STUDENT’S ACCESSIBILITY AND UTILIZATION OF SERIALS AND

REFERENCE RESOURCES

(A CASE STUDY OF FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC ILARO)

BY

BADMUS OLAMIDE FARIDAH

N/LIS/18/4691

DEPARTMENT OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE, SCHOOL OF

COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, THE FEDERAL

POLYTECHNIC, ILARO

OGUN STATE.

DECEMBER, 2020.

i
 STUDENT’S ACCESSIBILITY AND UTILIZATION OF SERIALS AND

REFERENCE RESOURCES

(A CASE STUDY OF FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC ILARO)

BY

BADMUS OLAMIDE FARIDAH

N/LIS/18/4691

A PROJECT THE SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE

REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF NATIONAL DIPLOMA IN THE

DEPARTMENT OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE, SCHOOL OF

COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, THE FEDERAL

POLYTECHNIC ILARO, OGUN STATE.

DECEMBER, 2020.

ii
 CERTIFICATION

This is to certify that this study was carried out by Badmus Olamide Faridah with Matric

Number N/LIS/18/4691 in the department of Library and Information Science, School of

Communication and Information Technology, Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, Ogun State, Nigeria.

___________________________

Mrs. Obafunmiso C. K.

Supervisor’s Signature and Date

___________________________

Mr. Joda M. D.

Head of Department’s Signature and Date

iii
 DEDICATION

I humbly dedicate this work to Almighty Allah the most merciful who has given me the gift

of life, good health, protection, knowledge and above all wisdom to make this work a reality.

To my lovely parents Mr. & Mrs. Badmus for giving me both moral and financial support

throughout my stay in school.

iv
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

All thanks goes to Allah for his grace upon me. To my amazing project supervisor, Mrs.

Obafunmiso C. K. for educating me on the act of project writing and method of its

researchers and also to my amiable H.O.D, Dr. Joda M. D. for his fatherly care and great

effort stretched forth to me and to other lecturers in the department who have taught me in the

course of writing this project.

In the same way, I appreciate the effort of my wonder parents Mr. & Mrs. Badmus, my

brother; Badmus Fawaz and also my lovely sister; Badmus Rodiah much love I have for you

guys.

And to my colleagues, friends in the department, the likes of Olaifa Eniola, Olusanya Praise,

Odunlami Faruq, Adebesin Badia, Akinbuli Oluwadamilare, Azeez Toheeb and Aderounmu

Joshua, I really appreciate you guys for the great love shown to me during our stay in school.

May God bless and sustain them all in their pursuit or strive to attain their life goal.

v
 ABSTRACT

In the face of the eminence position of student’s accessibility and utilization of serials and
reference resources acquired in the library most especially academic libraries despite their
exceptional values as a reliable and dependent for researchers and the increasing cost of
their acquisition, serials have not been satisfactorily utilized by the undergraduate students
in polytechnic institutions. This study, therefore, was undertaken to find out student’s
accessibility and utilization of serials and reference resources in Federal Polytechnic Ilaro
and how this affects their academic performance. The population of the study consisted of 50
undergraduate students, with an ultimate high return rate. The findings of the study revealed
that undergraduate students acknowledged the existence of serials and reference resources.
However, the study identified problems that are against the effective use of serials and
reference resources which need to be tackled to ensure that patrons are satisfied. Hence, the
recommendations made consist of the provision of necessary infrastructural facilities that
will make the library conducive for the users. Similarly, the management should organize
information literacy skills seminar for the library users to help them to acquire skills on how
to search for and locate the information resources needed in the library.
 Keywords: Accessibility, Utilization, Information Access, Serials, Reference Resources,
Libraries

vi
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Tile Page i

Certification iii

Dedication iv

Acknowledgement v

Abstract vi

Table of Contents vii-ix

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1-11

1.0 Introduction 1

1.1 Background Information of the Study 1-7

1.2 Problem Statement 7

1. 3 Significance of Study 7

1. 4 Objectives of the Study 8

1. 5 Research Questions 8-9

1. 6 Scope of Study 9

1. 7 Historical Background of Federal Polytechnic Ilaro 9-10

1. 8 Operational Definition of Terms 11

vii
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 12-30

2.1. Introduction 12

2.2 Concept of Library 12-14

2.3 Academic Library 14-16

2.4 Serials 16-18

2.5 Acquisitions and Organization of Serials 18-20

2.6 Characteristics of Serials 20-21

2.7 Impact of Information Communication Technology on Serials 21-23

2.7.1 Access to Serials 23-25

2.7.2 Studies on Management of Serials 25-29

2.8 Challenges Facing Serials 29-30

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY 31-32

3.1 Introduction 31

3.2 Research Design/Technique 31

3.3 Population/ Scope of the Study 31

3.4 Research Instruments 32

3.5 Data Collection Procedure 32

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS 33-49

4.0 Research and Discussion 33

4.1 Presentation of Results 33-47

viii
4.2 Discussion of Findings 47

4.3 Interpretation of Result 47-49

CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 50

5.1 Conclusion 50

5.2 Recommendations 50

References 51-56

Appendix 57-59

ix
 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background Information to the Study

The importance of serial resources in libraries cannot be overemphasized, especially in

academic libraries; they contain the latest information on research findings which are of great

importance to any academic community. The importance of serial resources has been

universally found to be very vital, they are known to keep researchers up-to-date on current

information and development trend in various professions and most often than not,

information in journals, magazines, and even newspaper never find their way into books.

Journals and other serial resources provide a continuous discussion forum and reporting

service in specific topics and lines of interest of particular user, thus enabling researchers to

keep abreast with all shades of opinion in their subject area instead of having to wait for a

very long time before these pieces of information appear in book format.

Serials are published at different intervals, that is, daily, weekly, monthly, bi-monthly,

quarterly, bi-annually, and annually by an academic or research institution, a learned society,

reputable publishing organization or professional body. Some serials are published on subject

bases while some are on general topic. It is the serialization that distinguishes serials from

books and monographs, and it is the period that dictates format and price.

Serial resources are of great importance because they carry latest, current and up-to-date

information. For the latest and up-to-date opinions and development within the various

subject disciplines, one would do well to look in the appropriate journals. As explained by

(Elaturoti, Fagbeja, Kolade and Oniyide, 2016) serials constitute an important part of the

library collection because the information contained in them is more current than those in

published books. (Fayose, 2015) affirmed that, periodicals are useful because they are the
1
most up-to-date resources in the library and that the articles in periodicals are often written by

experts in the field, therefore, they are reliable and the articles are precise and not as

cumbersome to read as textbooks. Where recency of information is of prime consideration,

the serials have a distinct advantage over the book (Adubika, 2019).

According to (Anunobi et al., 2016) access to serial resources in academic institutions is

primarily through the university library. Library is regarded as a storehouse of information

where serials are stocked for research activities. The university library is established with the

mandate to support research, teaching, learning and extension services. The university library

acquires, processes and make available library materials including serials to accomplish its

role of providing information to the university community. The job of the librarian, according

to (Loho, 2015), is to interact with the users to find out what they need or want to know, and

to provide clients with the relevant information needed. He further emphasized that for

effective use of the library and its materials, users can be alerted of the information available

in the library by operating a number of current awareness services.

(Agbaje, 2015) reported that anything that belongs to, forms part, or consists of a series

qualifies to be called a serial. (Nwalo, 2015), Onatola (2014) and Aina (2014) stated that

kinds of serials include journals, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, accessions, reports,

memoirs, proceedings and transactions of societies and other periodicals like abstracts and

indexes. Serials are often thought of as a distinct format. They are in print, non-print or

electronic format. A serial is, therefore, regarded as a material that is in a tangible format, that

is, recorded on paper, microform, magnetic media or optical disk and retrievable. (Giwa,

2014) states that serials publication, including journal and other periodicals constitutes the

most important class of materials found in an academic library, because they contain the most

up-to-date information.

2
(Adeoya, 2014) opined that journals should serve as fountain of knowledge, sources of vital

information, and they should be highly intellectual. He further stated that journals are meant

to fill a specific gap in communication. Newspapers and magazines treat news items with

some sense of urgency, but journals later analyze the issues critically to the implication for

specific industries. Specialized journals are research – based depending on its areas of focus.

(Komorous, 2015) in his analysis of importance of newspaper and magazines, sees them as

sources of information recognized worldwide. In his words “The value of newspaper

(magazine inclusive) as a source of information on the history of a nation has been

recognized in both national and international level,” (pp.24).

(Aina, 2001) confirmed that journal is the principal medium for reporting research findings

because of the wide publicity it gives to the author. (Nwalo, 2015) averred that much of the

information in journals are products of research and may never appear again in any other

form. This shows the great importance attached to serial publications by libraries and

researchers. Serials can be regarded as the nerve-centre of any university library because they

contain the most up-to-date information on research and knowledge. (Agbaje, 2015) also

affirmed that serials constitute one of the most, if not the most important information

resources of the information age. (Alemna, Chifwepa and Rosenberg, 2016) found that

African – published journals are valued most of all for their research potential. In particular,

they are used to assist in ongoing research to identify possible topics of future research and to

publish the results of completed research. Apart from the confirmation that scholarly journal

is the principal medium for reporting research findings and used to assist in ongoing research

to identify possible topics for future research, there are other types of serials such as

magazines, newspapers, memoirs, indexes abstracts, reviews, news bulletins, proceeding and

reports that carry first hand reports of scholarly research and theoretical discussions.

