Assessment of library services and academic achievement among secondary school students in Rijau Local Government Area

Abstract

This study assesses library services and Academic Achievement among Secondary School Students in Rijau Local Government Area(LGA), Niger State, Nigeria. Guided by five research objectives; assessing overall academic achievement, examining its distribution across schools, identifying performance frequency, describing library use patterns, and exploring students' perceptions of library usefulness. The study employed a quantitative descriptive design. From a population of 3,258 students, a stratified random sample of 344 was drawn, with 268 valid responses returned, representing a 77.9% response rate. Data were collected via questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that 37.7% of students reported good academic performance, 34.3% average, 15.7% excellent, and 12.3% poor. Most students (60.4%) reported mostly average performance, 20.1% mostly high, and 19.4% mostly low. Regarding library use, 34.3% visited weekly, 28.4% monthly, and 14.2% daily, while 23.1% rarely or never used the library. Textbooks (69.0%) and reference materials (36.6%) were the most used resources. Most students spent 30–60 minutes per visit (38.1%).In terms of perception, 44.4% considered the library useful and 27.2% very useful. Libraries primarily supported completing assignments (67.9%) and exam preparation (58.2%), with fewer students using them to develop research skills (36.6%). Major challenges included lack of resources (42.5%), limited time (27.2%), and poor facilities (23.5%).The study concludes that while library services positively influence academic achievement, their impact is limited by irregular usage, inadequate resources, and infrastructure constraints. Enhancing facilities, promoting consistent use, and expanding resources are recommended to improve student outcomes.