ABSTRACT

This study examined information technology literacy skills of librarians as correlate to electronic information services provision in public university libraries in South-East Nigeria. The study adopted the correlational research design with seven (7) research objectives, research questions and seven hypotheses. The population of the study was eighty-four (84) librarians comprising ten (10) university librarians and seventy-four (74) heads of departments/units from ten (10) public university libraries. There was no sampling since the population was small and manageable. A two (2) set of structured questionnaires with reliability coefficient of 0.987 for the independent variable and 0.972 for the corresponding dependent variable on Cronbach Alpha coefficient index and semi-structured interview schedules well-validated by research experts were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data for the study. The data collection processes yielded 90% response rate. The quantitative data generated were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMC) and linear regression for answering the research questions and testing of the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance, while the qualitative data were analysed qualitatively by reading and transcribing the audio recordings into notes to interpret the associated inferences using relevant subjective headings. The findings of the study revealed that word processing skills, online search skills, library automation skills, and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) management skills of librarians have a positive significant correlation with electronic information services in public university libraries in South-East Nigeria. It also showed that Web 2.0 skills, online collaboration skills and institutional repositories (IR) management skills of librarians had no statistical significant correlation with electronic information services provision in public university libraries. The findings further revealed that the expression of information technology literacy skills of librarians for electronic information services provision was affected by their preoccupation with managerial responsibilities, lack of adequate technological facilities such as library automation and RFID systems, lack of established institutional collaborative arrangement and Web 2.0 technologies, poor funding of university libraries, inadequate ICT skilled librarians, poor internet connectivity, and epileptic power supply. Based on the findings, the study recommended, among other measures, that management of universities should make information technology literacy skills mandatory requirements for appointment of librarians, while providing adequate funds to university libraries to enable the acquisition IT tools, RFID systems, Internet, library software and online databases as well as training of librarians for improve electronic information services provision in the public university libraries.