Information Distribution, Internet, and Libraries in Educational Development: Exploring Views of Students in African Universities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70680/sanskriti.v2i2.2232Keywords:
Educational, Development, Information, Libraries, UniversitiesAbstract
This study explored Information Distribution, Internet, and Libraries in Educational Development: Exploring Views of Students in African Universities. The objectives were to: Find out the frequency of libraries usage by students; the perceived impact of libraries on academic performance; the views of students about facilities in libraries and the specific kind of amenity that students suggest to leverage on library capacities in select African Universities. Two theories were put to back up the work which were: the Uses and Gratification theory and the Diffusion of Innovation theory. The method of research was online survey with a population at 191,306 students in four African universities. The sample size was at 800 students with questionnaire proportionately distributed. The major findings was that a significant majority of students (50% + 25% = 75%) use the library “Not Very Often” or “Not Often”. Only 9% of students use the library “Very Often”, and 16% use it “Often”. This suggests that library usage is generally low among students in the surveyed African universities. The recommendations are: That universities should be carrying out orientations and awareness campaigns for fresh and old students to understand the significance of regular use of libraries for academic purposes.
References
Adeniran, P., & Ajiboye, B. A. (2020). Digital transfor-mation of academic libraries in developing countries: Challenges and prospects. Interna-tional Journal of Knowledge Content Develop-ment & Technology, 10(1), 25–43. https://doi.org/10.5865/IJKCT.2020.10.1.025
Aina, L. O. (2004). Library and information science text for Africa. Ibadan: Third World Information Ser-vices Limited.
Aina, L. O., & Mutula, S. M. (2020). Library and infor-mation services in the developing world: Chal-lenges and opportunities. Routledge.
Akpan, U.U. & Udo, G., (2025). Broadcasting technology training and career development: Gaging coun-selling methods in Nigerian universities. Educa-tional Dimension [Online]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.55056/ed.880
Akpan, U. U. & Udo, E. (2024). Evaluating the taxono-mies of home video circulation, social impacts and gender preference by teachers for cultural development in Nigeria. https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=EhNmjmAAAAAJ&cita-tion_for_view=EhNmjmAAAAAJ:mVmsd5A6BfQC
Akpan U. & Udo, B. (2024). Social media augmentation of political activities and knowledge-gap of electorates: An appraisal of public opinion in se-lect states of Nigeria. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383786237_SOCIAL_MEDIA_AUGMENTATION_OF_POLITI-CAL_ACTIVITIES_AND_KNOWLEDGE-GAP_OF_ELECTORATES_AN_APPRAISAL_OF_PUBLIC_OPINION_IN_SELECT_STATES_OF_NIGERIA
Alarape, A. A., Omoba, F. A., Oghenegweke, P., & Pelemo, G. D. (n.d.). Assessment of the assistive tech-nology as leverage of revitalizing libraries in Southwestern Nigeria federal universities. Edulib Journal. Retrieved from https://ejournal.upi.edu/index.php/edulib/article/view/36672
Asubiaro, T. (2017). An assessment of the cyber presence of academic libraries in Nigeria. African Journal of Library, Archives and Information Science, 27(1). Retrieved from https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajlais/article/view/164659
Azobuogu, N., & Ezebuiro, I. N. (2019). Assessment of students and staff use of library resources and services in Imo State University, Owerri. The Information Technologist, 16(1). https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ict/article/view/188215
Borgman, C. L. (2015). Big data, little data, no data: Scholarship in the networked world. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
Folarin, B. (2005). Theories of mass communication: An introductory text. Ibadan: Stirling-Horden Pub-lishers.
Darko - Adjei, N., & King, L. (2024). Academic libraries readiness in the Fourth Industrial Revolution: A comparative study between Ghana and South Af-rica. Library Management, 45(8/9), 581–596.
