Extent of provision of library and information service delivery to researchers in agricultural research institutes in north central Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the extent to which Current Awareness Services (CAS), Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI), Internet Services (IS), Inter-Library Loan Services (ILLS), Reference Services (RS) and Circulation Services (CS) were provided by the Agricultural Research Institute Libraries in North Central Nigeria. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for this study. One objective and one research question were formulated to guide the study. The entire population of four (4) heads of libraries (Institute Librarians) from all the Agricultural Research Institutes in North Central Nigeria was used for the study. Instrument for data collection was a wellstructured questionnaire. Four copies of questionnaire were distributed to the library heads of the institute libraries with a return rate of 100%. The study used mean scores and standard deviation ranking as statistical measures for data analysis. The results revealed that Agricultural Research Institutes Libraries in North Central Nigeria to a high extent provide current awareness services (2.95± .53), selective dissemination of information (2.75± .41), internet services (2.67± .49), inter  library loan services (2.70± .90), reference services (2.55± .84) and circulation services (3.10± .58) to their researchers to increase their scholarly communication outputs. Furthermore, the study revealed that, circulation service delivery (3.10± .58) is the highest services provided to the researchers in the libraries studied while reference services (2.55± .84) are the least service delivery provided. Suggested solutions to challenges in the provision of library and information service delivery to agricultural researchers include the institute library administrators putting in more financial, human and material resources to enhance the already existing services as the main objective of any library is to provide the right information in a right medium and at the right time, among others. It was recommended that the libraries should intensify their efforts towards adequate provision and access reference services so that the researchers will be aware of their existence and effectively utilize them towards their research practices for enhanced research outputs, among others.

Keywords: Library, Information, Service, Delivery, Librarianship, Information, Science, Agriculture, Researcher, Institutes