THE IMPACT OF ACADEMIC LIBRARIES ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF UNDERGRADUATES OF FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC IN NORTH CENTRAL ZONE

THE IMPACT OF ACADEMIC LIBRARIES ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF UNDERGRADUATES OF FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC IN NORTH CENTRAL ZONE

(A CASE STUDY OF FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC NASARAWA)

ABSTRACT

The study examines the impact of academic libraries on academic performance of undergraduates of federal polytechnic in north central (a Case study of Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa). The specific objectives of the study include to determine the present state of the institution library, find out the extent to which students make used of the library service in the institution, determine the impact of academic libraries on the academic performance of undergraduates and identify the problems encountered by students in academic libraries of North Central Zone. Identify the problems of academic library in federal polytechnics. The study will employ descriptive survey research design. Random sampling technique will be used in choosing the sample. The researcher adopted the use of questionnaire as the research instrument while the data obtained were analyzed using tables and descriptive statistics. The findings of the study shows that academic library render services such as circulation / borrowing service, bibliographic / references service, scanning, photocopying and printing, laptop loan / multi-media to her esteeming users and that Information communication technology have significant impact on services of the library as it has eased library operation, aid library in meeting users  need quickly, speed up the process of cataloguing and classification of library materials, enables most effective ways of resource sharing. The study recommends that the institution should provide information to support all key operations such as acquisition, circulation control, and serial management.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0       Introduction

The library occupies an important position in academic institutions such as University, Polytechnics, College of Education and other similar institution of higher learning. The importance of library in providing quality educational services cannot be overemphasized. The uniqueness of academic library set up in an institution must be a library that is made up of collection of print materials such as books, periodicals, newspapers, government publications, and non printed materials, such as audio – visual materials, machine readable format etc (Akinbode, 2012).

Library is simply described as a special designated building stocked with prints and non – print materials which are readily made available to the library users’ such as teachers, students, researchers, and staff of the institution through convenient book cataloguing and delivery system. Academic libraries are those attached to higher institution of learning like Universities, Polytechnics (Anafulu, 2016).

Libraries are service oriented organizations established for the provision of relevant information resources and quality services to meet their users’ information needs. (Sowole, 2015) noted that users are described as the reason (reason for existence) of the library. Meeting the information needs of users requires the provision of the actual information resources and services that will satisfy the needs of users. (Anafalu, 2016) stated that there are several factors that can influence user’s satisfaction; these factors include responsiveness, competence and assurances, tangibles and resources.

Providing quality services in academic libraries is now a major issue among academic librarians; they see the library more in terms of the provision of and access to service quality than as just a physical place. The roles of libraries and librarians themselves have been re-evaluating their role as reflected in many literatures. They emphasize the provision of good library service as more important to the users than the mere physical library building (Pikulsi and Cooper, 2017).

An academic library has an essential element for the development of literacy, teaching, learning, cultural and assimilation which are core imperative in every academic settings. There is no doubt that library has a significant role to play in our educational development given the singular reason, every educational sector emphasis it’s importance and has therefore do all what is humanly possible to provide learning materials in the library.

1. Background Of The Study

Library is simply described as a special designated building stocked with prints and non – print materials which are readily made available to the library users’ such as teachers, students, researchers, and staff of the institution through convenient book cataloguing and delivery system. Academic libraries are those attached to higher institution of learning like Universities, Polytechnics (Anafulu, 2016).

Libraries are service oriented organizations established for the provision of relevant information resources and quality services to meet their users’ information needs. Sowole (2015) noted that users are described as the reason (reason for existence) of the library. Meeting the information needs of users requires the provision of the actual information resources and services that will satisfy the needs of users. Anafalu (2016) stated that there are several factors that can influence user’s satisfaction; these factors include responsiveness, competence and assurances, tangibles and resources.

Pikulsi and Cooper (2017) argued that providing quality services in academic libraries is now a major issue among academic librarians; they see the library more in terms of the provision of and access to service quality than as just a physical place. The roles of libraries and librarians themselves have been re-evaluating their role as reflected in many literatures. They emphasize the provision of good library service as more important to the users than the mere physical library building.

An academic library has an essential element for the development of literacy, teaching, leaning, cultural and assimilation which are core imperative in every academic settings. There is no doubt that library has a significant role to play in our educational development given the singular reason, every educational sector emphasis it’s importance and has therefore do all what is humanly possible to provide learning materials in the library.

