National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies HND Students Use of Library

Resources and Self-Efficiency.

Introduction
The development and advancement of any society is linked to education. Moran and Marchionini
(2012) argue that Critics of education have been especially harsh in judging those schools
designed to educate individuals to enter various types of professions. Professional education has
always faced tension in balancing theory and practice and today’s utilitarian concerns tend to
emphasize translating theory to practice and embracing technology to improve productivity.
Every person in any country is considered an asset because of the contribution of that
individual’s human resources to that nation’s progress and advancement. Therefore education
and training of an individual is a lifelong process of which nations must be aware to give the
people the right direction.

The library has to take its proper place in providing services to all users to ensure that people get
a lifelong education. People have unlimited information. They seek information from a variety of
sources and formats to perform their daily activities emerging from their jobs and personal
fulfilment in life. NILDS just like any academic institution plays a vital role in our society by
preparing the legislative staff on how to use the acquired knowledge to fulfil their responsibilities
more effectively. NILDS library serves a variety of users such as students, lecturers,
administrators, legislators and staff among others with diverse information needs. This library
collects a variety of information sources and offers various services for supporting instructional,
research and learning activities. Hence, the importance of libraries in academic institutions like
NILDS is considerable and they are often viewed as a nucleus of academic activity.

Background of National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies HND Programme
The National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) offers a Higher National
Diploma program in Official Reporting which is part of the institute's mandate of providing
opportunities for continuing education in democracy and legislation in the area of improving the
capacity of the legislative staff and legislators in legislative procedures and practices. The goal of
the programme is to produce knowledgeable and skilled personnel who are capable of providing

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technical services for effective coverage and reporting of day-to-day activities of the government
and other relevant institutions. The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has
accredited the HND programme for the awarding of the diploma certificate. The institute started
the programme with the first set of students numbering twenty-three 23 in 2018/2019. They were
in HND II 2019/2020. In 2019/2020 the second set of students, seven in number were admitted.
The programme has enhanced the continuing education of the legislative staff since its inception.

Statement of the Problem

Libraries are storehouses of knowledge, with diverse information to meet every individual's
needs based on the type of library. This notwithstanding users have to be encouraged to see the
real importance of the library to make use of the resources available in the library. These
resources are in print and electronic versions. The only way in which users can appreciate the
worth of the library is if they can effectively locate and use the resources available in the library.

This study aims to find the answer to the following among others:

1. Are the students aware of the library resources and services available to them?
2. Where do they learn about the library’s resources and services?
3. What type of resources do the students prefer to use?
4. Do they know how to retrieve information from different present resources?
5. Do they view their library as a resourceful library or not?
6. How frequently do the students look for information in electronic resources?
7. What are the different information-searching tools they use while looking for
information?
8. Do the students feel that library resources could get them academic success?

The objectives of the study are

1. To find out the student’s habit of using the library resources
2. To find out which library resources are preferred between the manual and electronic
resources.
3. To find out the effectiveness of library resources in their education

4. To find out the student’s use of the Internet as a reference source.

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The Scope of the study:
This study is limited to NILDS NHD one and two students. The study covers the academic year
20018/2019 and 2019/2020 sessions. The focus of the study is to find the use of the library and
its services by the student while doing their assignments and also during their regular academic
work. The study found out the student information-seeking habit and the various technologies
they used in getting the information while preparing for their studies. This study shows that the
students do not depend on the NILDS library for information, they go through the Internet as
well as other electronic sources for the information they want.

Literature Review
Use of Library Resource
A lot of studies have been carried out on library use. This is so because it is the users that make
the library and its services come alive. A library that is not used is as good as dead as it cannot
justify its existence. It is therefore the use to which the library is put that infuses life into its
resources and services; hence, use and user studies cannot outlive their usefulness. Ntui and
Udah (2015) asserted that regarding the accessibility and utilization of library resources, authors
highlighted that libraries must ensure about the required and relevant resources, adequate storage
for the collection, and strategies for accessibility of these resources through classification,
cataloguing and other arrangements. Regarding the accessibility of library resources, the authors
added that the more accessible information sources that require the least effort to access.
Agyekum and Filson (2012) also found that most of the students use library resources and
services to supplement their class notes, and assignments and help them in examination
preparation. Oyewusi & Oyeboade's (2009) findings show that Nigerian students/ teachers
perceive libraries as a place where serious academic work can be done. There is an adequate
utilization of library resources in the school especially textbooks. Shidi (2013) asserted that
21st-century libraries have been transformed from the traditional status of being the storehouse
of information materials (mostly print) into information centres where information and
communication technologies (ICTs) are used to acquire, process, store, retrieve and disseminate
information.