3
The importance of serial resources in academic research environment lies in the fact that they

are conveyors of current ideas investigated by scientific community. Serials are also noted to

be the source of information in some areas especially where library is lacking books on new

subject or obscene area. Serials also help to strengthen the library’s cultural reading

collection and perform educational services, thereby, making students take cognizance of the

development in their chosen field. It is in this light that this study attempts to investigate the

use of serial resources in selected academic libraries in Ogun state, south west, Nigeria.

Information resources and services available in institutional information systems must be

capable of supporting research activities among the students and faculty members (Popoola,

2018). (Iyoro, 2014) in his study identified accessibility as one of the pre-requisites of

information use. (Ugah, 2017) opined that the more accessible information sources are, the

more likely they are to be used and readers tend to use information sources that require the

least effort to access. (Ugah, 2017) quoted (Osundina, 2014), who studied the relationship

between accessibility and library use by undergraduates in Nigeria and noted that the problem

of Nigerian students is not the question of wanting to use the library, but whether or not the

university library can provide for their needs, and whether there is access to what is provided.

This assertion was agreed to in later studies by (Iyoro, 2014) and (Popoola, 2008). In separate

studies, Seth and Parida (2019), Ukaegbu (20010), Nnadozie and Nnadozie (2016) cautioned

that availability of information resources and services does not automatically translate to

information accessibility and use. Ukaegbu (2008) explained further in his study that the

problems of transmission, storage, and display of information have been combined with the

problem of getting information to users quickly. Aina (2001) writes on access to scientific

and technological information in Nigeria, revealing that of the 7,014 scientific papers

published between 1900 and 1975, 5,607 (79%) are journal articles and1, 116 or (20%) of

these journal articles were not indexed or abstracted, making them inaccessible. Further

4
analysis shows that 77% of the papers not covered by any indexing or abstracting services

were published in Nigeria. He recommends the establishment of a National Science

Information Centre to acquire, organize, and disseminate scientific information sources in

Nigeria and other places. (Farrington, 2017) identifies natural and artificial barriers to free

access to information. The library's poor reputation was attributed to lack of accessibility of

information sources. (Iyoro, 2014) examines the impact of serial publications in the

promotion of educational excellence among information professionals receiving further

training at the University of Ibadan. The study looks at the perception of how serials

accessibility has contributed to students' learning process. Serials were found to play a

significant role in the acquisition of knowledge, because the serial collection was easily and

conveniently accessible. In a similar study by Sanguwusi (2016) at Yaba College of

Technology, Lagos, low use of the library by students was observed. This was attributed to

expressed accessibility problems. (Perault, 2014) has identifies accessibility as one of the

prerequisites of information use while (Lombardo and Condic, 2019) argues that the action of

information seeking depends on the needs, the perceived accessibility, sources, and

information seeking habits. Although online searching and electronic bibliographic databases

are now available in almost every field which confirms that as information expands, the

ability of the user to process and /or access it remains fixed (Seth and Parida, 2015). It is on

this note that (Adhikari, 2016) reveal that efforts are being made worldwide to promote

access to information in all formats. They lament the attendant features of underdevelopment

such as power failure, machine breakdowns, and lack of spare parts and technicians, which

intermittently stall the performance of the modern gadgets of information storage and transfer

in developing countries.

Serial is a publication in print, non-print or electronic format issued in successive parts and

intended to be continued regularly or irregularly. Serials are of various kinds and include

5
journals, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, accessions, reports, proceedings and

transactions of societies and other periodicals like abstracts and indexes. Serials are of great

value because they carry latest, current, up-to-date and valuable information. Serials

constitute a major part of all university libraries’ collections. The goal of library services is

generating, collecting, synthesizing and disseminating up-to-date, accurate, unbiased and

relevant information available in serials, books and non-book formats which can be stored

and retrieved whenever needed. Therefore, it is the duty of the university libraries and

librarians to provide serials and services for students and other users for research activities.

Polytechnics are involved in teaching, research and publication. One of the preoccupations of

any university is dissemination of information to it students. The success of every library’s

programme, therefore, could be easily measured in terms of its efforts in acquiring and

managing relevant, current and adequate serials. The elements of serials management are

serials acquisition which involves selection, deselection and subscription; organization which

involves processing and display on racks for users; and maintenance which involves

updating, filling the gap, preservation, and binding of back issues and repair of damaged

ones. Others are provision of facilities like finding aids, reading areas equipped with tables,

chairs and air conditioners as well as provision of services such as current awareness

services. The World Bank (2015) observed that Nigerian polytechnics are still struggling to

provide basic facilities, funding and adequate information that could enable the lecturers

create and apply new knowledge, innovations and develop analytical perspectives on

development problems and also provide service to the public and private sectors. The

consequences of insufficient funding in polytechnics are reflected in poorly-remunerated

staff, crumbling academic facilities, poorly-equipped laboratories, and outdated libraries and

inadequate of serials and low research output (Andrew, Bankole and Olatunde, 2016). This

portends a grave danger for academics, the development of the individual and the

6
community. It is against this backdrop that this study investigated the influence of serials

management, access and use on publication output of lecturers in federal polytechnics in

Nigeria.

Serials are important sources of current information. Nowadays all academic libraries are

creating and maintaining a serials collection within their budget and space. The ALA

Glossary of Library and Information Science defines the Serial as “a publication issued in

successive parts, usually at regular intervals, and, as a rule, intended to be continued

indefinitely.

1. 2 Problem Statement

Serial is the backbone of every academic library because of its indispensable nature as careers

of current information on research findings in all field of human endevours. Therefore such

as books are acquired organized, stored and display that users will make effective use of it.

The study aims at tackling the problems users encounter in serials utilization. Some people

who engage in research work do not gather enough information for their research, due to the

fact that they do not consult the necessary materials that contain such information. Inability to

utilize the needed serials have implications on their research. In the first place, it would affect

the recency of their work since they may not use current journals. Secondly, it would lead to

duplication of research since they are ignorant of what has been studied or researched. It is

against this background that this study is carried out to discover those problems that

negatively affect serials utilization

1. 3 Significance of Study

This study is aimed at fulfilling the requirement for the award of National Diploma in Library

and Information Science. It is also intended to provide useful information for anybody

carrying out research on this area of study.

7
1. 4 Objectives of the Study

The main aim of this study is to find out students accessibility and utilization of

serials/reference resources.

The specific objectives of this study are:

1. The availability and type of serials/reference resources in the library

2. The organization of serials/reference resources in the library

3. The utilization of serials/reference resources by the students of te polytechnic.

4. The currency and relevancies of serials/reference resources to learning and research needs

of the students.

5. The constraints to serials/reference resources utilization in the library

6. Identify the problems affecting use of serials

1. 5 Research Questions

1. What are the type of serials/reference resources available in the Library?

2. What are the purposes of using serials/reference resources by the students?

3. What is the level of satisfaction with the organization of serials/reference resources in the

library

4. What is the frequency of serials/reference resources utilization in the library?

5. What type of serials/reference resources used more frequently?

8
6. What are the attitude of library staff toward users when consulting serials/reference

resources?

7. What is the degree of relevance of serials/reference resources to research and learning?

8. What are the levels of serials accessibility and utilization to students in the library?

9. What are constraints to the effective accessibility and utilization of serials/reference

resources by the students?

1. 6 Scope of Study

The focus of this research work is to primarily study the student accessibility and utilization

of serials/reference resources in Federal Polytechnic Ilaro. The major emphasis is on

identifying the funding problem associated with medical libraries.

1. 7 Historical Background of Federal Polytechnic Ilaro

The Federal Polytechnic Ilaro was established by Decree No 33. Of July 25, 1979. It was

opened to students on November 15, 1979 on a temporary site provided by its host

community, the ancient town of Ilaro, Ogun State. The first site of the polytechnic was the

premises of the Anglican Grammar School, Ilaro about half a kilometer from the Ilaro

township junction. The polytechnic was on its temporary site till 1983 when it moved to its

permanent site along Ilaro/Oja-odan road, about three kilometres from Ilaro Township. It is

also about 60kilometres from Idiroko, a Nigeria border town with Benin Republic. Ilaro town

itself is an ancient town, land locked between Lagos and Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State.

The Polytechnic occupies a total of 898.116 hectares land area on its permanent site.

Access to Ilaro and indeed the polytechnic can be gained from Abeokuta through Abeokuta-

Lagos Road via Papalanto (22km) or through Abeokuta-Owode road, from Lagos through

9
Sango-Ota-Idiroko Road via Owode (15km) and from Sagamu-Obele Road, Via Papalanto.

The location of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro makes for easy access of road traffic. The

master plan of the Polytechnic depicts two distinct campuses of the institution i.e. east and

west campuses. The East campus has infrastructure in the form of staff quarters, student

hostels, sports facilities, the main library, Directorate of Student Affairs, Medical Centre,

Polyconsult and Industrial Services, Post Office, Works and Services Department, Petrol

Station, Staff School (Nursery/Primary and Secondary), Physical and Academic Planning

Unit, student’s computer Centre, School of Applied Science, School of Management Studies,

Ilaro Polytechnic Microfinance Bank Ltd, United Bank for Africa Plc, and Polaris Bank. The

West Campus too has the school of Engineering and Environmental Studies, the main

Administration Building and Annexes, recording and Data Control Unit, Information and

Communication Technology (ICT) centre, Central Examination Building, main Library,

Multipurpose Hall, Public Toilets, Staff Quarters, Guest House and a dam and waterworks.

