Correlational Impact of Personal Factors on Library Use among Undergraduates in Nigerian Universities

Abstract

Personal factors explicate the reason undergraduates behave differently when they are apparently undergoing the same experiences which has correlate impact on the use of their university libraries. This study therefore investigated the correlational impact of personal factors (age, gender, academic discipline, type of secondary school attended, level of study, previous library experiences and level of awareness) on library use by the undergraduates. Descriptive survey of the correlational type was adopted. Multistage sampling  procedures through purposive sampling method were used to select five conventional federal universities and three homogenous  faculties. Two departments common to the faculties were also purposively selected, while five percent of 200 to 400 level undergraduates  (797) were selected from a total population of 116, 213. Instruments used were Personal factors (previous library skills (r=0.85) awareness  of library resources and services (r=0.93).Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s product moment correlation and Multiple regression at 0.05 level of significance. All Personal factors showed positive significant relationships with library  use except gender and level of study (academic discipline r=.08, type of secondary school attended r=.09, previous library skills r=.33, level of awareness of library resources and services r=.24, gender r=-.01 and level of study r=-.06). The result indicates that Age (â = .014, p>.05), gender (â = .012, p>.05), academic discipline (â = .045, p>.05) and level of study (â = .022, p>.05) had no significant relative contribution  while type of secondary school attended (â = .068, p<.05), previous library experience (â = .198, p<.05) and level of awareness (â = .213,  p<.05) had significant relative contribution. Personal factors determined library use by the undergraduates in federal universities in the  North-central, Nigeria. Therefore, the stakeholders in the university library should create awareness about the importance of library  through current awareness programmes in order to increase library use.