A comparative study of the use of electronic resources by LIS and computer science students in two Nigerian universities
| Date | 04 November 2019 |
| Published date | 04 November 2019 |
| Pages | 6-10 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/LHTN-08-2019-0055 |
| Author | Dorcas Bana,Monica Eberechukwu Eze,Lovet Ovigue Esievo |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
A comparative study of the use of electronic
resources by LIS and computer science students in
two Nigerian universities
Dorcas Bana, Monica Eberechukwu Eze and Lovet Ovigue Esievo
Introduction
As electronic devices are introduced,
it is assumed that new skills for use need
to be developed and acquired. The
change in traditional document delivery
services from print to electronic has
come about very quickly. Information
in electronic formats provides the
advantage of being available regardless
of location or time. These resources are
delivered over the internet and require
different searching skills than print
resources. Unfortunately, there is often
little in the way of formal training, lack
of computer skills might be the result of
under-use of electronic resources (e-
resources) in many Nigerian
universities. For undergraduates to use
e-resources effectively, they need to be
self-confident in computer-related
tasks. Subject discipline, profession and
gender are typical factors found to be
associated with the use of e-resources in
universities. For example, Dukic and
Striskovic (2015) observed that
variables, such as gender, level of study,
enrolment status and field of study,
affect the use of e-resources in Croatian
university libraries. Presently, there is
no study comparing the use of e-
resources between library and
information science (LIS) students and
computer science students in Nigeria.
Therefore, we wanted to determine to
what extent are the undergraduate
students using the e-resources provided
in their university libraries? Do the
undergraduate students have the skills
to effectively use the e-resources? Is
there any significant difference between
universities and use of e-resources? Is
there any significant difference between
LIS and computer science students in
the use of e-resources?
In colleges and universities, e-
resources, as an integral part of an
institute’s libraries and academic
resources, are assisting learning,
teaching and research activities.
Ebijuwa and Mabawonku (2019)
investigated computer self-efficacy as a
predictor of undergraduates’ use of
electronic library resources in federal
universities in South West Nigeria and
found that e-thesis and the OPAC were
more frequently used on daily basis than
e-books, electronic journals (e-journals)
and databases. E-resources, particularly
journal literature, have become a major
element of library collections
worldwide. According to Kwadzo
(2015), it is only proper, appropriate
and economical that e-journals are
optimally used to facilitate the
academic achievement of faculty and
students and get value for money in
addition.
Weiner (2003) pointed out that
universities pay huge sums of money to
acquire e-journals on a large scale for
faculty members, but they do not use
them adequately enough to justify the
huge investment. Articles in electronic
formats can be downloaded and printed
simultaneously by several readers
depending on access rights and
permissions. The study by Ankrah and
Acheampong (2017) revealed that in
University of Professional Studies
Accra , Ghana, students are fairly well
aware of e-resources, that they fairly
used e-resources to conduct their
researches and to answer their
assignments, and that their use of the
resources outweighs substantially that
of print documents. Ekenna and
Mabawonku (2013) found that there is
much to be done to increase e-resources
use, and there is need to ensure that
undergraduates maximize the inherent
benefits embedded in their use.
Malliari et al. (2012) conducted a
study on IT self-efficacy and computer
competence of LIS students. The
findings indicated that the level of
students’ IT self-efficacy was rather
high, while the mean score of computer
competence indicated a rather low level
of perceived ability in using computers.
Liang (2007) carried out a survey that
found that users should be supported
with more training to enhance their
information-seeking skills while using
e-resources.
The study by Adeniran (2018)
investigated the influence of
information literacy skills and computer
self-efficacy on postgraduate students’
use of e-resources in private university
libraries in Nigeria. The findings
revealed that there was a significant
positive correlation between
information literacy skills and the use of
e-resources. Computer self-efficacy was
also found to have a positive correlation
with the use of e-resources. The study
recommended that the management of
private university libraries should
ensure a continuous provision of e-
resources with adequate information
communication technology tools to
facilitate their use.
Ukachi et al. (2014) observed that e-
resources are not adequately used by
undergraduate students who have a
negative attitude towards its use
because they feel they are computer
illiterates. The study by Ebijuwa and
Mabawonku (2019) revealed that the
level of undergraduates’ computer self-
efficacy was high. The researchers
found that computer self-efficacy
influenced undergraduates’ use of
electronic library resources in federal
universities in South West Nigeria. This
indicates that the attainment of effective
and efficient use of e-resources requires
that the undergraduates should possess
high level of computer self-efficacy of
digital information.
6LIBRARY HITECH NEWS Number 9 2019, pp. 6-10, V
CEmerald Publishing Limited, 0741-9058, DOI 10.1108/LHTN-08-2019-0055
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