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Chimah and Nwokocha (2013) promulgated that with the current trend of globalization as one of
the elements of ICT, there is a quantum of information available in libraries, resource centres and
information systems. However, the ability to identify and retrieve specific information needed
for a particular situation requires an awareness of the source (availability) and the skill to retrieve
it within a short time and at a low cost (accessibility). Neelamegham in Chimah and Nwokocha
(2013) have identified accessibility as one of the prerequisites of information utilization. Since
there is growing concern about the need for equal access to information, he argues that
information generation, collection, organization, recording and distribution, access and
utilization operate imperfectly. Thus, the purpose, user characteristics, environment or situation
involved, medium of communication, quality, infrastructural facility, and cost and time of
availability all condition the use of information.

In another study, Fidel and Green in Xie and Joo (2009) opined that accessibility was the most
influential factor in the selection of information sources. However, task, accessibility of
resources, and familiarity with resources were identified as important factors in affecting
resource selection (Xie and Joo, 2009).
However, literature has revealed that information availability does not mean accessibility and
utilization; therefore, university libraries have to market their resources and services to attract
users. Osinulu (1998) in Onifade, Ogbuiyi and Omeluzor (2013) also confirmed in their study
that low use of the library is due to a lack of awareness on the part of users. Ozoemelem (2009),
on the other hand, stated that informed library users know that libraries have resources that are
more comprehensive and scholarly than most websites provide but the problem is that these
resources are not straightforward like those on the web. Though users use the library for different
purposes, Oyesiku and Oduwole's (2004) study on the use of academic libraries revealed that
students use the library mostly during the examinations period. In a study conducted by Igun and
Adogbeji (2007) among postgraduate students, the majority of the students claimed that the main
purpose of using the library is to update their knowledge and skills. It is, therefore, essential to
know the needs and opinions of the users to satisfy them.
Among many users of the university library are postgraduate students. This class of students are
regarded as ‘mature students’ because they have passed through the undergraduate stage and are
now facing a higher level of academic studies. Rasul and Singh (2010) observed that there are
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scanty works of literature on the needs of postgraduate students, yet they form a significant
group of researchers in a university. Furthermore, they noted that how the postgraduate students
perceive the role of their university library matters a lot. This is very important because the
nature of postgraduate study demands that students do a lot of independent studies on their own.
The use of library resources and services is thus indispensable to postgraduate students to
achieve their academic objectives. As a result, Olofinsawe and Oyeniyi (2010) affirmed that
academic libraries have to build a strong collection of information resources in physical and
digital formats to cater for the knowledge requirements of their users. It is therefore necessary to
consider the needs of the post-graduate students in policy planning in any university library. This
study, therefore, aims to provide an insight into this area.

Self-Efficiency in Library Resources

Chimah and Nwokocha (2013) pointed out that the term ‘resource’ means a source of supply,
usually in large quantity. A person is said to be ‘resourceful’ when he or she is capable of
handling difficult situations. Generally, resources are aids to the researcher. They are those
materials, strategies, manipulations, apparatuses or consultations that help the researcher to
enhance research and development. Information resources therefore include all forms of
information carriers that can be used to promote and encourage effective research activities and
developmental projects. Adomi (2012) reiterated that information sources are resources or
materials from which people receive ideas, meaningful messages, enlightenment and direction
that will enable them to accomplish tasks, make decisions and solve problems. This definition
sums up the fact that an information source is the vehicle through which ideas, news, facts,
symbols and sound are stored and transported across time and space appearing in various
documents or record forms that aid the dissemination of information and knowledge (Nnadozie,
2014).

Popoola in Ntui and Udah (2015) suggested that for a library to satisfy the needs of users, both
human and material resources must be available. Ntui and Udah (2015) revealed that teachers
need various kinds of information for teaching and research to impart knowledge to students and
self-development. To achieve this, the right information must be available for the right person at
the right time in its appropriate format. The most effective way to mobilise people is through the

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provision of required information. In the most useable form, such information should be
provided for the benefit of a large number of people. Ntui and Udah also mentioned that efficient
and effective provision of library resources can have a positive impact on academic achievement.
The authors maintained that for an effective learning process, learners must have access to
necessary information materials and resources. These resources might be in tangible (i.e., printed
resources) and intangible (i.e., electronic resources) formats. A librarian is responsible for
providing the right information to the right person at the right time.

In the same vein, the study conducted by Mubahsrah et al (2013), revealed that libraries are
mostly visited by students/teachers to read textbooks, preparation of assignments and consume
spare time. From the findings, it was recommended that for optimum utilization of library
resources to take place, there must be improved library services and provisions of library
resources because a lack of human and material resources most often contributes to the
underutilization of library resources. Adeoye and Popoola (2011) also added that library
information resources can be in both printed and electronic formats including textbooks,
journals, indexes, abstracts, newspapers, magazines, reports, CD-ROM databases, internet,
email, video tapes/cassettes, diskettes, computers and microforms.

