Users’ demographics, perceived benefits and impacts of public library services in Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and generally funded by the government through public sources such as taxes and levies. This study examined public library services in Ogun state from the perspective of identities of users, their perceived benefits, and impacts of the library on the socio-economic wellbeing of the users. The descriptive research method was employed and a questionnaire was used to gather data for the study. Three thousand copies of the questionnaire were administered in the four zones of the state where the library has headquarters and branches. Two thousand one hundred copies (70%) of the questionnaire completed, returned and found useful for the study. Findings revealed that majorities of public users are school leavers and graduates who are searching for information for personal and professional development in the area of sports, politics and economic affairs. The benefits and perceived impacts of using public library were also reported.

Keywords: Public libraries, users, evaluation of public libraries, benefits