The academic environment is a place for teaching, learning, and research and knowledge creation. The library is a vital facility for enhancing learning, teaching, and research, and as the hub of all academic activities, is established for provoking intellectual excellence. The library is an information resource that provides and enhances personal and national development, and more so influence students’ overall academic achievement. Thus, the effective utilization of information resources in the library is critical to students’ overall academic performance. The study skill(s) adopted determine to a large extent how well students utilize information resources culminating in academic success.  Fayose (2001) points out that the library is essential to any educational development. Availability of adequate library facilities encourages passionate study behaviour in students early in life. It also helps students inculcate the attitude of self-inquiry and self-development. It is against this background that this study seek to examine the impact of academic library on academic performance of undergraduate students of Federal Polytechnic of North Central Zone, Nigeria.

1. Statement Of The Problem

Primarily academic libraries have a sole responsibility of ensuring there are relevant academic resources available for all members of the academic community including meeting national information needs. However several challenges or problems have tempered with the library ability to attain its utmost importance of enhancing academic performance of undergraduate students and the entire community of the institution. Such problems include lack of study skills and information seeking strategies by students which is due to absence of emphasis on teaching of study/information seeking strategies. Consequently, there is the problems of high level of information (knowledge) poverty that has consequences for the mass failure witnessed in today’s education. Lack of information resources is another problems faced by academic libraries as students cannot rely on the library because of the lack of library resources. They are likely to look elsewhere to satisfy their information needs in order to facilitate their academic performance. These problems jeopardizes the purpose of academic libraries in enhancing performance of the students and staff of the institution. Thus this study is necessary to examine the impact of academic library on academic performance of undergraduate students of Federal Polytechnic in North Central Zone of Nigeria.

1.3       Research Question

            This study is set to provide answers to the following questions.

1. What is the present state of the institution library?
2. To what extent do students make use of the library services in the institution?
3. What is the impact of academic libraries on the academic performance of undergraduates?
4. What are the problems encounters by students in academic libraries of North Central zone.

1.4       Objectives of the Objectives  

The general objective of this study is to examine the impact of academic library on academic performance of undergraduates of Federal Polytechnic libraries in north central zone, Nigeria – a case study of Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa.

The specific objectives of the study include:

1. Determine the present state of the institution library
2. To find out the extent to which students have used the library service in the institution
3. Determine the impact of academic libraries on the academic performance of undergraduate students
4. Identify the problems encounters by students in academic libraries of North Central zone.

1.5       Significance of the Study

The findings of this study on the impact of academic library on academic performance of undergraduate students of Federal Polytechnic libraries in North Central Zone, Nigeria are hoped to be of benefit to the library users (students and lecturers), the library management, librarians in the polytechnics and other academic libraries, polytechnic management, the government or proprietors of educational institutions, the library users who are all stake holders in the following ways:

1.  The students and lecturers through the availability and accessibility of an enriched collection specifically developed to support teaching, learning and research.
2. For the library management it will serve as a guide to the heads of academic libraries especially the acquisitions librarians in formulating a realistic and current acquisitions policy that would adequately develop the library collections according to the prioritized needs of the specific disciplines offered in the Polytechnics. Again it will assist them in making better and prioritized budgetary spread for acquisition in individual academic programmes offered in their institutions, and also solicit for alternative sources of support from donor agencies and individuals within and outside the country.
3. For the librarians in the polytechnics and other academics it is hoped that the study will be of benefit to all academic libraries particularly those in polytechnics through identifying the areas of deficiency in the collections that may hamper their effective patronage by the users. It will also help them to sustain and improve on their collections, organize regular library publicity strategies, and user education among others.
4.  It is hoped that Polytechnic management will benefit from the outcome of this study in making realistic budgetary allocation to the library, ascertaining whether the library is carrying out its responsibilities in line with mission and goals of the institution, and also providing the relevant information resources in all relevant fields

1.6       Scope of the Study

The study covered the impact of academic library on academic performance of undergraduates in Federal Polytechnic of North Central Zone of Nigeria. The scope of the study is limited to only the Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa.

1.7       Definition of Terms

1. Academic Library: Any library attached to a post-secondary or tertiary institution or libraries attached to universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of educations, colleges of agriculture etc.        
2. Library: A library is a social institution charge with the responsibilities of selection, acquisition, organization, interpretation, conservation, retrieval and dissemination of information by trained or professional librarians and para-professionals. Library is a store or ware house of knowledge. It serves as link between knowledge and users for social, economical, political and cultural development.
3. Academic Performance: This referred to the extents to which students have been able to succeed in the school works as indicated by their results.
4. Undergraduate: An undergraduate is a polytechnic or university student who is not a graduate student. Undergraduates are students of universities and colleges: they’ve graduated from high school and have been accepted to college, but they haven’t graduated yet.
5. North Central Zone: North-Central Nigeria is one of the geopolitical zones that make up the federation.The following states make up the North Central zone of Nigeria: Benue, FCT, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau