Availability and Use of Offline Electronic Resources for Effective Information Service Delivery in Public University Libraries in North-East, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the availability and use of offline electronic resources for effective information service delivery in public university libraries in North-east Nigeria. The study was guided by three 3 specific objectives. A survey research design was adopted, involving a population of 187 academic librarians and heads of e-libraries across 13 public university libraries. A purposive sample of 120 participants was drawn from six institutions and data were collected using questionnaires and an observation checklist. Descriptive statistics, including frequency counts, percentages, means, and standard deviations, were used for analysis. Findings revealed that key information services such as Current Awareness Services, literature search services, document delivery, reference services, circulation, Selective Dissemination of Information, user education, and photocopying are available across all surveyed libraries. The study further established that offline electronic resources including e-books, e-journals, databases, e-articles, and theses/dissertations are widely available, although resources such as e-newspapers show limited availability. Analysis of utilisation levels showed high use of offline e-books e-journals databases and e-articles respectively. Conversely, offline e-theses/dissertations, e-newspapers, and CD-ROM/DVDbased materials recorded low levels of use. The study concludes that offline electronic resources remain essential for sustaining uninterrupted information service delivery in the region’s public university libraries. It recommended that public university libraries should expand their existing range of information services, increase the quantity and variety of offline electronic resources, develop comprehensive training programs to increase the usage and awareness of offline electronic resources.