This campus also host the Mass Communication Studio Building, two 250 seaters

Auditorium, the Entrepreneurship Development Centre, and a 500-seater Auditorium. Both

Campuses are linked internally with motorable tarred roads provided with street lights and

sidewalks for pedestrians. Buildings are connected by pedestrian’s walkways and well-

grassed lawn with beautiful landscaping Car parks are provided in strategic areas with the

Campuses. The area currently occupied physically by the Polytechnic is a small proportion of

the entire land area it has; thus, there is room for expansion.

The institution has a Master plan prepared at its inception and it has guided the development

of the Institution, especially in her early years of establishment. In view of the downturn in

the economy of the nation, the Master plan has since been reviewed to reflect the current state

of finding and essential needs. Consequently, development of the Institution is now being

guided by the revised plan.

10
1. 8 Operational Definition of Terms

 Accessibility: the quality of being able to be reached or entered.

 Utilization: The action of making practical and effective use of something.

 Information Access: Information access is the freedom or ability to identify, obtain and

make use of database or information effectively. There are various research efforts in

information access for which the objective is to simplify and make it more effective for

human users to access and further process large and unwieldy amounts of data and

information.

 Serials: Are print or non-print publications issued in parts, usually bearing issue numbers,

issue dates, or both. A serial is expected to continue indefinitely. Serials include

magazines, newsletters, newspapers, annuals (such as reports, yearbooks, and directories),

journals, memoirs, proceedings, transactions of societies and numbered series.

 Reference Resources: Such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, atlases, etc. are

research tools that can help you with your paper or project. Reference sources provide

answers to specific questions, such as brief facts, statistics, and technical instructions;

provide background information; or direct you to additional information sources.

 Libraries: A library is a curate collection of sources of information and similar resources,

selected by experts and made accessible to a defined community for reference or

borrowing, often in a quiet environment conducive to study.

11
 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2. 1 Introduction

This chapter presents the literature review on the study, under the following sub-headings:

2.2 Concept of Library

2.3 Academic Library

2.4 Serials

2.5 Acquisitions and Organization of Serials

2.6 Characteristics of Serials

2.7 Impact of Information Communication Technology on Serials

2.7.1 Access to Serials

2.7.2 Studies on Management of Serials

2.8 Challenges Facing Serials

2.2 Concept of Library

The library is not a book or a room containing books. It is neither a beautiful building nor a

reading room. Instead, the library is a trinity of information sources, with conducive

accommodation and library users. Essentially, (Nutsukpui and Owusu-Ansah, 2017) states

that the library contained materials that are systematically organized, which can meet the

information needs of both the present and prospective users. Academic libraries acquire,

organize, store, retrieve and disseminate information contained in serials for researchers,

12
educators, students and other interested persons in their various disciplines. To further

mention the significance of the academic library in a tertiary institution, (Badaru, 2015) states

that the academic library is the heartbeat of any academic institution. He went further to state

that the health and effectiveness of any academic institution depends on the state of health of

the library in that academic institution. On this note, the success of every library’s program

could be easily measured in terms of its effort in acquiring and managing relevant serials. If

the institution fails to provide immediate information needs to the library users, that means

the academic library is considered to be inert and ineffective, which results in an apathetic

and moribund academic institution. Automatically, this will lower the standard of excellence

the academic library is expected to serve the patrons/undergraduate students (Badaru, 2015).

The significance of serials collections cannot be overemphasized in the library's operations

particularly in academic environment and University libraries, because it provides the users

with the most current and vital information that can support them in their academic quest.

Generally, serials make interesting reading whether for leisure, educational or research

purpose. Serials come in various kinds. These include newspapers, magazines, newsletters,

accessions, journals, indexes, abstracts, reports, memos, proceedings and transactions of

societies. Important though they are, lack of adequate funds coupled with high subscription

rates, and the digital transformation of the scholarly communication process have immensely

affected the development of print serials collections in academic libraries globally (Calhoun,

2014 & Akinbode, 2019). Lawal (2014) maintains that serials collections are very essential to

undergraduate students because it provides a collection of documents that reports current

scientific and technological research findings, as well as social, historical and economic

reports. Serials and undergraduate students are two autonomous entities that complement

each other. Serials provide current information that fills new information gaps discovered by

students and students consult serials for current information. As noted by Badaru (2015) the

13
academic library, the internet and other institutions that provide serials come in as

intermediaries between the source (serials) and the receiver (undergraduate students).

Patrons, therefore, consult these intermediaries for access to serials. For the undergraduate

students, the academic library and the internet are major intermediaries. Aghauche (2007)

urges that the availability of information resources in the academic library does not mean its

accessibility and utilization. Therefore it is possible that an information source may be

available in the library but cannot be accessed by the undergraduate students. This is

pertinent to serials. Most undergraduate students, especially those who are novice in research

work do not know how to access the needed serials; thereby neglecting their usage. Serials

collection therefore either in print or online form, is worthy of unwavering attention in its use

and overall management. Undergraduate students are under pressure most times to perform

excellently well through research work or reports. Serials with its ability to meet up with

immediate needs may as well be their last resort.

It is a basic fact that serials play a crucial function in research and educational activities,

however, accept it’s been utilized satisfactorily. Hence, the academic library as a citadel for

information retrieval has the main objectives of providing the academic community which

includes the students, staff, researchers and the host community at large with current

information in their chosen fields of studies. The academic library can in this way, be viewed

as the most important section to be reckoned with when it comes to having up-to-date and

relevant information in an institution.

2.3 Academic Library

A library is defined as a collection of resources in a variety of formats that is organized by

information professionals or other experts who provide convenient physical, digital,

bibliographic, or intellectual access and offer targeted services and programs with the mission

14
of educating, informing, or entertaining a variety of audience and the goal of stimulating

individual learning and advancing society as a whole (George, 2016). The library is also

defined by American Heritage Dictionary (2019) as a place in which reading materials, such

as books, periodicals, and newspapers, and often other materials such as music and video

recordings are kept for use or lending. Thus, an academic library is a library that is attached

to a higher education institution that serves two complementary purposes to support the

school's curriculum and to support the research of the staff and undergraduate students

(Thanuskodi, 2015). Academic libraries are vital parts of a polytechnic or other institution of

postsecondary education as stated by Angeline and Rani (2019) who work together with other

members of their institutional communities to participate in, support, and achieve the

educational mission of their institutions. i.e. Parent institution. However, having the

University as its parent institution means that the academic library should perform its

function by teaching the core competencies of information literacy-the abilities involved in

identifying an information need, accessing needed information, evaluating, managing, and

applying information, and understanding the legal, social, and ethical aspects of information

use. Hence, it is pertinent to observe that the academic library is a fundamental part of the

educational institution, particularly at the postsecondary education level. As captured by

(Adubika, 2007) describes an academic library as the heart and aorta of any academic

institution. The health, intellectual vitality and the effectiveness of any educational institution

depend on the state of health and excellence of its library, which is its heartbeat. He stated

further that without a good functioning library, an educational institution can be considered

dead in terms of knowledge generation, acquisition, and dissemination. Unsurprisingly hence,

that the library is a foremost requirement in the setting up of tertiary institutions worldwide.

Academic and research libraries acquire, organize, store, retrieve and disseminate

15
information contained in serials for researchers, educators, students and other interested

persons in their various disciplines (Blackwell, 2014).

2.4 Serials

A serials section is a service division that stands on its own and as the name implies housed

the serials collection of the academic library. The Anglo-American cataloguing Rules

(AACR) of 1988 revised in (Nisonger, 2008) on its part defines serials as a publication in any

medium issued in successive parts bearing numeric or chronological designations and

intended to be continued indefinitely. In the words of (Nutsukpui and Owusu-Ansah, 2017)

there are many kinds of serials. These include newspapers, magazines, newsletters,

accessions, journals, indexes, abstracts, reports, proceedings, and transactions of societies and

so on. Serials are a publication in any medium issued in successive parts bearing numerical or

chronological designations and intended to be continued indefinitely. They mentioned further

that serials are sources of current information and have several other contributions to make to

education. Serials can be regarded as the backbone of any University library because they

contain the most up-to-date information on research and knowledge. Nutsukpui and Owusu-

Ansah (2017) substantiates that the role of serials publications in scholarly communication

has been well documented and serials will continue to make a unique impact on the academic

society as it entails the current and vital information on different choice of studies. It is

therefore expected of the academic library to make available up-to-date journal titles in all the

disciplines offered by its parent institution and also, staff, students and researchers are

expected to utilize the serials section of the Library most especially for them to access current

information in their chosen fields of discipline. However serials publications appear at

varying intervals depending on the duration of time before the new issue released. According

16
to (Badaru, 2015) the major intervals for serials include semiweekly - a periodical that is

published twice each week (or 104 issues per year), weekly - a periodical that is published

every week (or 52 issues per year), semimonthly - a periodical that is published twice each

month (or 24 issues per year), monthly - a periodical that is published every month (or 12

issues per year), quarterly - a periodical that is published every quarter (or four issues per

year), bimonthly - a periodical that is published twice a month or every two months (either 24

or 6 issues per year) and biweekly - a periodical that is published twice a week or every two

weeks (either 104 or 26 issues per year).

