, library staff and patrons of public libraries using questionnaires and qualitative interview sessions. Purposive and convenience sampling techniques were employed in selecting respondents for the study. Descriptive statistics, inferential statistics and thematic analysis were deployed as analytical tools to examine the data. Based on the findings of the study, the researchers conclude that the challenge is in tracking down the elusive mix of fee-based services that deliver more than they take away. We therefore, admonish that those who still preach against fee-based services on moral grounds accept the reality that seeking alternative funding (beyond government’s subventions) to sustain public library services has become a Hobson’s choice to most public librarians. Recommendations are also proffered in mitigating the present challenges affecting service delivery in public libraries.

Information and Communication Technology Skills for Information Science Professionals and its Profitability to Library Services Delivery in Federal Universities in South- South Nigeria

Information and Communication Technology Skills for Information Science Professionals and its Profitability to Library Services Delivery in Federal Universities in South- South Nigeria

Intentional librarian-student interactions during COVID-19

As part of a research study to examine first-year college students’ preparation for college-level research, students at six U.S. institutions of higher education were surveyed in the spring semester of 2021. The pandemic continued to affect the delivery of information literacy (IL) instruction and library services across the United States throughout the 2020–2021 academic year. When students completed this survey in April and May of 2021, the majority of instructional services were offered in synchronous and asynchronous remote formats. The students' engagement with librarians and librarian-created instructional resources were captured via the survey and analysed to determine whether students were able to leverage these interactions and materials despite the remote contexts. Students who did not interact with an academic librarian were less likely to use library resources, had more problems accessing information, and felt more overwhelmed by the quantity of resources and services offered by the library. Results show that intentional student-librarian interactions are a bridge to the acquisition and development of knowledge practices and dispositions of the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. The findings suggest considerations for moving forward when it comes to communicating with students and delivering IL support in academic libraries around the world as countries emerge from pandemic conditions.

INFLUENCE OF PERSONNEL'S SELF-EFFICACY, SOCIAL MEDIA USE ON SERVICE DELIVERY IN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES IN LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA

This study investigates the influence of library personnel’s self-efficacy and use of social media on service delivery in university libraries in Lagos State. The design of the study was survey. The population of the study comprise of 133 library personnel selected from four university libraries in Lagos State. The total enumeration technique was used to include all 133 library personnel. Findings of the study revealed that personnel's self efficacy positively and significantly influenced service delivery in the university libraries in Lagos state, Nigeria (R2 = 0.032, β = 0.847, t = 4.446, p<0.05). It was also discovered that social media use positively significantly influenced service delivery in the university libraries in Lagos state, Nigeria (R2 = 0.032, β = 0.847, t = 4.120, p<0.05). Lastly, there is significant combined influence of personnel's self-efficacy and social media use on service delivery in the university libraries in Lagos state, Nigeria (Adj. R2= 0.113, F(4, 113) = 9.21, p<0.05).In conclusion, library personnel's self-efficacy and social media use contributes to service delivery in university libraries in Lagos State, Nigeria. It is therefore recommended that the managements of university libraries should ensure provision of adequate facilities in different forms of information resources and services. In support of this, there should be a university based policy that would encourage the library personnel to use social media platforms for service delivery

Remaking academic library services in Zimbabwe in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic

