The use of cybercafe at Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria
| Published date | 01 December 2004 |
| Pages | 383-388 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/07378830410570485 |
| Date | 01 December 2004 |
| Author | Esharenana E. Adomi,Faith Sarah Omodeko,Patience Uzezi Otolo |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
The use of cybercafe at
Delta State University,
Abraka, Nigeria
Esharenana E. Adomi
Faith Sarah Omodeko and
Patience Uzezi Otolo
The authors
Esharenana E. Adomi is a Lecturer, Department of Library and
Information Science, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria.
Faith Sarah Omodeko holds a BLS degree from Delta State
University, Abraka, Nigeria and is currently on National Youth
Service assignment.
Patience Uzezi Otolo is Circulation Librarian at Delta State
University Library, Oleh Campus, Delta State, Nigeria.
Keywords
Internet, Nigeria, Higher education
Abstract
This study explores the use of the cybercafe at Delta State
University, Abraka, Nigeria. By means of questionnaires, data
were collected from 83 users. Findings revealed that a majority
of the respondents have not been using the cafe for a long
period of time; most of them visit the internet cafe for sending or
receiving e-mail, followed by browsing for academic
information; most acquired internet knowledge and skills
through practical self-teaching but a good number of
respondents do not spend a long time accessing the net per visit.
Yahoo! is the search engine used by most respondents followed
by Google. The high cost of internet access is a constraint to a
majority of users.
Electronic access
The Emerald Research Register for this journal is
available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregister
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is
available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0737-8831.htm
Introduction
Cybercafes are places where public internet access
is provided by entrepreneurs for a fee (Adomi et al.,
2003). They are places where people can have
access to computers that are connected to the
internet and pay a token amount for using them.
While in the USA the term cybercafes often refers
to true cafes offering both internet access and
beverages, in Nigeria and other parts of Africa,
cybercafes can refer to places offering public
internet access in places like restaurants or hostels,
or they could be places that are wholly set aside for
public access internet services. Cybercafes are very
important in Nigeria because the cost of having
internet connectivity is so high that private
individuals cannot afford it (Adomi et al., 2003).
Many benefits could be derived from the use of
the internet. The following are the benefits of the
internet (Yumba, 1997):
.Access to colleagues through nearly
instantaneous transmission/receipt of e-mail
messages and files.
.Powerful search utilities to locate information
stored on million of computers around the
world.
.Access to a large and growing array of online
journals and databases on various subjects.
.Use of remote computer resources and
instrumentation.
.Distance evaluation and other cooperative
projects.
.Facilitation of peer review thereby
strengthening research and journal
publications.
.Dissemination of all kinds of data and
information.
These benefits enhance the teaching, research and
community service functions for which universities
are set up. In Nigeria as elsewhere, the internet can
become an invaluable tool for learning, teaching
and research (including collaborative research)
(Ojedokun and Owolabi, 2003). Access to e-mail
and internet has transformed the face of higher
education within developed nations within the last
decade by making communication faster, more
effective, and less formal, promoting networking.
The growth of e-mail discussion groups allow
academics and university managers to share
information and solve common problems with
their counterparts and colleagues, be they on their
side of campus, or on the other side of the world,
with equal ease.
Library Hi Tech
Volume 22 · Number 4 · 2004 · pp.383-388
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited · ISSN 0737-8831
DOI 10.1108/07378830410570485
Received: 3 November 2003
Revised: 9 March 2004
Accepted: 25 May 2004
383
To continue reading
Request your trial