A Short History of Serials A short history of serials shows that the printing of fascicles; the

production of large works in installments to reduce cost, by ancient publishers was one of the

earliest marks for serials production, (Wikipedia, 2015). (Badaru, 2015) cited Osborn 1980

that writings on the tombs of Egyptian kings from 2750 to 2625 B.C. may be the earliest

serials publications in history. In his account, Osborn told of a decree by Julius Caesar

ordered that the proceedings of the Roman Senate be printed. The development of inventions

year by year promoted the production of serials publications. Major ones include the

invention of movable tiles by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century; microform technology

invented by John Benjamin Dancer in 1839 was also a major development. In recent years,

other inventions especially the computer and the internet is a push to the development of

serials. (Veaner, 2015) as cited by (Akinbode, 2019), machine-driven typesetting

development remarkably increased the development of serials publications. Serials

publications represent a most important reference source not only because of their sizes but

also because they present other numerous values, which the book medium fails to offer.

Perhaps their greatest value lies in the fact that they provide the newest and most nearly up-

todate information as explained by (Elaturoti, Fagbeja, Kolade, and Oniyide, 2016). Serials

constitute an important part of the library collection because the information contained in

17
them is more current than those in published books. (Atanda, 2016) also emphasized that

journals are the most current vehicles of new ideas, knowledge, and breakthrough in

scientific development. The level of utilization of journals in polytechnics differs despite the

huge investments in journal subscriptions. Therefore, researchers will find serials a valuable

asset to their research process and ultimately their findings not only because of the current

information provided but also the distinctive importance of it.

2.5 Acquisitions and Organization of Serials

Acquisitions and organization of serials and other continuing resources are for the benefit of

users and they should know this. Rusbridger (2015) observed that the use of serials is the

fundamental rationale behind all the effort in the serials department and in the absence of

usage the unit should be shutdown. Also Faluwoye (1995) emphasized the fact that only if

use is intensive and takes place under optimal condition can all efforts and funds be justified

that are spent on the acquisition and organization of serials. Chiou-sen (1995) said that the

advancement of science depends to a large extent on the accumulation of past findings, and

every scientist builds on the knowledge of scientists. This has to do with use. In fact; there

are hundreds of millions of print serials, Web pages, bibliographical databases, and full-text

databases available on the Internet (Prasher, 2016). The use of these resources is the ultimate

objective of the acquisition and processing of serials in a library (Faluwoye, 1995). Elliot

(2016) highlight that the of use of serials and other continuing resources for information by

research scholars and students informed management decision to lay greater emphasis on

their acquisitions and organization in the university’s collection development policy. The

authors found that scholars use serials on the internet for research and communication

purposes, and conclude that more awareness about electronic resources and training in their

use should be provided by library professionals. Biradar, (2016) conducted a study on serials

use at Kuvempur University. The results indicated that 42 percent of students use the serials

18
publications often than before because of their electronic format. The majority of students

and faculty use serials and continuing resources for study and teaching. They use the physical

serials in the library, as well as access the electronic version through remote access, nay the

Internet. Farrington (2017) conducted a study on the use of serials resources by post graduate

students for new discoveries and thesis writing at that level. The study revealed that use of

serials publication is quite the norm, the difficulties encountered were lack of time;

dissatisfaction with the software available, copyright issues and power failure. Recent studies

on use of print and electronic resources in the professional literature are quite revealing.

Tenopir (2016) in an exhaustive review of the literature on the subject analyzed the results of

over 200 studies of the use of print and electronic resources in libraries published between

1995 and 2016. The main conclusion of this review is that print and electronic resources have

been rapidly adopted in academic spheres, though users favour electronic resources to print

format. Two reviews of the literature reveal past serials use by faculty and post graduate

students for research (King & Tenopir, 2015) and how that use is increasing through

evolutionary phases such as acquisitions of non-print format (Kling & Callahan, 2016). A

growing body of research indicates how professionals with subject expertise use and interact

with journal literature (Pullinger & Baldwin, 2015). Reports of use patterns consistently find

that scientists in all work fields use and value peer reviewed journal articles, but there are

considerable differences in the amount that they use print sources (Tenopir& King, 2015;

Kling & McKim, 2014). Physicists, for example, have always relied on preprints and now

make heavy use of serials and continuing resources e-print services. Engineers read fewer

scholarly materials per year on average than scientists, but spend more time reading each

article they deem relevant (Tenopir & King, 2016). Medical faculty with PhD degrees

recommends mostly serials publications in their reading list, than thereby enhancing the use

of serials (Tenopir, King, & Bush, 2016). Scientists who work in academia generally read and

19
use serials more than those in corporations or government laboratories (Tenopir & King,

2015). All non-medical university scientists report fewer personal book subscriptions and rely

more on serials subscriptions paid for by the university library (King et al., 2016). Some

highly collaborative fields (notable high energy physics) use journal alternatives (such as e-

print servers) heavily, while others continue to use more traditional journals in print form.

Electronic articles in many forms are used by scientists although print is still quite popular.

Even with electronic versions, a majority of readings are printed out for reading. It may be

the nature of the way research is conducted in a specific scientific work field that results in

higher reliance on serials and continuing resources or it may be it easy availability. Faluwoye

(1995) opined that use by the reader is the ultimate objective of the acquisition and

organization of serials in a library. He emphasized the fact that only if use is intensive and

takes place under optimal conditions can all the efforts and funds are spent on the acquisition

of serials be justified.

2.6 Characteristics of Serials

Accordingly, serials are among the diverse information materials that are available in any

library. It is needed especially by staff and undergraduate students to support accumulating

current literature reviews and findings. (Madu and Adeniran, 2015) gave characteristics of

serials which are: different publisher’s name; the content of each issue is different; the

publication interval varies. Some are bi-annual, monthly, quarterly, fortnightly, weekly, daily

and annually; no planned end to the sequence; they are current and up-to-date; they are more

expensive than books; some are been subscribed to depending on the interval it takes another

issue to be published, unlike textbooks. This gives rise to the financial burden of serials

subscription, because unlike textbooks which when bought can last a long period; serials have

to be acquired at a shorter period, as short as daily. Serials now appear in e-formats due to the

advent of the internet and computers. Serials types such as journals, newspapers and so on

20
can be accessed online either free or paid for, this further helps to reduce the burden of

having to subscribe for certain serials as they can easily be stored and retrieved when needed.

Serials are collections having a special place in the academic library of any University and

are catalogued and classified separately from book materials in most libraries.

2.7 Impact of Information Communication Technology on Serials

Presently, as noted by Uriel (2016) the wave of innovations ushered in by the emergence of

Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the scene of library services has added a

new dimension to library information resources. The technology has added a digital touch to

library services such that serials services of the library can be executed digitally using

electronic means According to (Igbeka, Adebisi and Uwaifo, 2016) a major way ICT has

influenced the use of library services and inevitably serials services is the use of Online

Public Access Catalogue (OPAC). OPAC is a computer form of library catalogue that can be

used for the catalogue of serials. OPAC also allows patrons to view catalogues of other

libraries that are in cooperation with the library. According to (Afolabi, Abidoye and Afolabi,

2015) in their study of the impact of ICT on library services noted that OPAC is a great relief

to undergraduate students/patrons in the sense that different patrons can access the same

catalogue at the same time using different terminals which are impossible using the card

catalogue. Also, OPAC allows for the use of additional access points for searching for

publications such as ISSN numbers with a combination of author and title. Another influence

is the access to electronic resources such as open access journals; according to (Suber, 2016),

open access journals are available online to readers without financial, technical or legal

barriers. Others are online newspapers, online magazines, etc. Interlibrary loan services are

made easier as serials can be sent through e-mails and courier services within the shortest

time (Afolabi, Abidoye and Afolabi, 2015).

21
(Owolabi, Okore, Ibrahim, and Owunize, 2019) states that 77.5% of Nigerian scientists rated

serials as "important" or "very important" sources of getting current information in

conducting researches. On the other hand, (Azubigu and Madu, 2019) cited by (Omotayo,

2016) observed that library users at Imo State University resorted to the use of the internet to

search for information because the University library lacks funds to subscribe to scholarly

and research journals.

(Owolabi, Aderibigbe, Okorie, and Ibrahim, 2015) carried out a study that examines the

availability and use of serials collections by undergraduate students in Nigerian polytechnics.

The findings revealed that all serials units used for the study have journals, newspapers,

magazines, CD-ROM databases, and online journals and the major reason for using the

serials is basically for research purposes.

(Olanlokun and Salisu, 2015) maintained that undergraduate students need the serials

collections because it provides the latest information on various subjects and not only that it

also serves as an immediate avenue for the provision of up to date bibliographic data on given

specialized area of knowledge.

(Ogbon Yomi, 2018) pen down on the significant of serials collections to undergraduate

students, those serials collections are one of the major media through which research findings

are published for the use of other researchers in their studies. He went further to say that

journals help in communicating research findings to immediate and the outside world.

(Owolabi, 2015) states that the National University Commission (NUC) in allocating library

vote gave 60% of the library allocation to serials collections while 40% was given to

purchase books. Salaam (2014) gave reasons why University libraries spent more on serials

collections than books because serials provide up-to-date information and at the same time it

has a low subscription cost.

22
(Tedd, Ellis and Urquhart, 2016) report that journals with a practical bias appeared to be

more patronized by students of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth in their dissertations

than more research-oriented journals with high impact factors. (Bhat and Mudhol, 2014)

found that the majority (80%) of faculty members of an engineering college in India make

use of print periodicals in their teaching and for obtaining new knowledge in their field of

expertise. Other users, however, use non-academic print serials for dual purposes of

recreation and gaining new knowledge (Onuoha, Ikonne & Madukoma, 2015). It is, therefore,

important for serials librarians to consider the diverse uses of serials and make provision for

diverse user interests in their collection development. While the use of serials by academics

and researchers in developed countries is well-recognized, their use and acceptance by

polytechnics in developing countries are still mixed (Ahmed, 2019).