Ezeala and Yusuff (2011), also added electronic resources such as functional computers,
photocopying machines, CD-ROM, microforms, microform readers, fax machines, internet, local
area network, radio messages, telephone, lighting and computer workstations for library users
which must have to be measured periodically by librarians to ensure that the resources and
services of their libraries as a way of ensuring that they are meeting the set objectives of the
library. Based on the above information, we can divide library resources into two categories i.e.,
traditional printed material or resources and non-printed or electronic resources. A successful
educational system depends exhaustively on the accessibility and utilization of information
sources and services. In this regard, academic libraries are providing knowledge and information
resources for teaching, learning and research. Academic libraries are rapidly supporting and
encouraging the adoption of new forms of teaching and learning exercises.

Thompson (2007) discovered that library Web pages and Google were the most important
information resources for distance education students. Hemminger, Lu, Vaughan and Adams
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(2007) reported the most frequently used information resources for academic scientists consisted
of journals, Web pages, databases, and personal communications. Vibert, Rouet, Ros, Ramond
and Deshoullieres (2007) identified PubMed and Google as the key resources for neuroscientists
for their research. Not all academic users depend mainly on electronic sources. According to
Baruchson-Arbib and Bronstein (2007), humanists used books and journals as their main
information channels. Moreover, they tracked citations of these sources to other documents even
though they started to adopt electronic information sources. Fidel and Green also highlighted that
while academic users access more Internet sources, engineers and people in a corporate
engineering environment make extensive use of humans and documents as information
resources, including handbooks and internal reports.

In a study of Chinese undergraduates Tan, Ma and Li (2015) found that a greater level of general
self-efficacy was associated with a higher level of self-esteem and lower levels of
procrastination. In the same vein, Mamaril, Usher, Li, Economy and Kennedy (2016) found that
undergraduates' self-efficacy was significantly and positively correlated with mastery goals.
Afolabi and Balogun (2017) suggested that undergraduates’ self-efficacy for practical purposes
may be inflated therefore university administrators should provide more experiential learning to
enable students to have a more realistic assessment of their skills and competencies. This was
corroborated by Balogun and Adebayo (2016) who asserted that undergraduates with a strong
sense of self-efficacy tend to persist, deploy greater efforts and energy, and strive to achieve
positive results when faced with difficult or threatening situations.

Challenges of Accessing Information Resources

Unegbu and Otuza (n.d) argued that users may encounter five possible types of inaccessibility
problems i.e. conceptual, linguistic, critical, bibliographic, and physical. Ugah (2008)
commented that when information sources are available, the study reveals that they are not easily
accessible to the users. This was due to poor indexing and cataloguing, inefficient loan and
circulation system, poor shelving, and lack of adequate guides to library arrangements, as well as
administrative and physical barriers. The library lacks adequate hardware to access the
information sources in non-print media and electronic forms.

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Kiambati (2015) discovered that The main challenges with accessibility and use of information
resources were low skill levels in Assistive Technology for both staff and students, low literacy
levels in accessing e-resources and inaccessible websites, lack of independence and self-
confidence in using e-resources on the part of students because they were not able to retrieve and
use e-resources through their efforts and there were very low literacy levels to students with
visual impairments owing to mainly lack of awareness and the low skill levels in using assistive
technology for both the training staff and the students being trained.

Okello-Onura and Magara (2008) in their study revealed that the main barrier to their being able
to access e-resources was their limited access to a computer terminal (90%). Time, lack of IT
knowledge, and retrieval of too much information were also cited as barriers by large numbers of
students. Together these can be viewed as a result of ineffective information retrieval skills as
effective information skills are likely to result in the retrieval of more manageable amounts of
information and a more efficient use of time. Uncooperative staff members were also perceived
as a problem by 20% of the respondents.

Inability to get relevant materials, delay in receiving requested materials, inability to access the
internet due to low speed and cost of internet services, frequent requests to pay for online
resources, computer illiteracy, poor retrieval skills, absence of relevant information on library
databases and the belief that information resources available in the library are obsolete are some
of the challenges to effective accessibility to information resources in academic libraries and
information centres (Ishola and Obadare, 2014). Sejane (2017) established that several
challenges are faced by students in accessing information resources. In his study, all 39 (100%)
respondents indicated slowness of downloads, slow PCs and vendor upgrades respectively.
Results revealed that 34 (87.2%) respondents indicated network downtime, followed by 27
(69.2%) respondents indicated load shedding as a problem encountered. Only fifteen (38.5%)
indicated off-campus access was a problem for users.

