Digital information services and utilization of library resources in agricultural research institute libraries in South-South, Nigeria
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The study examined digital information services and utilization of library resources in Agricultural research institute libraries in the South-South, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. The population of the study was 206 which comprised all the 133 researchers from Nigeria Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) and 73 Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria (RRIN). There was no sampling since all the population was used because the size was small and manageable. The instrument for data collection was structured questionnaire validated by three experts. The reliability of the instrument was established through a trial test. The data collected were analysed using Cronbach’s alpha statistic which yielded 0.87 as overall reliability coefficient. The data collected were analysed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions while the null hypotheses were tested using t-test statistics at 0.05 level of significance. Results showed that researchers in research institutes utilize digital information services to a low extent. Also, it was found that poor internal connectivity and bandwidth, frequent server failure, outdated computer hardware, limited digital literacy among researchers, and lack of dedicated staff for digital information acquisition among others are the constraints to researchers’ use of the digital information services available in the research institutes libraries. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the institutes and their library management should acquire more digital information services to their libraries in order to improve utilization of those services.
Institution: Michael Okpara University of Agriculture
Language: English
Subfield: Information Systems
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4412029717