Perceptions and Challenges in Accessing Available Electronic Information Resources: Case Study of Postgraduate Students in Universities in Benue State, Nigeria.
Description
This study investigated Perceptions and Challenges in Accessing Available Electronic Information Resources: A Case Study of Postgraduate Students in Universities in Benue State, Nigeria. The study adopted a survey research design. A questionnaire was used as the primary instrument for data collection, the population of 341 registered postgraduate’s library users and the sample size of 184 registered postgraduate students were used for the study. The data for the study were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Frequency counts, mean, and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions. Findings of the study revealed that electronic resources are available for use by postgraduate students in Universities in Benue State. The study also revealed that all the factors mentioned in the questionnaire hinder postgraduate students from accessing the available electronic information resources in universities in Benue State, such as lack of information retrieval skills, lack of awareness of e-resources, erratic power supply, limited number of computers, slow internet connectivity, Lack of training and orientation programs recorded a high response rate. The study recommended an increase in ICT facilities, the supply of standby generating plants, subscriptions to electronic databases, retraining of librarians to be ICT compliance, and the cooperation of ICT study skills at the postgraduate level in the study area to promote an increase in access to available electronic information resources: by Postgraduate Students in Universities in Benue State, Nigeria.. Keywords: Electronic library, Information Resources, Academic Librarian, Challenges, Postgraduate, Academic Librarian.