PERSONAL FACTORS, INFORMATION LITERACY SKILLS, LIBRARY ANXIETY AND LIBRARY USE BY UNDERGRADUATES IN FEDERAL UNIVERSITIES IN NORTH-CENTRAL, NIGERIA

Abstract

University libraries are established to meet the information needs of the university communities of which undergraduates constitute a significant portion. However, literature have shown that the level of use of the Nigerian university libraries by the undergraduates is relatively low. Previous studies have focused largely on the pattern and frequency of use of university libraries with little emphasis on the factors that influence undergraduates’ library use. This study, therefore, was designed to investigate personal factors (previous library skills, level of awareness of library resources and services), information literacy skills and library anxiety with a view to examine their influence on library use by undergraduates in federal universities in North-central Nigeria. Competency, Constructivism and Melon Ground theories served as anchor, while descriptive survey of the correlational type was adopted. The five conventional universities in the North-central zone were enumerated, while the homogenous faculties (Science, Social sciences and Arts) were purposively selected. Two departments common to the faculties were purposively selected and five percent of 200 to 400 level undergraduates (making a total of 797 undergraduates). The instruments used were Previous Library Skills (r=0.85), Awareness of Library Resources and Services (r=0.93), Information Literacy Skills (r=0.75), Library Anxiety (r=0.87) and Library Use(r=0.95) scales. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s product moment correlation and Multiple regression at 0.05 level of significance. Undergraduates’ age was 22.72 ± 3.81years, while majority were males (50.8%). The major purpose of university library use was to study (68.4%) and majority preferred to use university main libraries (66.2%). The level of library resources and services usage was moderate (53.9%), while their level of information literacy skills was higher (69.2%). Eighty-five percent of the undergraduates experienced moderate level of library anxiety. Previous library skills (r=0.33), level of awareness of library resources and services (r=0.24),information literacy skills (r =0.20), type of secondary school attended (r=0.09) and academic discipline (r=0.08) had positive significant relationships with library use while gender, level of study and library anxiety had none. There was a significant composite influence of personal factors, information literacy skills and library anxiety on library use by the undergraduates (F(3;721)= 31.12; adjusted R2 =0.13), accounting for 13.0% of its variance. Previous library skills (β =0.33), level of awareness of library resources and services (β =0.24) and library anxiety (β = -0.09) contributed relatively to library use, while information literacy skills did not. Previous library skills, level of awareness of library resources and services, information literacy skills and library anxiety determined library use by the undergraduates in federal universities in North-central, Nigeria. Therefore, the university library administrators should create awareness about the importance of library through constant awareness programmes.