Paper Title
Computer use Skill as Correlate of Electronic Information Access and Utilization of Professionals in Nigerian Academic Liraries
Abstract
Computer is an essential hardware component of Information Communication Technology(ICT) which serves as a very potent and indispensable medium of acquiring, processing, storing, retrieving and disseminating information. Library professionals in Nigerian academic libraries need to acquire and develop the skill of using computer systems to be able to optimally access and utilize electronic information resources in their libraries to meet variety of information needs of their clienteles and their personal information needs. This rationale formed the basis for attempted investigation into the level of computer use skill of professionals at Ilemobade Library of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria. Thirty professionals of the library were purposively selected for the study and a questionnaire titled ‘ Computer Use Skill and Electronic Information Access and Utilization Questionnaire(CUSEIAUQ) ,validated by senior academic library professionals and pre- tested, was employed as data gathering instrument. All the questionnaires were retrieved and the data garnered were analyzed using correlation statistics. The result indicated that acquisition of computer use skill correlated with access to and utilization of electronic information resources of library professionals. It was, therefore recommended that library professionals should strive to embrace capacity building opportunities in using computers and that academic institutions should endeavor to provide the wherewithal to empower the professionals with requisite ICT skill. It was concluded that computer use skill is germane and pivotal to librarians’ access to and utilization of electronic information resources in Nigerian academic libraries.
Keywords - Computer, Computer use, Information, Utilization, Access, Library