AVAILABILITY AND UTILIZATION OF INFORMATION RESOURCES IN IMO STATE PUBLIC LIBRARY

CHAPTER ONE

1.1.  INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The public library is established to support public activities and enhance teaching learning undertaking consistent with public objectives Frumkin and Reese (2011) summarizes the role of the library in acquiring and disseminating information resources as a vital responsibility. These primary function of public library include collection, organization, preservation and delivery of information resources bring to the users (Ramaiah 2018). The task requires the capacity to discern the diverse needs of library users to give public teaching and non-teaching) and users the information resource for learning, teaching, research and career development purposes. Basically utilization is dependent on available information resources accessible to publics. This study approach the availability. Accessibility and utilization of information resources by public of the Imo State Public Library Owerri. Utilization of information depends on the information resource available in the library and also accessible to the public. The condition implies that availability and accessibility must be satisfied for utilization to be achieved. The mere acquisition of information resources by a library does not translate into accessibility, granting access to library information resources requires a series of protocols (cataloguing, indexing etc). to ensure that users can identify and locate the resources (Nwachukwu, Abdulsalami 2014). It is also important for libraries to consider user. Needs during the acquisition stage of information resources to maintain relevance (Aguolu and Aguolu 2012). A library has been defined as a repository of knowledge. However, different definitions emerged from the biases people and institutions have on what makes up a library or what a library is presently the emergence of information communication technology (ICT) is transforming the world of information and adds a new perspective to how a library should be defined. While some agree on the definition of a library as an institution of books collected, processed, stored, retrieved, and used to disseminate knowledge, other prefer the definition that summarize a library to represent a place (physical) where books and non-book materials are preserved for the purpose of spreading, knowledge public (Nwachukwu, Abdulsalami and Salam, 2004). Moreover, most of what constitute components of a library’s definition depend on the type of library in question. We have different based on the categories of users served. Despite different service of public academic, special or reference libraries “acquisition and dissemination of information remains a definitional composition of library. The library is a major component of the university responsible for providing multiple service to support student of the duration of their course of study. Unlike the public library which functions universally without restriction to any particular users. The academic library is positioned to provide academic support to student. Moreover, most academic libraries maintain public libraries in developed countries. AINA (2014) reports situation with national libraries in Africa operating public libraries. A library is defined as an institution responsible for the overall management and processing of the public knowledge (the intellectual product society) for public access and use (Roberson 2015).

1.2.  STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

For a library to be functional, it has to meet its users needs and ensuring that users make functional use of the information resources and services available at their disposal. All activities, resources and services of the library are geared towards helping the general public to achieve its information needs.

However, as important as this library was it has been observed that information resources are not readily available in Imo State public library, probably may be due to poor budgeting allocation from the state government. Another problem observed is that the accessibility of the information resources. The problem with the use of information resources obser4ved in the library is that users appear not to be aware of the information resources and services available in the library such as illiteracy or do not know the library setting/use. When library resource are not available they cannot be accessed it means that the library itself is not being.

1.3.  THE OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The study sought of

1.          Find out the type of information resources available in the Imo State Public Library.

2.          Investigate how information resources and services are accessed by the user in Imo State Public Library.

3.          Find out the frequency of usage of information resource and services provided in the Imo State Public Library.

4.          Determine the challenges affecting the availability and ise of information resource and services among information users of Imo State Library.

5.          To find out the extent public libraries in Imo State performing their job.

6.          To determine the relationship between information resources availability, utilization and job performance among academic libraries in Imo State Public Library.

1.4.  RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The research question are as follows;

1.         What are the type of information resources provided by the Imo State Public Library?

2.         How do users access information resources in Imo State Public Library?

3.         What is the level of availability of information services provided by the Imo State Public Library?

4.         What are the challenges affecting the availability and use of information resources and services among information seekers of the Imo State Public Library?

5.         To what extent are public libraries in Imo State performing their job?

6.         Is there any relationship between information resources availability, utilization and job performance among academic libraries in Imo State public library?

1.5.  SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS STUDY

The following individuals would benefit from this study

1.         The Public: This study is generally made beneficial to the general public who would be generally informed on the attitude of public/,assess towards the use of libraries in the public sectors this will also serve as a reference materials to both new and old researchers and scholars on the issue of libraries. Library staff, the public library attendant would benefit from the finding and recommendation of this study because, it will help them to carry out their duties effectively in a way that student will be encouraged and drawn to the libraries move frequently.

2.         The Library Attendant: With the study and its recommendation the library attendants would be able to get necessary information that would assist them in changing some of their negative attitude and unfriendly dispositions that do not give the general public the zeal to come to the library to read or study to seek for an information. The recommendations of study will urge the library authorities to put in place a training and development programme that would help the library attendant to set up and do their work diligently for the benefit of the library users, especially the old men and old women and also the handicaps.

3.         Parents: Parents would benefit from the study because they would be able to understand the benefits inherent in the use of the libraries and the consequence in the home or inadequate  use of it by their children in the school this study will be educative and informative to the parents because the knowledge they would gain from its study will assist them to measure their children performance in line with use of the libraries.

4.         The Handicaps: This are physical disable people/individuals who benefit a lot from the library (public) where the library makes available of the information materials that makes then understand the benefit of education.

1.6.  SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study was carried out to examine the availability and utilization of information resource in Imo State Public Library. The scope of this research is limited to Imo State Library. The Public Libraries in Imo State is used as a standard for assessing the extent to which imo state public library has enhanced the learning skills of the public.

1.7.  LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The researcher encounters some constrain which limited the scope of the study.

a.          Availability of Research Material: The research material available to the researchers is insufficient  thereby limiting the study.

b.          Time: The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examination with the study.

c.          Organizational Privacy: Limited access to the selected auditing firm makes it difficult to get all the necessary and required information concerning the activities.

1.8.  DEFINITION OF TERMS

Operational terms and ambiguous words were accordingly defined in this study in the following

1.         Manuscripts: This refers to book and so on, as first written out or types.

2.         Journals: This means daily newspapers: Other periodicals. It also daily record of news, events, business account etc.

3.         Biography: This means persons life history written by another person; it is also a branch of literature dealing with the lives of persons.

4.         Librarian: A worker or personnel that stay in the library room to lean books and other library materials to individuals for reading and writing. A librarian is a staff employed by the school authorities to oversee activities in the library.

5.         Availability: The quality of being able to be used or obtained.

6.         Utilization: Utilization is the primary method by which asset performance is measured and business success determined. In basic term it is a measure of the actual revenue they could have earned.

7.         Information Resources: An information resource may refers to resource (computer science) any component of limited availability in a computer system web resource, a data source accessible at the world wide web.

8.         Library: A library is a collection of sources of information and similar resources, made accessible to a defined community for reference or borrowing.