AUTOMATION OF ACADEMIC LIBRARY: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS

OLUDIPE Janet Titilayo & BABAFEMI, Grace Olabisi

Abstract

Automation of academic library has played indispensable and inevitable roles for university undergraduate students by bringing academic information closer to them conveniently. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the challenges and prospects of automation of academic library among Nigerian university undergraduate students.  Four research questions were raised and answered for the study. This study adopted a descriptive survey design. One hundred respondents were selected from the University of Ilorin, Ilorin and National Open University, (NOUN) Ilorin Centre using simple random sampling technique.  Questionnaire on the Challenges and Prospects of Automation of Academic Library” (QCPAAL) was used to collect data for the study. Descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions. Findings showed that the majority of the respondents which represented 74% agreed that the level of automation of academic library in Nigerian Institutions was high. It was shown that the Micro Computerized Documentation System/Integrated Set of Information Storage and Software Package (CDS/ISIS) constituted the software packages that have been used for automation of academic library which has a highest mean score. The findings indicated that the abnormal termination of the system constituted the major challenge facing effective utilization of automation of academic library which has the highest mean score. It was shown that improving on network problem constituted the major way out for enhancing the effective utilization of automation of academic library which has the highest mean score. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that the university management should endeavour to make adequate provision for the effective utilization of automation of academic library among university undergraduate students so that level of automation of academic library in Nigerian Institutions should be improved holistically. The university management should ensure that software packages for automation of academic library should be provided adequately and effectively.