The outbreak of the global COVID -19 pandemic has affected all aspects of life, access to higher education has not been out of danger as evidenced by the enforcement of official closures, enforcement lockdown and social distancing rules by governments throughout the world. However, while the COVID-19 pandemic has presented the world with numerous socioeconomic challenges, it has also helped to spur creativity and information as evidenced by the responses of academic libraries that have seen a heighted use of digital platforms to support education, teaching and research. The study sought to establish how librarians in Zimbabwe responded to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the implications of the pandemic on library service delivery. A qualitative research was adopted for the study. Using snowballing, interviews were used to gather data beginning with the library association's branch leadership. The researchers ensured that the questions were aligned to the research objectives. The interview schedule included open and closed questions to enable participants to provide further details relating to the phenomenon under study. The participants were guaranteed their rights to consent, privacy and anonymity in the introduction of the interview schedule. An The study reveals that there has been an increase in the use online platforms for accessing information especially library's webpages, electronic books and journals. The use of library online resources from distance locations also rose following closure of campuses. Library patrons' perceptions towards electronic resources significantly improved as they realized that they were equally useful as the print. Findings from the study provide useful recommendation on how librarians can remodel their services to match new demands presented by the COVD-19 pandemic. The study provides a starting point upon which further research on the effect of COVID-19 or other similar pandemics have on library service delivery.

Staff Attitude and Service Delivery in University Libraries in Ogun State, Nigeria


 
 
 Service delivery in the university library is aimed at meeting the information need of users who make up the university community in order to achieve the objective of promoting learning and research. Services delivery of university libraries in the aspect of tangibles and reliability will bring satisfaction to the recognised need of the users. Staff attitude goes a long in library service delivery influences the patronage of the library resources. This study adopted survey research design. The study population comprised 80,247 of library users in university libraries in Ogun State, Nigeria. Krejcie and Morgan (1970) method was used to determine the sample size of 1,513. Stratified random sampling technique was used to categorize the universities into three (federal, state and private). Purposive sampling was used to select the respondent from the different universities in Ogun State. Self-structured and validated questionnaire was the instrument for the study. The instrument’s Cronbach’s alpha coefficient ranged from 0.724 to 0.826. The collected data was analysed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentages, mean and standard deviation) and regression analysis. The findings of the study showed that library staff delivered quality services in university libraries in Ogun state, Nigeria to a high extent lookingat the tangible (Mean = 3.23, SD = 0.77) and reliability (Mean = 3.20, SD = 0.82). The findings showed that respondents agreed that the staff attitude in university libraries in Ogun State, Nigeria was positive with mean (x̅) = 2.89, SD = 0.93). The study further found out that the staff attitude had a significant influence on service delivery(R2= 0.253, β= 0.503, t = 18.411, p<0.05). The study therefore concluded that staff attitude had a significant influence on service delivery in university libraries in Ogun State, Nigeria. The study recommends that university library board and administrators should employ qualified library staff with the right disposition that can evaluation and assessment users need regularly, be compassionate to users need and display right disposition in any condition to users in order to increase patronage.
 
 

Staff Training and Career Development among Library Staff in Federal Universities in Southwest, Nigeria

Library personnel development determines service provision, achievement of institutional goals, productivity/development of users and career development of library staff. The study examined the challenges of career development among library personnel in federal universities in Southwest, Nigeria. Four out of the seven federal universities in Southwest, Nigeria were selected. A structured questionnaire was employed for data collection. Total enumeration technique was employed to gather data from 163 library personnel (80 librarians and 49 paraprofessionals) and 129 (79.6%) copies of the questionnaire were found useful for the study. The study indicated that majority of the library personnel in all the universities perceived that library management was highly committed to capacity building, however, at least 50% of the respondents in each of the universities were of the opinion that the capacity building programmes were inadequate. Furthermore, majority of the library personnel in all the universities reiterated that the most important benefit of capacity building was improvement in service delivery. The three major reasons for attendance of capacity building programmes were to get trained in the latest technologies; enhance library service delivery and because they had never attended before. The programme most attended were workshops/seminars 30 (85.7%) and conferences 30 (85.7%); their greatest challenge was irregular sponsorship from their university. It was recommended that library management should put in place more capacity building programmes to enhance effective service delivery and provide funds for the trainings.