(Ogunniyi, Efosa, and Sheji, 2015) ascertain that the majority of the NCE students in

Adeyemi College of Education in Ondo State use serials resources for research and

assignment purposes. Ajala (2007) opines that serials are of little use than monographs to

both undergraduate and undergraduate. A study by Hammed and Osunrinade (2016) revealed

that only 48 (9.8%) of the students who responded used journal regularly, 227 (46.5%) used

journal occasionally while 213 (43.7%) never used journal. Okeke, Oghentga, and Nwabu

(2015) reported that students in most of the tertiary institutions in Nigeria do not make proper

use of serials publications.

2.7.1 Access to Serials

Many studies were conducted on bibliographic control of serials, cataloguing and various

access options. As in other areas, electronic serials were also having an impact on serials

cataloguing and cataloguing workflow. Some have treated electronic serials as a different

item by providing title lists not catalogues. CONSER is an important initiative in serials

23
cataloguing. It is the Cooperative Serials Program of the Program for Cooperative

Cataloguing (PCC) of Library of Congress, and an authoritative source for bibliographic

records, documentation, and training materials for serials cataloguing.

(Bevis and Graham, 2015) reported the efforts done at a small university library at Alabama

to manage and provide access to its electronic journal collections using traditional

cataloguing methods. (Molto, 2016) developed a means for identifying significant subject and

function changes in serials with title changes and also recommended ways to recognize new

serial works in cataloguing. She recommended modifying the Resource Description and

Access (RDA) rules for major changes in the title proper of a serial. (Terrill, 2019) provided

an outline for evaluating serials displays in the online catalogue based on his experience of a

project at a university library. According to him, the evaluation should be based on user

needs.

(Stubley, 2015) in his study provided an overview of the method used for serials display at

Sheffield University. According to him, the main points that matters are the observation of

serial use, a desire to encourage use, discrete location and ease of use by both staff and users.

He opined that no display system for serials seemed to be perfect because of the

disadvantages related to labelling, arrangement of current serials and loan policy. (Leathem,

2015) outlined cataloguing treatment options for online serials. (Saratchandra Kumar, 2015)

discussed the objectives of periodicals display and presented the merits of each type of

display methods.

(Brandsma, 2016) studied the journal access program launched in the University of North

Carolona, known as Journal Finder Service. The service allowed the users comprehensive

serial access, both print and electronic, whether owned by the library or not, through a single

interface. Journal Finder helped in; finding statistics related to access points, renewing

24
subscriptions, photocopying service, interlibrary loan, PPV and in all matters of serials

collection management.

(Pichuraman and Gopalakrishnan, 2019) studied the Quick Glance Service introduced at the

Madras Institute of Technology Library and found to be an effective tool. The service

included circulating new periodicals among teaching staff on receipt.

(O‟Hara, 2016) conducted a survey of 145 academic libraries to know how they are making

their electronic serials accessible. The survey suggested that libraries are generally relying on

online catalogue, link resolvers and meta search engines. Link resolvers help by enabling

users to link from a citation in a database to options that the library has to offer for accessing

that content. Meta search engines help a user to search multiple databases simultaneously.

(Tobia, 2015) discussed a survey conducted on e-journal collection at University of Texas

and said that there exists a need for a phase change from print to electronic. She stressed the

need for web based OPAC and the library web sites participation in e-journal access.

2.7.2 Studies on Management of Serials

Serials require continuous management process. The management functions cover all aspects

of serials like, publisher price, bibliographic details, design etc. When a print journal goes

electronic, it presents additional possibilities which are expensive and not easy to control.

New journals are emerging every time. It again poses questions before the scholarly

community. The changes in collection formats have also changed the serial workflows and

processes. Libraries nowadays became more user –centred.

The change or shift from print to online is mainly due to the decreased budget in libraries and

in response to the rapid technological innovations. The literature review showed that the

problems faced by the serial managers and the steps to their solutions are of much concern at

present. Henderson and (Bosch, 2019) pointed out that the tightened economic barriers are
25
the root cause for the shift to electronic. But according to (Spagnolo, Pennington and Carter,

2015) the shift is due to the increased and changing patron needs. According to (Sullenger,

2014) the movement to replace print serials with electronic only serials has a limit, as all

titles cannot be obtained electronically. As to her experience, only 56% of journal titles were

moved to electronic only subscription, others remained as print. Sullenger concluded that

70% will be the highest proportion that can be expected to obtain for electronic subscription.

(Montgomery, 2015) addressed issues like identifying and managing organizational impact of

the transition from print to online collection. She is of the opinion that the organization also

requires skills in leadership and management in order to succeed. (Halijwale, Manjunath

andPujar, 2016) reported that many publishers had started to provide free online access to e-

journals against print subscription. They discussed the modalities like administrative

procedures in getting free online access.

(Hoskins, 2017) presented the influence of OA initiatives on journal cancellation in

university libraries in South Africa and revealed that OA initiatives had a very limited

influence on journal cancellations. (Hoskins and Stilwell, 2019) remarked that the libraries,

affected by the increase in price of journals, decided to cancel subscriptions. (Lauridsen,

2017) described one university library‟s strategy to cancel journals in order to meet with the

problem of space shortage. It included cancellation of print journals with limited use and

reliable electronic access and discarding the print collection which has secure e-access and

archiving. (Burgard and Easton, 2018) provided an overview of the ways libraries use the

World Wide Web as a tool in serials management. He mentioned that the WWW can be

useful in facilitating the journal cancellations process. (Metz‟s, 2019) article outlined the tips

for a successful serials cancellation project. It highlighted the need to collect and measure use

data in cancellation process.

26
(Robb and McCormick, 2016) discussed the case of a cancellation project at a small library.

According to them, metrics data are good for serials management only if interpreted

intelligently. (Degener and Waite, 2018) stated in an article, the need for libraries to measure

electronic journal collection and the challenges in this task. They presented a practical

statistical model that can be used to count electronic journals available through a variety of

access arrangements. (Lightman and Manilov, 2016) reported an e-journal evaluation process

conducted at the Northwestern University Library which combined citation analysis with

non-statistical techniques. (King, 2015) discussed a framework of library economic metrics

including service input and output, performance, usage, impact and cost and benefit

comparisons. (Balasubramanian, 2019) discussed the Database management system

developed for serials control. Computerized control of periodicals was discussed by (Prasad

and Rao, 2015). System analysis in serials control was discussed by (Balasubramanian and

Satyanarayana, 2017). The functioning of the periodical section was discussed and

suggestions for improvement were outlined by (Kar and Siddiqui, 2016)

There are numerous studies on the use of serials, especially e-journals, consortia use, usage

pattern of different categories of users etc. (Satyanarayana, 2016) conducted a study of use of

periodicals in Andhra University Library and reasons for non-use were outlined. A study on

use of periodicals by medical practioners done by Biradar, Anita and Ushalatha69 proved that

about 75% relied on periodicals for information on new procedures and medicine. (Gupta,

Krishanjal and Ravindran, 2018) studied the maintenance of periodicals collection to study

the active life of journals. The problems faced by libraries in the subscription of periodicals

were discussed in different studies by (Singh, Basu, 2016) and also (Venkatesan and Usha

Krishnan, 2016).

(Harvell, 2015) introduced a methodology for evaluating new and existing journal

subscriptions to ensure they are actually core at the University of Sussex. It was based on a

27
system of scoring against a set of criteria like impact factor, citations, faculty use, inter-

library loan, high online usage and costs. Usage statistics would help a lot in collection

development. Usage based impact is a new initiative in this area. (Pesch, 2017) described a

usage factor project sponsored by UKSG and COUNTER and how it worked in developing a

credible usage based measure for journal impact. (Satyanarayana, 2015) is of the opinion that

collection development in the content world is one of the most challenging functions in the

libraries or the world today. It needs the libraries to redefine their purpose and functions. He

had outlined many business models in the collection development process like, perpetual

access rights, limited period access, subscription model, PPV model, ownership etc. (Lynch,

2016) reviewed the key changes that have led to the „Serials crisis‟ and discussed the

strategy issues librarians should consider in dealing with this.

More studies are coming on the topic of automation of serials functions. The automated

system has certain advantages like, predicting the arrival, check-in, routing list, binding

schedule, cataloguing, location etc. The disadvantages include high cost and it requires more

time to input data in MARC format. For automated serials control, several integrated library

systems were introduced with serials components and modules. (Balasubramanian and

Satyanarayan, 2015) discussed the systematic processing of serials with more importance to

claiming non received issues.

According to (Shontz, 2019) Data Research Associates (DRA) made remarkable

contributions in library automation systems and launched Classic and Taos systems. (Savage

and Wilkinon, 2016) highlighted the Horizon integrated library system and its unique aspects

in serials management. (Green, 2015) is of the opinion that limiting the funds for serials

hindered the development of integrated electronic information systems. Describing the

Source OECD, the online library of Organization for Economic Co-operation and

Development, he argued that “if monograph publishers had offered their books to libraries in

28
suitable monograph serial bundles on subscription there would be some significant cost

efficiencies to be gained. (Martinsen, 2018) studied the Ulrich‟s Serials Analysis System

(USAS), which is used to manage and rationalize periodical holdings across 36 libraries in

Oxford. Although there were problems associated with uploading serials data into USAS, it

proved to be a powerful tool for local, regional and national collection management.

