Awareness, Institutional Support and Utilization of Library Databases among Academic Staff in Universities in Kwara State, Nigeria.

Abstract

The study examined the awareness, institutional support, and utilization of library databases among academic staff in selected universities in Kwara State, Nigeria. A survey research design was employed, targeting a population of 2,940 academic staff from the chosen institutions. A sample size of 338 academics was selected using a simple random sampling technique. Questionnaires were distributed among the academic staff, and the collected data was analyzed using frequency counts, simple percentages, and means. The findings revealed that most academic staff are aware of library database provisions such as Emerald Insight, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, Hinari etc. Furthermore, the findings indicate a general agreement on low usage of library databases by the respondents. There was a lack of adequate institutional support provided to academic staff to enhance utilization of library databases. The study recommends that library management should intensify efforts in engaging the academic staff on the awareness of the library database provisions regularly by using social media platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp, Instant Messenger, and emails to further strengthen their awareness. The university library should intensify efforts in providing institutional support on user training and workshops to teach users how to search, navigate, download, and utilize library databases effectively.