Utilisation of social media to bring back users for effective use of physical academic libraries in the 21st Century in Nigeria

Abstract

Utilisation of social media in the 21^st century libraries enable libraries to provide attractive library services to achieve the ultimate goal of marketing library and information services and reaching out to users to effectively patronise and use the physical library and its resources. The paper investigated the utilisation of social media to bring back users to effectively use the physical academic libraries in the 21^st century in Nigeria. The paper also determined the challenges to utilisation of social media to bring back users to effectively use the physical academic libraries in the 21^st century in Nigeria. The research method adopted for the study was Survey Design of correlational type. Three academic libraries and 55 librarians were totally enumerated. Questionnaire was used to collect data for analysis. The research instrument was validated, to consider its suitability for the study. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, frequency counts, simple percentages, and mean. The findings showed that academic libraries under study underused social media with mean scores below 2.50 criterion benchmark. The paper concluded that the utilisation of social media in library services academic libraries in Nigeria could market, advertise library products and services, promote brands of library images to bring back users to effectively use the library in this 21^st century. The paper recommended that state governments, university authorities and library management should tackle the problems of funding, infrastructural facilities, irregular power supply, among others for efficient and high level utilisation of social media for services delivery in academic libraries for adequate teaching and learning in academic institutions in Nigeria.