2.8 Challenges Facing Serials

The problem of managing serials sections in an academic library depends on the availability

and accessibility of journal resources. A certain problem has been identified as an

impediment to the use of serials publications by undergraduate students in academic

institutions. (Adio, 2015) and (Salaam, 2016) highlights various problems facing the serials

in Nigerian University libraries which include funds, human resources, acquisition problem

and poor attitude of the users. Based on the findings of the study by (Nwachukwu, Lucky,

and Salami, 2014) it was expressed that information resources are available in the library but

users cannot access them because they cannot use the catalogue and they cannot locate

information resources on the shelves quickly. (Ndanwu,2016) discusses problems associated

with the management of serials publications which are: Non-availability of current journals,

Insufficient staff, Shortage of shelves, Trolley and kick Step, Lack of current serials

publications, Irregular/Epileptic power supply, Increase in varieties of newspapers, Access to

electronic serials, non – availability of resources for recording and storing serials, and Lack

of serials automation. (Anunobi, Nwakwuo, and Ezejiofor, 2016).also noted that there are

problems of accessibility of the collection to the user, dissemination of information,

circulation, and awareness.

29
(Inman, 2015) concludes that poor access to major international publications have serious

implications for the research efforts of scientists in third world countries. Examining barriers

to the accessibility of the journal, (Nwagha, 2015) identifies a lack of coordination as one of

the major barriers. She was of the opinion that administrative policies often stand between

available scientific and technical information and its potential users.

30
 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

Commonly, the researching and gathering of facts and information for the expansion of

knowledge is regarded as research. Research methodology thus means the overall approaches

designed to achieve the aims and objectives of the research (Shokan, 2019).

This chapter thus includes the procedures and techniques of investigation for effective and

reliable presentation of research work. These are: Research Design/Technique, Population/

Scope of the Study, Research Instruments, Data Collection Procedure and Data Analysis

Method.

3.2 Research Design/Technique

Research design refers to the method or the techniques used in collecting data as well as

presenting and analyzing the data. It serves as a useful guide to the researcher in his efforts to

generate data for the study.

Depending on the nature of problem in view, different research designs are available. The

research technique deployed is structured observation and in-depth interviews. This

investigation is based on the Survey method.

3.3 Population/ Scope of the Study

This research is a case study on The Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, hence it is restricted to the

students of the institutionrandomly. The study will cover both human and non-human

resources of the library. 50students of the institution was selected randomly by the researcher

as the population of the study.

31
3.4 Research Instruments

The instrument used in realizing the aims and objectives of this research is based on

information obtained from questionnaire and interview. A questionnaire is a collection of

question and statement to which the interviewer or the interviewee himself. Close-ended

questionnaire were structured in such a way which reflected the needed information for the

research work.

3.5 Data Collection Procedure

The following steps would be taken to gather primary and secondary data in this

investigation:

1) Enumerate from the data bank of the institution library all materials (hard and soft) on

human development.

2) The primary data contained information extracted from the questionnaires in which the

respondents were required to give specific answer to a question by ticking in front of an

appropriate answer and administered the same on staff of the organizations.

3) Conduct interview with the Chief Librarian of the Polytechnic based on the research

questions/objectives.

3.6 Data Analysis Method

Data would be analyzed manually at the collection stage. Further analysis for data

interpretation will be done with the aid of the computer, using the scientific palage for social

science.

32
 CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

4.1 Presentation of Results

This chapter aimed at presenting and analyzing the responses of the questionnaires

administered. The administered questionnaire were interpreted with the use of simple

percentages where the information given by the respondent was qualified in numerical value

and then converted into percentage (%).

SECTION A: PERSONAL DATA OF RESPONDENTS

Table 1: Sex Distribution

Response Frequency Percentage (%)

Male 15 30%

Female 35 70%

Total 50 100%

The table above shows that 15 respondents representing 30% were male, while 35respondents

representing 70% are female. It therefore shows that there are more female than male in the

institution.

33
Table 2: Age

Response Frequency Percentage (%)

16-20 22 44%

21-25 28 56%

Total 50 100%

The table above shows that 22 respondents representing 44% falls between the range of 16-

20years old, while 28 respondents representing 56% falls between the range of 21-25years

old respectively. It therefore shows 21-25years old has the dominance of age population in

the institution.

Table 3: Educational Qualification

Response Frequency Percentage (%)

ND 1 20 40%

ND II 30 60%

Total 50 100%

The table above shows that 20 respondents representing 20% happened to be ND I students,

while 30 respondents representing 60% happened to be ND II students respectively. It

therefore shows that there are more ND II students in the institution.

34
SECTION B

Table 1a: What are the types of serials resources available in the Library?

Reponses Frequency Percentage (%)

Newspapers 30 60%

Newsletters 6 12%

Past Questions 14 28%

Total 50 100%

In the above table, 30 respondents representing 60% said Newspapers is part of serials

resources available in the Library, 6 respondents representing 12% said Newsletters is also

type of serials resources available in the Library, while 14 respondents representing 28% said

Past Question is also part of serials resources available in the Library. Therefore Newspapers,

Newsletter and past question are serials resources available in the Library.

35
Table 1b: What are the types of reference resources available in the Library?

Reponses Frequency Percentage (%)

Abstracts 10 20%

Bibliographies 10 20%

Almanac 5 10%

Geographical sources 10 20%

Yearbooks 10 20%

Gazettes 5 10%

Total 50 100%

In the above table, 10 respondents representing 20% said Abstract is part of reference

resources available in the Library, 10 respondents representing 20% said Bibliographies is

part of reference resources available in the Library, 5 respondents representing 10% said

Almanac is part of reference resources available in the Library, 10 respondents representing

20% said geographical sources is part of reference resources available in the Library, 10

respondents representing 20% said yearbooks is part of reference resources available in the

Library, while 5 respondents representing 10% said Gazettes is part of reference resources

available in the Library respectively. Therefore almost all of the aforementioned reference

resources are available in the Library.

36
Table 2a: What is the purpose of using serials resources by the students?

Reponses Frequency Percentage (%)

For research purpose 5 10%

For examination purpose 15 30%

For knowledge update 10 20%

To complement lecture 10 20%

notes

To do assignments 10 20%

Total 50 100%

In the above table, 5 respondents representing 10% said one of the major purpose of using

serial resources by the students is for research purpose, 15 respondents representing 30% said

one of the major purpose of using serial resources by the students is for examination purpose,

10 respondents representing 20% said one of the major purpose of using serial resources by

the students is for knowledge update, 10 respondents representing 20% said one of the major

purpose of using serial resources by the students is to complement lecture notes, while 10

respondents representing 20% said one of the major purpose of using serial resources by the

students is to do assignment. Therefore one of the major purposes of using serial resources by

the students is for examination purpose.

37
Table 2b: What is the purpose of using reference resources by the students?

Reponses Frequency Percentage (%)

For knowledge update 5 10%

To complement lecture 15 30%

notes

To do assignments 10 20%

For research purpose 10 20%

For examination purpose 10 20%

Total 50 100%

In the above table, 5 respondents representing 10% said one of the major purpose of using

reference resources by the students is for knowledge update, 15 respondents representing

30% said one of the major purpose of using reference resources by the students is to

complement lecture notes, 10 respondents representing 20% said one of the major purpose of

using reference resources by the students is to do assignment, 10 respondents representing

20% said one of the major purpose of using reference resources by the students is for research

purpose, 10 respondents representing 20% said one of the major purpose of using reference

resources by the students is for examination purpose. Therefore, one of the major purposes of

using reference resources by the students is to complement lecture notes.

38
Table 3: What is the level of satisfaction with the organization of serials and reference

resources in the library?

Reponses Frequency Percentage (%)

Highly satisfied 35 70%

Averagely satisfied 10 20%

Not satisfied 5 10%

Total 50 100%

In the above table, 35 respondents representing 70% said they are highly satisfied with the

organization of serials and reference resources in the library, 10 respondents representing

20% said they are averagely satisfied with the organization of serials and reference resources

in the library, while 5 respondents representing 10% said they are not satisfied with the

organization of serials and reference resources in the library. Therefore, majority of the

respondents are highly satisfied with the organization of serials and reference resources in the

library.

39
Table 4: What is the frequency of serials and reference resources utilization in the

library by the students?

Reponses Frequency Percentage (%)

Daily 5 10%

Weekly 10 20%

Monthly 30 60%

Quarterly 5 10%

Total 50 100%

In the above table, 5 respondents representing 10% said Daily happens to be the frequency of

serials and reference resources utilization in the library by the students they are highly

satisfied with the organization of serials and reference resources in the library, 10 respondents

representing 20% said Weekly happens to be the frequency of serials and reference resources

utilization in the library by the students they are highly satisfied with the organization of

serials and reference resources in the library, 30 respondents representing 60% said Monthly

happens to be the frequency of serials and reference resources utilization in the library by the

students they are highly satisfied with the organization of serials and reference resources in

the library, while 5 respondents representing 10% said Quarterly happens to be the frequency

of serials and reference resources utilization in the library by the students they are highly

satisfied with the organization of serials and reference resources in the library. Therefore,

Monthly happens to be the frequency of serials and reference resources utilization in the

library by the students they are highly satisfied with the organization of serials and reference

resources in the library.

40
Table 5a: What type of serials resources used more frequently by the students?

Reponses Frequency Percentage (%)

Newspapers 30 60%

Newsletters 6 12%

Past Questions 14 28%

Total 50 100%

In the above table, 30 respondents representing 60% said Newspapers is part of serials

resources used more frequently by the students, 6 respondents representing 12% said

Newsletters is part of serials resources used more frequently by the students, while 14

respondents representing 28% said Past Question is part of serials resources used more

frequently by the students. Therefore Newspapers is part of serials resources used more

frequently by the students.

