Constraints to the use of government documents in Nigeria University Libraries: The experience from Nnamdi Azikiwe Library University of Nigeria

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify the types of collections in Nnamdi Azikiwe Library that are referred to as government documents; expose some of the major factors that impinge on users. access to government publications in the library, and make recommendations. The design of the study was survey. Questionnaires, interviews and observations were the instruments for data collection. The population of the study was 81 and comprised 11 staff in the Special Collections Division and 70 users of the documents section. Due to the size of the population, the author had to sample all the subjects, and the sample for the study was eighty-one. Ninety sets of 33-item questionnaire was designed and administered to all the subjects in the population and their responses was used for analysis and results. The study found that there were abundant volumes of none current government publications in analogue format in the library. The restraining factors for accessing these resources include absence of Internet connectivity due to the analogue nature of the materials; there was no online public access catalogue. There was inadequate ICT infrastructure and low human capital. Subject indexing, digitization of government publications, and periodic update of the finding aids, are some of the improvement strategies.