ABSTRACT
This work sought
to provide answers on issues bothering on Librarians’ use of social media in
the provision of library and information services in university libraries in
South-East, Nigeria. Six specific objectives and six corresponding research
questions guided the study which include to: identify the types of social media
used by librarians in the provision of library and information services in these
university libraries, investigate the extent to which librarians integrate them
to provide library and information services in these libraries, among others. Six
null hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 significance level. The
study reviewed related literature and was centred on three theoretical
frameworks namely: The Diffusion of Innovation Theory, McLuhan Media Theory and
Uses and Gratification Theory. Relevant empirical studies were reviewed and
inferences drawn. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study.
It covered the South-Eastern states of Nigeria. The study has a population of
177. The entire population was used for the study adopting enumerative sampling
technique.
Social media university librarians’ use
questionnaire (SMULUQ) was used as the data collection instrument, which was
validated and tested for reliability. The data collected was scored using a
4-point rating. Data were analyzed using the mean (x) statistics to answer
research questions and standard deviation to determine degree of responses. The
hypotheses were tested using t—Test statistical tool at 0.05 level of
significance. The study ascertained that Facebook,
Whatsapp and Online professional group are the social media used by librarians
to provide library and information services in university libraries in
South-East Nigeria. Eight types of library and information services that
librarians apply social media to provide library and information services include
resource sharing and inter-library loan services, among
others. Librarians in these university libraries, to a high extent,
integrate three social media in the provision of library services. Uploading videos on Facebook, applying ethics in sharing information
content, creating and managing Whatsapp groups
for users, are the ICT skills they possess to effectively integrate
social media to library and information services. Low
bandwidth / slow internet connectivity, insufficient knowledge about social
media platforms, non-existence of social media policy, were among the fourteen
challenges librarians contend with in integrating social media to their
services. Twelve strategies for effective integration of social media in
the provision of library and information services were suggested to include increasing awareness on use of social media tools for
library and information services, improving ICT skills of librarians,
organizing of workshops on application of social media to library and
information services, etc. Besides, there was
no significant difference between the mean responses of librarians in
federal and state-owned universities in South-East Nigeria on the various
variables tested in provision of library and information services. The study
recommends, among other things that University
librarians and library managers should integrate the use of social media in
providing library and information services in order to adequately meet the
demands of library users in the 21st century.
CHARIS, O (2022). Librarians’ Utilization Of Social Media In Provision Of Library And Information Services In University Libraries In South-East, Nigeria. Mouau.afribary.org: Retrieved Dec 23, 2024, from https://repository.mouau.edu.ng/work/view/librarians-utilization-of-social-media-in-provision-of-library-and-information-services-in-university-libraries-in-south-east-nigeria-7-2
ONYEMAUCHECHUKWU, CHARIS. "Librarians’ Utilization Of Social Media In Provision Of Library And Information Services In University Libraries In South-East, Nigeria" Mouau.afribary.org. Mouau.afribary.org, 18 Oct. 2022, https://repository.mouau.edu.ng/work/view/librarians-utilization-of-social-media-in-provision-of-library-and-information-services-in-university-libraries-in-south-east-nigeria-7-2. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
ONYEMAUCHECHUKWU, CHARIS. "Librarians’ Utilization Of Social Media In Provision Of Library And Information Services In University Libraries In South-East, Nigeria". Mouau.afribary.org, Mouau.afribary.org, 18 Oct. 2022. Web. 23 Dec. 2024. < https://repository.mouau.edu.ng/work/view/librarians-utilization-of-social-media-in-provision-of-library-and-information-services-in-university-libraries-in-south-east-nigeria-7-2 >.
ONYEMAUCHECHUKWU, CHARIS. "Librarians’ Utilization Of Social Media In Provision Of Library And Information Services In University Libraries In South-East, Nigeria" Mouau.afribary.org (2022). Accessed 23 Dec. 2024. https://repository.mouau.edu.ng/work/view/librarians-utilization-of-social-media-in-provision-of-library-and-information-services-in-university-libraries-in-south-east-nigeria-7-2