41
Table 5b: What type of serials and reference resources used more frequently by the

students?

Reponses Frequency Percentage (%)

Abstracts 10 20%

Bibliographies 10 20%

Almanac 5 10%

Geographical sources 10 20%

Yearbooks 10 20%

Gazettes 5 10%

Total 50 100%

In the above table, 10 respondents representing 20% said Abstract is part of serials and

reference resources used more frequently by the students, 10 respondents representing 20%

said Bibliographies is part of serials and reference resources used more frequently by the

students, 5 respondents representing 10% said Almanac is part of serials and reference

resources used more frequently by the students, 10 respondents representing 20% said

geographical sources is part of serials and reference resources used more frequently by the

students, 10 respondents representing 20% said yearbooks is part of serials and reference

resources used more frequently by the students, while 5 respondents representing 10% said

Gazettes is part of serials and reference resources used more frequently by the students

respectively. Therefore almost all of the aforementioned reference resources are used more

frequently by the students.

42
Table 6: What are the attitude of library staff toward users when consulting serials and

reference resources?

Reponses Frequency Percentage (%)

Accommodating 35 70%

Harsh 5 10%

Nonchalant 0 0%

Satisfactory 10 20%

Total 50 100%

In the above table, 35 respondents representing 70% said the attitude of library staff toward

users when consulting serials and reference resources is very accommodating, 5 respondents

representing 10% said the attitude of library staff toward users when consulting serials and

reference resources is harsh, no response for nonchalant attitude by the library staff, while 10

respondents representing 20% said the attitude of library staff toward users when consulting

serials and reference resources is satisfactory. Therefore, attitude of library staff toward users

when consulting serials and reference resources is very accommodating.

43
Table 7: What are constraints to the effective accessibility and utilization of serials and

reference resources by the students?

Reponses Frequency Percentage (%)

Lack of electricity 35 70%

Poor manpower 10 20%

Chocked environment 0 0%

Poor arrangement of the 5 20%

resources on the shelves

Total 50 100%

In the above table, 35 respondents representing 70% said lack of electricity is one of the

constraints to the effective accessibility and utilization of serials and reference resources by

the students, 10 respondents representing 20% said poor manpower is one of the constraints

to the effective accessibility and utilization of serials and reference resources by the students,

no response for chocked environment because most of the respondents believed that the

library environment is well organized, while 5 respondents representing 20% said poor

arrangement of the resources on the shelves is one of the constraints to the effective

accessibility and utilization of serials and reference resources by the students. Therefore, lack

of electricity is believed to be a major constraint to the effective accessibility and utilization

of serials and reference resources by the students.

44
Table 8: What is the degree of relevance of serials and reference resources to research

and learning?

Reponses Frequency Percentage (%)

Very Relevant 40 80%

Relevant 10 20%

Not Relevant 0 0%

Total 50 100%

In the above table, 40 respondents representing 80% agreed that the degree of relevance of

serials and reference resources to research and learning, while 10 respondents representing

20% disagreed that the degree of relevance of serials and reference resources to research and

learning. It is therefore agreed upon that the degree of relevance of serials and reference

resources to research and learning.

Table 9: What are the advantages of serials and reference resources to research and

learning?

Reponses Frequency Percentage (%)

Up-to-date information 10 20%

Gives current and vital 20 40%

information

Easy to consult 20 40%

Total 50 100%

45
In the above table, 10 respondents representing 20% agreed Up-to-date information is one of

the advantages of serials and reference resources to research and learning, 20 respondents

representing 40% agreed gives current and vital information is one of the advantages of

serials and reference resources to research and learning, 20 respondents representing 40%

agreed easy to consult is one of the advantages of serials and reference resources to research

and learning. It is therefore believed that both gives current and vital information and easy to

consult happened to be one of the advantages of serials and reference resources to research

and learning.

Table 10: What are the disadvantages of serials and reference resources to research and

learning?

Reponses Frequency Percentage (%)

They are more expensive 10 20%

Rare to find in the market 35 70%

Acquired at a shorter 5 10%

period

Total 50 100%

In the above table, 10 respondents representing 20% said that one of the disadvantages of

serials and reference resources to research and learning is that they are more expensive, 35

respondents representing 70% said that one of the disadvantages of serials and reference

resources to research and learning is that they rare to find in the market, while 5 respondents

representing 10% said that one of the disadvantages of serials and reference resources to

research and learning is that they are acquired for a shorter period. Therefore, according to

46
the respondents one of the disadvantages of serials and reference resources to research and

learning is that they rare to find in the market.

4.2 Discussion of Findings

The purpose of this study is to examine Student’s Accessibility and Utilization of Serials and

Reference Resources. The study found that Newspapers, Bibliographies, Yearbooks,

Almanac are the major serials resources that are available in the serials section of Federal

Polytechnic Ilaro Library. This finding is in agreement with the work of Owolabi, et. al

(2017) who reported that serials resources were highly available in the Nigerian polytechnics

library. These information resources are important in the library because they support

teaching, learning and research activities. Most importantly, these resources are one of the

factors that justify the existence of the library.

In the same vein, the study assessed the frequency of use of serials resources. The study

revealed that the majority of the respondents use these resources daily. The reason why the

majority of the respondents claimed that they use serials resources daily may be subjected to

the contribution of these resources to their academics.

Conversely, this finding contradicts the findings of Okeke, Oghentga, and Nwabu (2016) who

reported that students in most of the tertiary institutions in Nigeria do not make proper use of

serials and reference resources. Based on the purpose for which the undergraduate students at

Federal Polytechnic Ilaro use serials and reference resources, the study found that the

majority of the students claimed that they use these resources for a research purpose;

knowledge update; examination purpose; and to do the assignment. This finding corroborates

the work of Ogunniyi, Efosa, and Sheji (2016) who reported similar findings among the NCE

47
students in Federal College of Education in Ogun State that majority of the students use

serials and reference resources for research and assignment purpose. These findings showed

that these resources are more important to undergraduate students so as to perform effectively

in their studies.

However, despite the fact that they are highly using serials and reference resources daily for

their academic pursuit, the study found that there are some constraints to the effective

utilization of these resources by undergraduate students. These constraints include inadequate

skills to locate resources; scarcity of the resources; epileptic power supply; and outdated

information resources. These challenges must be addressed by the management so as to

maximize the effective utilization of these resources by the students and other communities

of users.

4.3 Interpretation of Result

The interpretations of the result are stated below.

 Majority of the respondents said Newspapers happened to be the types of serials

resources available in the Library.

 It was agreed upon by majority of the respondents that reference resources are

available in the Library.

 The respondents said one of the major purposes of using serial resources by the

students is for examination purpose.

 Majority of the respondents said one of the major purposes of using reference

resources by the students is to complement lecture notes.

48
 Majority of the respondents are highly satisfied with the organization of serials and

reference resources in the library.

 It was clearly shown that monthly basics happens to be the frequency of serials and

reference resources utilization in the library by the students they are highly satisfied

with the organization of serials and reference resources in the library.

 Majority of the respondents said Newspapers happened to be the type of serials

resources used more frequently by the students.

 Serials and reference resources are used more frequently by the students.

 Majority of the respondents said the attitude of library staff toward users when

consulting serials and reference resources is very accommodating.

 Lack of electricity is believed to be a major constraint to the effective accessibility

and utilization of serials and reference resources by the students.

 It is therefore agreed upon by the respondents that the degree of relevance of serials

and reference resources to research and learning.

 Majority of the respondents believed that both gives current and vital information and

easy to consult happened to be one of the advantages of serials and reference

resources to research and learning.

 According to the respondents one of the disadvantages of serials and reference

resources to research and learning is that they rare to find in the market.

49
 CHAPTER FIVE

5.1 Conclusion

Serials are important resources in the library that justify the existence of the academic library.

Based on this, the study concludes that the availability of serials resources in the academic

library will lead students to make use of these resources effectively which will, in turn, make

a meaningful impact on their academic pursuit.

5.2 Recommendations

The University library can make its collections more useful if the lapses identified from the

study can be addressed through the following recommendations which are made based on the

findings from the study.

 More funds should be given to the library for the acquisition of adequate, recent and

relevant serials resources to the library.

 Library management should provide necessary infrastructural facilities that will make the

library conducive for the users.

 Library management should organize information literacy skills seminars for the library

users so as to help them to acquire skills on how to search for and locate the information

resources needed in the library.

 The library should purchase a solar inverter or standby generating set that will solve the

issue of epileptic power supply.

50
 REFERENCES

Adebisi, O. I. (2019). ICT availability, accessibility and resource sharing in the Federal

Polytechnic libraries in South-West Nigeria. Information Technologist (The), 6(2).

Adio, W. F. (2015). Management problems of serials in a selected Nigerian academic library.

Sahel analyst, 7(1), 188-194.

Adubika, T. (2017). Serials Management in polytechnic libraries in Nigeria: a comparative

study of Kaduna Polytechnic and Yaba College of Technology Libraries. Samaru

Journal of Information Studies, 7(2), 28-33.

Afolabi, A. K., Abidoye, J. A., & Afolabi, A. F. (2012). Effect of instructional media on the

academic achievement of students in social studies in junior secondary schools in

Ondo State, Nigeria. International Journal of Information Processing and

Communication.

Aghauche, E. S. (2017). Availability, accessibility, and utilization of serials in academic

libraries: A case study of Kenneth Dike Library, University of Ibadan. Doi.research

gate net.