Method
The survey method was used to carry out this research and the target population was student
study. The questionnaire was distributed to the students but 23 were returned for the research
work. A total of 23 returned and found valid were used for this analysis. The data collected were

8
analyzed using frequency counts and percentages and a demonstrable chart. of National Institute
of Legislative and Democratic Studies HND I and II which totalled 30. A well-structured
questionnaire was the instrument used to gather data for the

Findings
Personal Details: Section A
Level of Respondents
S/N Level Frequency Percentage
1 HND I 30 54.55%
2 HND II 25 45.45
Total 55 100%
The table above shows the total number of both HND I and II students of NILDS as thirty (55).
i.e. 55 questionnaires were filled and returned. 30 (54.55%) of the respondents comprise HND I
while 25 (45.45%) are HND II. Thus, HND I students are the majority of respondents

Gender
Number of Respondents by Gender

The above chart shows that we have more male respondents than females.

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Age Range

The above chart shows that the highest age range of the respondent is 31 - 40.
Educational Qualification

The above chart shows the qualifications of the respondents. It shows that most of the
respondents are ND holders.

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Section B
Do you have a personal computer?

The chart shows that the majority of the respondents possess personal computers.

How often do you use the internet?

The chart above shows that the students use more of the Internet once a week.

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If you use the internet, what do you use it for?

The above table shows which areas the student engages in the usage of the internet. News was
chosen by the majority of the respondents followed by education. None of the respondents uses
the internet for either sport or entertainment.

Do you use search engines?

Search Engines Response Rate

Frequency Percentage

Yes 49 80.09%

No 6 10.91%

The table above shows that the majority of respondents use search engines.

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Which search engine do you use?

The above chart shows that the majority of students use Google for their respective searches.

Do you use email to communicate?

The above chart shows that the majority of HND students use email to communicate.

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How often do you visit the library?

The above table shows the usage of the library by the students with the majority choosing weekly
followed by daily, monthly and never respectively.

Purpose of using the NILDS library

The chart above shows that the HND students use the library to do their assignments. Others
include reading books, printing/photocopying, reading newspapers, and updating knowledge.
Did you have a formal orientation on the use of the library?

Formal orientation Response Rate

Frequency Percentage
Yes 37 67.27%
No 18 32.73%

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The table shows that most students were given formal orientation on how to use the library.

Does the library have electronic resources?

Does the Library have Response Rate

e-resources?
Frequency Percentage
Yes 53 96.36%
No 2 3.64%

The above table shows that the library has e-resources.

In using the electronic resources, do you find what you are looking for?

The above chart shows that students sometimes find what they are looking for. While some
always find what they are looking for, others never do.

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How motivated are you to learn how to use the library resources

The above chart shows that most respondents are very motivated on how to use the library
resources.

Discussion

The discussion is considered from the analysis above, which shows that NILDS HND I and
HND II are all well represented by males and females and the highest age range is 41 to 50
years. It shows that the students are mature enough to know what they want in life. Most of the
student have gone through higher education and must have come across academic libraries
during their study in the polytechnics and colleges of education, they have personal computers
which help in their self-efficiency.

The students use the internet mostly once a week. This shows they are not out of circulation or
unaware of what is happening in society. They use it for gathering news and for educational
purposes. They use all the search engines and the most used is Google, followed by Alta Vista.
They also use their email for dissemination and receiving information sometimes. They use the
library once or twice, and some of them never use the library, which shows the level of
importance they attach to the library. In all the HND II uses the library more than the HND I.
This will not be isolated from the fact that they have to do their project and their assignment as
indicated in the study. From all indications, it was discovered that most of the students had
orientation on the usage of the library. This would have encouraged their usage of the library
and its resources. The study shows that students use the resources frequently and the library has

16
e-resources as well as well. The study shows that students sometimes locate what they are
looking for in the library. In regards to getting their information, the students mostly search
through the internet at home. This is because they have their personal computers and the NILDS
library is also automated, which enhances their checking through the OPAC for the resources
available in the library.

The study also shows that the students learned of the library's existence through their lecturers
referring them to the library. From this indication, there is a need for the NILDS library and the
librarians to be more proactive in making the library's existence known to the students. The
study also shows that the students are satisfied with the present ways of obtaining information,
but the HND II are dissatisfied because the collection is not in their areas of interest. The library
needs to acquire more materials in HND official reporting and the students need to be trained on
library usage.

Conclusion and Recommendation

The Library in any educational institution is the think tank of that institution, this therefore
brings us to the need to have library orientation to enable the student to have a proper usage of
the available resources of the library and the information from time to time. The NILDS library
therefore should find a way of making itself a part of the students. This can be done by involving
the student or going down to the student and marketing the product or the resources of the
library through the provision of handbills and other information dissemination strategies such as
selective dissemination of information and current awareness services among others.

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