Awareness and use of Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) by undergraduate students in federal university libraries in northern Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated level of awareness and extent of utilization of Online Public Access Catalogue by undergraduate students in Federal University Libraries in Northern Nigeria that have available and functional OPAC services. A Cross Sectional survey design was employed on a population of 18,712 undergraduate students. Data was collected using structured questionnaire from a sampled 392 students, descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Findings of the study revealed that majority (mean=3.22)of the undergraduate students were aware of OPAC services while slightly significant (mean=2.57) undergraduate students utilize the services to know the location of a document (mean=2.86) and the availability of the document (mean=2.98). The findings also showed that lack of orientation (mean=3.05), less number of OPAC terminals in the library and lack of library guide on how to use OPAC from library staff (mean=3.88) were the major challenges militating against the use OPAC in the federal university libraries. The result of the PPMC analysis showed that there is significant relationship between the level of awareness and extent of utilization of OPAC by the undergraduate students (r(312) = .661, n=314, p=.001) and rejected the null hypothesis. Hence, the study recommends that the libraries should organize orientation programmes on use of library OPAC, provide enough computers at OPAC terminals as well as publish library guide to the undergraduate students.

Keywords: OPAC, Awareness, Utilization, Undergraduate, students, Library, University