Ahmed, S. M. Z. (2011). Use of electronic resources by the faculty members in diverse public

universities in Bangladesh. The Electronic Library, 31(3).

Ajala O. I. (2017). Periodical literature used by the pre-final and final undergraduate students

in Nigerian universities. Library Review, 54(1).

Akinbode, R. O. O. (2011). Influence of Serials management practices and use in libraries on

publication output of lectures in Nigerian universities. Ibadan 7-9.

Angeline, X. M., & Rani, B. S. (2019). An Assessment on Managerial Skills Among Library

Professionals Working in Affiliated Colleges of Bharathidasan University. In

51
 Literacy Skill Development for Library Science Professionals (pp. 128-145).IGI

Global.

Anunobi, C. V., Nwakwuo, O. P., & Ezejiofor, V. O. (2016). Serials acquisition problems in

Nigerian Federal University Libraries. International Journal of Library and

Information Science, 2(7), 137-142.

Atanda, .S. (2016).Undergraduates perception and utilization of serials materials at Federal

University Awka. Library Research Journal, 1(1), 57-62.

Badaru, A. (2013).Awareness and use of serials publications among undergraduate in Kwara

State.

Bhat, I., & Mudhol, M. V. (2014). Use of eresources by faculty members and students of the

Sher-E-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science (SKIMS).DESIDOC Journal of

Library & Information Technology, 34(1).

Blackwell, L. S. (2014). The value of serials in academic and special libraries. The Serials

Librarian, 66, (1-4) (44-48).

Calhoun, K. (2014). Exploring digital libraries: foundations, practice, prospects. London:

Facet Publishing. case study of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife. Library

Philosophy and Practice, 335.Education in Kano State. Nigerian Library Link, 6(1)

94-104.

Elaturoti, D.F.Fagbeja, I.O.Kolade, H.K. and Oniyide, D.B. (2010). Approach to organizing

learning resources in the school library media center. Ibadan: Nigerian School

Library Association.

George, E. (2010).The Librarian’s Book of Lists. Chicago,

ALA.https://libguides.ala.org/librarydefinition.

52
Hammed, A. B., & Osunrinade, O. A. (2016). Students’ perception and utilization of serial

materials in the Polytechnic Ibadan Library, Nigeria. Journal of Research in

Education and Society, 1(2), 3.

Igbeka, J. U. (2018). Entrepreneurship in library and information services. Stiring-Horden

Publishers.

Information Studies, University of Wales Aberystwyth: an overview. In Aslib Proceedings.

Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Inman, C.R.H (2016) Scientific publications in English and developing countries; A report of

a survey of scientist's experience. Journal of Information Science Principles and

Practice. 6 (5) 159-164International Library Review. 12(2) 201- 207

Lawal, I.O. (2010). Serials management in Nigerian University librarians: Problems and

prospects. Nigerian Libraries, 18(1-3) 75-78.

Library.(n.d.)American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. (2011).

Retrieved September 17, 2019, from https://www.thefreedictionary.com/library

Madu, E. C., & Adeniran, T. N. (2015). Internet use in Library and information center.

Information Technology: Uses and Preservation of resources in Libraries and

Information Centers.

Ndanwu, I. A. (2016). Management of Serials Publication in Festus Aghagbo Nwako

Library, 26. Nigerian Federal University Libraries. International Journal of Library

and Information Science, 2(7), 137-142.

Nisonger, T. E. (2018). Management of Serials in Libraries. Libraries Unlimited, Inc., PO

Box 6633, Englewood, CO 80155-6633.

53
Nutsukpui, E., & Owusu-Ansah, C. M. (2017). Awareness and Use of Serials in an African

University Library: Faculty and Students’ Perspective.

Nwachukwu, V. N., Lucky, A. T., & Salami, P. F. (2014). Availability, accessibility and use

of information resources and services among information seekers of Lafia Public

Library in Nasarawa State. In Information and Knowledge Management (Vol. 4,

No. 10, pp. 1-11).

Nwagha, G. K. (2018). Barriers to the accessibility of scientific Journals in Nigeria.

International Library Review, 12(2), 201-207.

Ogbon Yomi, A. L. (2018). Establishment and sustenance of academic journals in College of

Education in Kano State. Nigerian Library Link, 6 (1) 94, 104.

Ogunniyi, S. O., Efosa, F. E., & Sheji, M. R. (2013). Use of reference sources and services

by students in Adeyemi college of education library, Ondo, Ondo state, Nigeria.

Greener journal of library, information and archival science, 1(1), 001-006.

Okeke, I. E., Oghenetga, L. U. & Nwabu, E. C. (2013). Students' attitudes towards the use of

reference and information services (RIS) in academic libraries in Nigeria.

International Journal of Library and Information Science, 5(10), 335- 341.

Olanlokun, S. O., & Salisu, T. M. (2015). Understanding the library: a Handbook on library

use: Lagos.

Omotayo, B. O. (2010). Access, use, and attitudes of academics toward electronic journals: A

case study of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife. Library Philosophy and

Practice, 335.

54
Onuoha, U. D., Ikonne, C. N., & Madukoma, E. (2013). Perceived impact of library use on

the research productivity of postgraduate students at Babcock University, Nigeria.

Journal of Research and Method in Education, 1(1), 11-16.

Owolabi, Aderibigbe, Okorie, and Ibrahim (2012).Availability and Use of Serials Collections

by Post Graduate Students in Nigerian Universities. International Research: Journal

of Library & Information Science | Vol. 2 No. 1

Owolabi, K. A., Okore, C. N., Ibrahim, R. O., & Owunize, M. K. (2011). Availability and

Use of Serial Collection to the Post Graduate Level Students in Nigerian

Universities. Pearl: A Journal of Library and Information Science, 5(4), 73-77.

Salaam, M. O. (2017). Access to serials collections in four Nigerian universities. The Serials

Librarian, 41(1), 121-126.

Suber, P. (2016). Open access in the United States. In Open access: Key strategic, technical

and economic aspects. Chandos Publishing.

Tedd, L. A., Ellis, D., & Urquhart, C. (2016, November). Research in the Department of

Thanuskodi, S. (2015). ICT Skills among Library Professionals: A Case Study of Universities

in Tamilnadu, India. In Handbook of Research on Inventive Digital Tools for

Collection Management and Development in Modern Libraries (pp. 1-20). IGI

Global.

Uriel U.O. (2016). Availability, Accessibility, and Utilization of Library Information

Resources by Students of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri

(FUTO).Information and Knowledge Management.Vol.6, No.10..

55
Uwaifo, S. O. (2010). Information and Communication Technologies and library services in

society.A modern library and information science for information professionals in

Africa. Ibadan: Text links publishers.

Veaner, A. B. (2015). 1985 to 1995: The next decade in academic librarianship, Part I.

Wiser, J. (2014). The future of serials: a publisher's perspective. Serials Review, 40(4), 238-

241.

56
 STUDENT’S ACCESSIBILITY AND UTILIZATION OF SERIALS AND

REFERENCE RESOURCES

(A CASE STUDY OF FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC ILARO)

SECTION A: PERSONAL DATA OF RESPONDENTS

Instruction: Please indicate your response by ticking (√) in the appropriate spaces provided.

1. Gender: Male ( ) Female ( )

2. Marital Status: Single ( ) Married ( )

3. Academic Level: ND 1 ( ) ND 2 ( )

4. Age Bracket: 16-20 ( ) 21-25 ( )

SECTION B

Instruction: Please indicate your response by ticking (√) where necessary.

1a. What are the type of serials resources available in the Library?

Newspapers ( ) Newsletters ( ) Past Questions

1b. What are the type of reference resources available in the Library?

Abstracts ( ) Bibliographies ( ) Almanac ( ) Geographical sources ( )

Yearbooks ( ) Gazettes ( )

2a. What is the purpose of using serials resources by the students?

For research purpose ( ) For examination purpose ( ) For knowledge update ( )

To complement lecture notes ( ) To do assignments ( )

57
2b. What is the purpose of using reference resources by the students?

For knowledge update ( ) To complement lecture notes ( ) To do assignments ( )

For research purpose ( ) For examination purpose ( )

3. What is the level of satisfaction with the organization of serials and reference resources in

the library?

Highly satisfied ( ) Averagely satisfied ( ) Not satisfied ( )

4. What is the frequency of serials and reference resources utilization in the library by the

students?

Daily ( ) Weekly ( ) Monthly ( ) Quarterly ( )

5a. What type of serials resources used more frequently by the students?

Newspapers ( ) Newsletters ( ) Past Questions

5b. What type of serials and reference resources used more frequently by the students?

Abstracts ( ) Bibliographies ( ) Almanac ( ) Geographical sources ( )

Yearbooks ( ) Gazettes ( )

6. What are the attitude of library staff toward users when consulting serials and reference

resources?

Accommodating ( ) Harsh ( ) Nonchalant ( ) Satisfactory ( )

7. What are constraints to the effective accessibility and utilization of serials and reference

resources by the students?

58
 Lack of electricity ( ) Poor manpower ( ) Chocked environment ( )

Poor arrangement of the resources on the shelves ( )

8. What is the degree of relevance of serials and reference resources to research and

learning?

Very Relevant ( ) Relevant ( ) Not Relevant( )

9. What are the advantages of serials and reference resources to research and learning?

Up-to-date information ( ) Gives current and vital information ( )

Easy to consult ( )

10. What are the disadvantages of serials and reference resources to research and learning?

They are more expensive ( ) Rare to find in the market ( ) Acquired

at a shorter period ( )

11. Please comment generally on serials and reference resources to research and learning by

students?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

59