Assessing Students’ Satisfaction with Library Service Delivery at University of Health and Allied Sciences, HO

The purpose of the study was to investigate students' satisfaction with service delivery in the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), Ho. Research survey of students was adopted. Sample size of 151 made up of students from selected departments at UHAS participated in the study. Data from the questionnaire was analyzed using frequency counts and percentages by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences SPSS (version 22). Five areas of service delivery namely: library, ICT, health, transportation, and hostel services were considered in the study. A number of significant findings were made from the study. The results revealed that majority of the students indicated dissatisfaction with health, transport as well as Information and communication Technology services (ICT), while others showed little level of satisfaction with library and hostel services. Again, it was revealed that students' satisfaction with service delivery in terms of library and hostel services significantly differ by other services, while, they show much significant difference in their satisfaction with transport, health and ICT services. It was recommended that the university management should enhance students’ satisfaction by ensuring all services that contribute to academic and social life of students in UHAS are delivered to acceptable and satisfactory standards. Again, it was recommended that the government should provide the necessary financial support or resources to management to meet acceptable standards in service delivery and surveys to assess students’ satisfaction with service delivery should be on regular basis by management to ascertain the satisfaction needs of students.

Effect of ICT Use on Library Service Delivery: A Comparative Approach from Two Universities

Effect of ICT Use on Library Service Delivery: A Comparative Approach from Two Universities

Integrative Review of Literature on Competitive Intelligence as a Catalyst for Enhanced and Electronic Library Service Delivery

Integrative Review of Literature on Competitive Intelligence as a Catalyst for Enhanced and Electronic Library Service Delivery

Assessment of the traditional and emerging roles of university libraries in Nigeria

This study was conducted to assess the traditional and emerging roles of university libraries in Nigeria. Census sampling technique was used to sample all the 43 Nigerian Federal university libraries. Structured questionnaire was adopted for data collection. Data were analysed using frequency count and mean scores. Results indicated that the traditional roles were rooted in acquisition and preservation of information and in the provision of access to information in various formats. The respondents agreed with only 7 of the possible 18 emerging roles of libraries indicating that the understudied libraries are slow in attuning to the internet, World Wide Web and ICT. Respondents agreed with 11 out 15 possible challenges militating against the adoption of emerging roles of academic libraries in information service delivery. Most of these challenges are administrative and personnel. It was concluded that while university libraries are aware of the traditional roles of libraries, they are yet to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by the trio of the internet, World Wide Web and ICT. The recommendation is that the library should adopt the technologies of the internet, World Wide Web and ICT and acquire necessary training in implementation of these innovations to boost library service delivery.

AI and libraries: trends and projections

Purpose This paper aims to focus on the trends and projection for future use of artificial intelligence (AI) in libraries. AI technologies is the latest among the technologies being used in libraries. The technology has systems that have natural language processing, machine learning and pattern recognition capabilities that make service provision easier for libraries. Design/methodology/approach Systematic literature review is done, exploring blogs and wikis, to collect information on the ways in which AI is used and can be futuristically used in libraries. Findings This paper found that uses of AI in libraries entailed enhanced services such as content indexing, document matching, content mapping content summarization and many others. AI possibilities were also found to include improving the technology of gripping, localizing and human–robot interaction and also having artificial superintelligence, the hypothetical AI that surpasses human intelligence and abilities. Originality/value It is concluded that advanced technologies that AI are, will help librarians to open up new horizons and solve challenges that crop up in library service delivery.

Health sciences librarians' engagement in open science: a scoping review.

