Information resources and services provision in private secondary school libraries in Jigawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the information resources and services provision in private secondary school libraries in Jigawa State of Nigeria.  The objectives of the study were to find out the types of information resources provided in the private secondary school libraries, to  identify the types of information services offered in the private secondary school libraries and to ascertain the challenges affecting the provision and utilization of information resources and services in the private secondary school libraries. To achieve such objectives, a mixed methodological approach was adopted for the study while questionnaire was the instruments used for data collection Two hundred and thirteen (213) respondents were used as sample size for the study from a population of two thousand one hundred and twenty six (2126 and were selected through cluster and simple random sampling techniques). The data collected was analyzed descriptively using frequency and percentage with tables to explain. The findings revealed that a variety information resources and services were made available to students. It was discovered that textbooks, pictures and maps, charts and graphs and computers respectively were the most available information resources. Furthermore, the available information services were current awareness services, user education; storytelling, community information services and film show services etc. However, the study revealed that not all of these resources and services were fully utilized by students. The results also showed that inadequate fund, space, furniture, distance of the library, lack of trained personnel to facilitate easy access to resources, obsolete information resources were the challenges affecting the provision and utilization of school library resources and services in private secondary school libraries in Jigawa State The study concludes that that the
situation in private secondary school libraries is not better than that of public schools. The study therefore recommends that budgetary allocation to school libraries should be enhanced so as to provide, relevant and adequate resources and services among others for effective and efficient library services.

Keywords: Secondary school libraries, Information resources, Information services, Private schools, Jigawa state