Abstract

Author(s): Hafeez Folounsho Ajibona*

Academic libraries now make electronic information resources available to users in order to meet the information needs of these users from different disciplines. In particular, University lecturers make use of library electronic resources in order to have access to up-to-date information available around the globe. This enables the lecturers to deliver their lectures and carry out researches effectively. The main objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of computer skills, access to and usefulness of library electronic resources on the utilization of the resources by lecturers in two Universities in Southwest. Nigeria.

The survey design was adopted for the study and the population covered 312 lecturers from the University of Ibadan and 311 lecturers from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso. Proportionate random sampling technique was used to select a sample of 279. Questionnaire was the only instrument used for data collection. The data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics consisting of frequency tables and percentages for the research questions while Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was used for the research hypotheses.

The results of the analysis showed that lecturers at LAUTECH, Ogbomoso were more skilled in the use of electronic resources and utilize the resources more than their counterparts at the University of Ibadan. However, most of the lecturers from the two institutions were found not to be skilled in the use of online databases like AGORA, HINARI etc. This explains why online databases are underutilized by the lecturers. The study revealed there were linear relationships between the lecturers' computer skills, access to, and usefulness of the electronic resources, and their utilization of the resources. Some of the benefits of electronic resources are: Access to wider range of information and removal of distance barrier in accessing information.

The study recommended that libraries should create awareness for users on the resources available in the library, and uninterrupted electricity supply should be put in place for the users to adequately utilize the electronic resources in the library.