Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme as Correlate of Digital Skills and Competences among Emerging Librarians from Bayero University Library School

Abstract

The study carried out a post Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) assessment of emerging librarians at Bayero University Library
School with a view to ascertain their digital skills nd competencies vis-à-vis places they did SIWES. The study was carried out quantitatively using cross sectional survey design that involves correlation. The population of the study comprises 236 emerging librarians (final year students) from  Bayero University Library School, but of whom 146 were sampled using simple random sampling technique, respondents of the study comprise 109 of the 146 emerging librarians, of whom 78 (71.6%) are male while 31 (28.4%) are females. Data for the study was collected using questionnaire that tested to 0.799 Chronbach Alpha reliability value. Data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics and Spearman Rank Correlation (Rho). The post SIWES’ assessment indicates that emerging librarians from Bayero University Library School have digital skills and competencies to provide contemporary library services, 68.8% had computer skills, 51% had internet and e-service skills, 14% had database management skills while 8% had networking skills. It was further discovered that only doing SIWES in academic libraries has positive statistical correlation with digital skills by (N=53, Rho= .193>0.05) likewise digital competences of emerging librarians only has positive correlation with academic libraries by (N=53, Rho= .166>0.05). It is recommended that library schools in Nigeria should encourage students to undergo SIWES in academic libraries.