Issa, A. O., Amusan, B., & Daura, U. D. (2012). Provision and use of ICTs in Nigerian university libraries: What drives the positive trend? International Journal of Library and Information Science, 4(7), 113–120. https://doi.org/10.5897/IJLIS11.045
Katz, E., Blumler, J. G., & Gurevitch, M. (1973). Uses and gratifications research. The Public Opinion Quarterly, 37(4), 509–523. https://doi.org/10.1086/268109
Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30(3), 607–610. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316447003000308
Kuhlthau, C. C. (2004). Seeking meaning: A process ap-proach to library and information services (2nd ed.). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
Littlejohn, S. W., & Foss, K. A. (2008). Theories of hu-man communication (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
Lwehabura, M. J. F. (2007). User education and infor-mation literacy: The role of academic libraries in promoting lifelong learning among students in Tanzania. Library Review, 56(5), 397–411. https://doi.org/10.1108/00242530710750524
Ndinoshiho, J. M. (2022). The incorporation of web tech-nologies by university libraries in the Southern African Development Community to implement user-centred services. Doctoral thesis, University of Cape Town. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/37639
McQuail, D. (2010). McQuail’s mass communication theory (6th ed.). London: Sage Publications.
Muszkiewicz, R. (2017). Library use and student perfor-mance in Sub-Saharan African universities: An overview. IFLA Journal, 43(1), 37–48. https://doi.org/10.1177/0340035216673383
Ocholla, D. N., & Shongwe, M. (2019). An overview of the library and information science field in Sub-Saharan Africa. Library Trends, 67(4), 585–604. https://doi.org/10.1353/lib.2019.0019
Odunlade, R., & Ojo, J. (2023). Digital transformation and service delivery in academic libraries: A post Covid-19 approach. Lokoja Journal of Infor-mation Science Research, 1(1), 41–60.
Oladokun, O. (2011). Assessment of the learning com-mons takeoff at the University of Botswana Li-brary. Innovation, 43. Retrieved from https://www.ajol.info/index.php/innovation/article/view/97042
Parker, S. (2021). Global vision report series: Academic libraries. International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). https://repository.ifla.org/handle/123456789/1912
Raju, J., & van Belle, J. P. (2021). Libraries in the fourth industrial revolution: Challenges and opportuni-ties for African libraries. University of Cape Town Press.
Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations (5th ed.). New York: Free Press.
Rubin, R. E. (2010). Foundations of library and infor-mation science (3rd ed.). New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers.
Shikali, J. C., & Muneja, P. S. (2024). Access to library information resources by university students during COVID-19 pandemic in Africa: A sys-tematic literature review. arXiv preprint arXiv:2404.08682. https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.08682
Salvatori, H. (2023). Advantages and disadvantages of online Surveys. https://www.cvent.com/en/blog/events/advantages-disadvantages-online-surveys
Sullivan, M. (2023). Do academic libraries contribute to students’ and communities’ wellbeing? A scoping review. Healthcare, 13(2), 179. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13020179
Taherdoost, H. (2016). Sampling methods in research methodology; How to choose a sampling tech-nique for research. International Journal of Aca-demic Research in Management, 5(2), 18-27. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3205035
Taylor, L. (2022). 2021 ACRL academic library trends and statistics survey: Highlights and key academic library instruction and group presentation find-ings. College & Research Libraries News, 83(3), 102–105. https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/article/view/25850/33784/1000
Tyler, D. C. (2021). Library value and student success: Perceptions of undergraduates at the University of Minnesota twin cities. University of Minne-sota Libraries. https://doi.org/10.24926/9781946135907
Yamane, T. (1967). Statistics: An Introductory Analysis (2nd ed.). New York: Harper and Row.
Corresponding Author Bio data
Akpan Udo Usiere is a lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication at Topfaoth University, Mkpatak, Nigeria. .
Nelson Akpan is a Doctoral candidate at GreenLand academy of Science and Technology, Nigeria
Margaret Peter Akwaowo is an assistant lecturer, Depart-ment of Mass Communication, Wellspring Uni-versity, Benin city, Nigeria
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Akpan Udo (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
.png)
