Information and Communication Technology skills and use of online public access catalogue among undergraduates in University Libraries in South west, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated Information Communication Technology skills and the use of Online Public Access Catalogue among undergraduates in South-West, Nigeria. It sought to find out the ICT skills possessed by undergraduates for the use of OPAC and ascertain the avenues through which the undergraduates acquired their ICT skills. In carrying out this study, three research questions were raised and two null hypotheses were formulated and tested at P < 0.05. Descriptive survey method was adopted for the study. The target population for the study is 220,750 undergraduates from nine selected universities in South West, Nigeria that have functional OPAC in their libraries. The sample was 1422 undergraduates drawn through multi-stage sampling techniques. The instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire titled “ICT Skills, Demographic Factors and Use of Online Public Access Catalogue Among Undergraduates Questionnaire (ISDFUOPACAUQ). The data obtained were analysed, using frequency, mean, cross-tabulation, t-test and ANOVA. The findings of the study showed that the undergraduates in universities in South West, Nigeria possessed the ICT skills for use of OPAC. They are: ability to use of mouse, open, close and resize windows, use the menu bar and power shutdown correctly. Undergraduates acquired their ICT skills through: self-learning, textbooks, course in secondary school, and ICT training. The undergraduates moderately use OPAC search types such as author search, journal title search, title search and series statement search in their search for information. Undergraduates in university in South West, Nigeria moderately use OPAC search strategies such as keyword search, phrase search and expert/advance search. The findings of the research also revealed that there was a significant difference in the ICT skills possessed by undergraduates for the use of OPAC in the federal, state and private university libraries in South West, Nigeria. There was significant difference among federal, state and private university undergraduates in the extent of their use of OPAC, in their university libraries. Based on the findings, it was recommended that; to facilitate optimal utilization of OPAC, university libraries should organise user education programmes for undergraduates in their institutions. Also, universities should formulate and implement policies that will make inclusion of practical-based introduction to OPAC as one of the topics in the courses on the use of library; and that government should implement policies that will incorporate “introduction of computer” as a subject in the curriculum of secondary school students, among others. This will help them to be properly armed with the required ICT skills for the effective use of OPAC.

Keywords: Online, Public, Access, Catalogue, (OPAC), Usage, ICT, Skills, Undergraduates