International Journal of Academic Library and Information Science
 

Vol. 6(7), pp. 196–208, October, 2018. 

ISSN: 2360-7858

DOI: 10.14662/IJALIS2018.043

Full Length Research

The study investigated undergraduate awareness, access, use, barriers, avoidance reasons and importance of ERs to students academic attainment. A case study research design was adopted. A total of 575 questionnaires were distributed to undergraduates of Bells University from four different colleges during the 2017/2018 academic session and 450 (78.3%) were returned  valid. The result revealed 99%, 96%, 75% and 67% of students have awareness of ERs such as DVD, Internet, ebooks and EJournal respectively. 75%, 71% and 67% of them use the internet, Ebooks and Ebrary. Similarly, 46% and 24% use personal laptops and the library as point of access to ERs. The findings of the study revealed that, cost of data, limited access to computer and internet, lack of information retrieval and searching skills constitute barriers and avoidance reasons to the use of ERs. The implications are students avoid the use of the ERs and library as point of access Thus, in order of importance to academic attainment, internet, Hinary, ebooks and eJournal recorded 75%, 71%, 71% and 68% respectively. However, general ERs are preferred to customised and subscribed ERs of the University (such as ebrary, Myilibrary, ebook Central academic complete library). The study recommended the provision of unlimited internet access, computer terminals, periodic hand-on trainings on the use of ERs and information retrieval cum searching skills for students as flexible platform of access for ERs. In addition, ERs use statistical data should be mined and retrieved from providers of subscribed ERs for future planning and development of the library.

Key Words: Undergraduate awareness, accessibility, utilisation, electronic resources, electronic resources, private University and academic library

Cite This Article As: Towolawi, K.O. and Fawole, O.O (2018). Awareness, Access and Use of Electronic Resources among Undergraduate Students in a Specialised Private University in Southwest Nigeria. Inter. J. Acad. Lib. Info. Sci. 6(7): 196-208