International Journal of Academic Library and Information Science

Vol. 10(7), pp. 261--269 September, 2022. 

ISSN: 2360-7858

https://doi.org/10.14662/ijalis2022310

 

Full Length Research

 

Competency Development as Correlates of Academic Librarians’ Education in Public University Libraries in Southern-Nigeria

 

Andy Umunna, Achonna1, Benjamin Kenechukwu, Nwobu2 and George Ogheneruemu, Onyenania3

 

The Library, Yaba College of Technology, P.M.B. 2011, Yaba-Lagos1&3 The Library, Federal College of Education (Tech.) Akoka, Lagos2 Corresponding authors’ 1E-mail: andyachonna@yahoo.co.uk, 2E-mail: kenebenjamin@yahoo.com 3E-mail: onyenaniageorge@yahoo.com  

*Corresponding authors’ 1E-mail: andyachonna@yahoo.co.uk

 

Accepted 25 September 2022

Abstract

Education has been observed as a tool for competency development. This study therefore examined the influence of education on the competency development of academic librarians in public universities in Southern Nigeria. The descriptive research design was employed on a population of 497 academic librarians in public university libraries in Southern-Nigeria, using stratified random sampling technique. Questionnaire was administered to the selected sample, while rate of return was 78% (386). Collected data through this process were analyzed through the use of statistical mean, standard deviation, simple correlation and regression statistics via SPSS version 20.15. Findings revealed that positive significant relationship exists between education and competency development of academic librarians in public university libraries in Southern-Nigeria. The result also revealed that education was a predictor of competency development of academic librarians in public university libraries in Southern-Nigeria. This confirms that academic librarians’ level of education significantly influences their competency development in public university libraries in Southern-Nigeria. The study therefore concluded that there exists positive significant relationship between education and competency development of academic librarians; and that education has significant positive effect or influence on competency development of academic librarians in public university libraries in Southern-Nigeria. Thus, the study recommends that public university management should establish a more robust, appropriate and relevant education and competency development policies that will suit the unique characteristics of individual academic librarians in public university libraries in Southern-Nigeria towards improving and sustaining librarians’ education and competency development for more effective and efficient information service delivery attainment in Nigeria.

 

Keywords: Academic Librarians, Competency development, Education, Public universities, Nigeria.

 

Cite This Article As: Achonna, A.U., Nwobu, B.K., Onyenania, G.O (2022). Competency Development as Correlates of Academic Librarians’ Education in Public University Libraries in Southern-Nigeria. Inter. J. Acad. Lib. Info. Sci. 10(7): 261-269