DEMOGRAPHICS, INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY SKILLS, ACCESS AND USE AS FACTORS INFLUENCING TASK PERFORMANCE OF LIBRARY PERSONNEL IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA

Abstract

Task Performance (TP), the proficiency with which Library Personnel (LP) performs their core functions (acquisition, cataloguing and classification, preservation, storage and retrieval of information materials), requires the deployment of information and communication technology for efficient service delivery in the library. However, the way services are rendered by library personnel to library users is often hindered by the state of information and communication technology prevalent in libraries which results in users’ dissatisfaction. Past studies focused on job satisfaction, work motivation, and job performance of university LP without paying much attention to the influence of demographics, ICT Skills (ICTS), ICT Access (ICTA) and ICT Use (ICTU) on (TP). This study, therefore, examined the demographics (age, gender, marital status, educational status, work experience, job status and income), ICTS, ICTA and ICTU as factors

Campbell Theory of Job Performance guided the study, while survey design of correlational type was adopted. Thirteen public university libraries that were in session during the time of data collection were purposely selected. Three hundred and thirty LP in the 13 public university libraries in the southwestern Nigeria were enumerated. Structured and validated instruments, comprising ICTS (r=0.96), ICTA (r=0.91), ICTU (r=0.88), and TP (r=0.97) scales, were used. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson product moment correlation and Multiple regression at 0.05 level of significance.

Respondents age was 42.70 ±8.72 years; 66.9% were married, 33.1% single; 65.7% were male, 57.7% librarians, 42.3% library officers and their working experience spanned 28.70± 3.60 years. Respondents’ level of income 53.2% was moderate, while their educational status was distributed as follows: Ph. D (6.5%), Master’s degree (50.4%), Bachelor’s degree (14.5%) and Diploma (28.6%).The TP (x̅= 222.68), ICTS (x̅= 80.91), ICTA (x̅= 43.58) were high while ICT use was moderate (x̅=47.97) against the thresholds of 166, 80, 43 and 52, respectively. Gender (r=0.99), age (r= 0.10), marital status (r=0.19), work experience (r=0.92), educational status (r=0.49), income (r= -0.33) and job status (r=0.65); and ICTS (r=0.33) ICTA (r=0.34) and ICTU (r=0.13) had significant relationships with TP. Age, gender, marital status, work experience, educational status, income, job status), ICTS, ICTA and ICTU had significant joint contribution to TP, (F10;246=5;34); Adj.R2=0.13), accounting for 13.0% of its variance. Age (β =0.07); marital status (β =0.14); work experience (β =0.14); educational status (β=0.08); ICTS (β=0.35); ICTA (β =0.02) and ICTU (β =0.47) contributed to TP; while gender, job status and income did not. Demographic variables, information and communication technology skills, access and use influenced task performance of library personnel in public universities in southwestern Nigeria. Library managers in public universities should pay attention to these factors and promote ICT skills among library personnel.