Objectives:To identify the engagement of health sciences librarians (HSLs) in open science (OS) through the delivery of library services, support, and programs for researchers.Methods:We performed a scoping review guided by Arksey and O'Malley's framework and Joanna Briggs' Manual for Scoping Reviews. Our search methods consisted of searching five bibliographic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, LISTA, and Web of Science Core Collection), reference harvesting, and targeted website and journal searching. To determine study eligibility, we applied predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria and reached consensus when there was disagreement. We extracted data in duplicate and performed qualitative analysis to map key themes.Results:We included fifty-four studies. Research methods included descriptive or narrative approaches (76%); surveys, questionnaires, and interviews (15%); or mixed methods (9%). We labeled studies with one or more of FOSTER's six OS themes: open access (54%), open data (43%), open science (24%), open education (6%), open source (6%), and citizen science (6%). Key drivers in OS were scientific integrity and transparency, openness as a guiding principle in research, and funder mandates making research publicly accessible.Conclusions:HSLs play key roles in advancing OS worldwide. Formal studies are needed to assess the impact of HSLs' engagement in OS. HSLs should promote adoption of OS within their research communities and develop strategic plans aligned with institutional partners. HSLs can promote OS by adopting more rigorous and transparent research practices of their own. Future research should examine HSLs' engagement in OS through social justice and equity perspectives.

Performance Analysis of Information & Communication Technology in Library and Information Science

Abstract: There is no doubt that the integration of ICT in the provision of library services can bring great benefits to the entire community and the nation. ICTs, which continue to be a support tool for the provision of up-to-date and timely information and library services, are also essential for sustainable development .This paper is an attempt to examine the critical role that information and communication technology (ICT). How it plays important role in the management and delivery of library services in sustainable development. Despite the wide range of opportunities offered by the advent of ICT, it has been observed that the application of ICT to library services appears inadequate, probably due to several challenges. Using the simple literature search methodology, the paper sought to review the related literature on ICT resources and ICT-based services in libraries, the benefits of ICT and the role of libraries in sustainable development. The document also identified the challenges of using ICT in libraries. Among other things, it was recommended to improve the capacity and level of adoption of ICT by libraries. Keywords: Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Libraries, Sustainable Development, ICT-based library services

A social media strategy for academic libraries

This study was carried out to analyse strategies regarding the use of social media for academic library services in Ghana. The research design was quantitative and adopted the survey approach. Questionnaires served as the main data collection instrument. The study population comprised of one hundred and ten library staff from public and private universities in Ghana. As indicated by the study results, the library staff agreed that there was a need for a well-formulated social media strategy to help academic libraries identify the most appropriate social media tools, establish contact with targeted audience, and increase engagement rates to enable an effective and efficient distribution of its resources and services. The results also indicated that the academic libraries, however, seem to neglect these strategies which could drive patrons' use of such platforms. Recommendations therefore suggest the need to implement social media plans and policies, user engagement, social media update, and dedicated staff with the requisite skills in the use of social media platforms for library services delivery.

Experiences, perspectives, and emerging frameworks: COLINET libraries response to the COVID-19 pandemic

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to detail the experiences, perspectives and emerging framework for the delivery of library services by member libraries of the College Libraries Information Network (COLINET) at the onset and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Jamaica.Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory sequential mixed approach was used for this study. Qualitative data was collected initially using a semi-structured interview with a virtual focus group comprising seven librarians from the COLINET in Jamaica. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants for the focus group. The second phase of data collection used an online survey through Google Forms to the membership of COLINET; 19 of 31 libraries (61.2%) responded to the survey.FindingsThe findings reveal the current status of library operation and service delivery at the COLINET member libraries. The impact of COVID-19 on staffing arrangements, support and engagement, library resources and services are seen through the lens of the challenges and opportunities presented by the pandemic.Research limitations/implicationsIn total, 19 of the 31 libraries in COLINET responded to the survey; therefore, the researchers were unable to get a comprehensive assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on COLINET libraries.Practical implicationsThis study will assist libraries in their response to COVID-19 and other similar future national public health crises. The findings and recommendations can provide a blueprint for developing policies and procedures for libraries during a national health crisis. Additionally, it will add to the empirical literature on Caribbean libraries.Originality/valueThis study is essential for libraries responding to the coronavirus pandemic in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean region. This study examines the response of academic libraries from diverse tertiary institutions; exploring their challenges, solutions and emerging frameworks; making it representative and inclusive for academic libraries. This study advances the limited research that exists with regard to Caribbean libraries and the COVID-19 pandemic.