Digital information literacy skills and use of electronic resources by humanities graduate students at Kenneth Dike Library, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/DLP-09-2022-0071 |
| Published date | 23 January 2023 |
| Date | 23 January 2023 |
| Pages | 181-204 |
| Author | Osagie Oseghale |
Digital information literacy skills
and use of electronic resources by
humanities graduate students at
Kenneth Dike Library, University
of Ibadan, Nigeria
Osagie Oseghale
Kenneth Dike Library, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paperis to assess the level of digital information literacy (DIL) skilland use
of electronic resources by humanities graduate students at Kenneth Dike Library, University of Ibadan,
Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach –This paper uses the survey research design and 200 graduate
students fromthe 12 departmentsthat made up the Faculty of Arts in the University of Ibadan participated in
the study. A self-devised structured questionnaire was used as instrument for data collection. A pilot
questionnairewas first sent to a small random sample of the respondents,with feedback used to fine-tune the
final questionnaire.Respondents were requested to rate their level of proficiency in the use of digitaldevices,
web-based tasks, information finding, evaluation and utilisation of available e-resources and challenges
encountered. Ethical consideration of informed consent, institutional permission, confidentiality and
anonymity of participants was strictly followed. Data collected were analysed and result presented using
descriptive statistics including frequencies, percentage, mean and inferential statistics such as regression
analysis and Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient were used to test the research question and
hypothesis,respectively.
Findings –Humanities graduatestudents at the University of Ibadan possessed high level of DIL skillsin
respect of digital devices usage,web-based tasks, information finding and evaluation, but low in e-resources
utilisation. This study identifiedinadequate knowledge of e-resources availability, irregular internet access,
inadequate training on e-resources utilisation, inadequate staff assistance, lack of continuity in e-resources
subscription and paucity of local contents in the e-resources as main challenges encountered by graduate
students in the use of e-resources. To ensure that thosewho can most benefit from e-resources utilisation are
not further marginalised, this study recommends that active steps should be taken to increase e-resources
awareness, regular internet access, training/support, continuity of e-resources subscription and increased
local contentso that all may benefit from the opportunities of the informationage.
Originality/value –This paper has demonstrated that DIL skills can enhance effective utilisation of e-
resources if users have adequate knowledge of e-resources availability, regular internet access, adequate
training and assistance on e-resources utilisation, continuity in database subscription and adequate local
contentse-resources.
Keywords Challenges, Digital literacy evaluation, E-resources utilisation, Humanities graduate,
Information literacy, University library, Nigeria, Digital skills
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Over the years, library resources, services and operations have been tremendously
influenced by rapid technological innovations. The application of information and
communication technologies(ICTs) changed the entire scenario of the library as information
Digital
information
literacy skills
181
Received2 September 2022
Revised22 November 2022
Accepted4 December 2022
DigitalLibrary Perspectives
Vol.39 No. 2, 2023
pp. 181-204
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2059-5816
DOI 10.1108/DLP-09-2022-0071
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
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resources have movedahead from being printed to electronic resources (e-resources)such as
e-books, e-journals, e-document and e-catalogue accessible through computer devices. This
wave of change triggered by advances in ICTs has greatly affected information generation,
storage, accessibility, retrieval, dissemination as well as users’information skills and
information-seeking behaviour (Anyim, 2019). The change in information appearance,
handling, apparatusand management makes it imperative for information users to acquirea
demonstrable level of information literacy skills to use resultant technology to access, find,
evaluate and make effectiveuse of embedded information resources.
E-resource, as defined by Library of Congress (2016), is any work encoded and made
available for access using computer devices. It includes data or information availability by
remote access and or direct access (fixed media). Remote access e-resources are data,
information and knowledge accessible via computer networks. Direct access electronic
resources refer to data, information and knowledge in physical carriers (e.g. compact discs
read-only memory, hard discs,flash drives, etc.) designed to be inserted into a computerised
device or its auxiliary equipment. Anyim (2018) describes e-resources as contents of
information in a format that could be accessed through a computer or machine which in
some cases require internet connections. According to Anyim (2021,p.3),“Electronic
resources encompass all materials that contain information that can be accessed through
digital or online meansby the support of computer technologies.”
In the current era of ICTs, the importance of equippinga university library with relevant
e-resources cannot be over emphasised. E-resources have become the lifeblood and one of
the most essentials for all societal activities. They play a vital role in promoting learning,
teaching, research and community service mandates for which universities are established.
Most students use e-resources for various purposes, including assignments, literature
review and research report writing, amongothers (Katabalwa, 2016). The use of e-resources
has reduced the rigorous researchers go through in searching for printed information
materials in libraries. This is becausesignificant amount of relevant information is speedily
accessible througha computer device with internet connection.
According to Ternengeand Kashimana (2019), e-resources have become primary sources
of information for researchers, students and lecturers. Tekale and Dalve (2012) assert that
the availability of e-resources equally help distance learners across the world to gain easy
access to substantial information reservoirs. Apart from the advantage of quick access to
relevant information, the navigational technologies provide different search options, easy
citations of scholarly works, downloading, uploading and updating information. Other
advantages include information flexibility, adaptability, storage, dissemination, timeliness,
cost-effectiveness and ease of archiving. Thus, distance students can depend significantly
on e-resources for accurate and timely information for their learning, research and
collaboration withother students across the globe.
In the contemporary era, e-resources help to reduce pressure on university libraries for
physical storage space for books and journals as it provides unlimited access to digital
information for users (Lefuma, 2007). Because of the easy-to-use potentials of e-resources,
library users are shifting attention fromtraditional library resources to electronic resources
as they dominates research activities of both distance and on-campus students (Hadagali
et al.,2012). However accessing and using e-resources requires adequate proficiency in
digital informationliteracy (DIL). DIL has been generally described as a set of skills required
by individuals to effectively use resultantinformation technologies to access, find, evaluate,
use and communicate information. For that reason, most university libraries have adopted
electronic library section that managese-resources and plays a supporting role of providing
users the required DIL training (Zhanget al., 2011).
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