Awareness and Usage of Online Databases among Postgraduate Students in Library and Information Programmes in Universities in South-South, Nigeria
Keywords:
Universities, Postgraduate students, Awareness, Usage, Online databasesAbstract
This work examines awareness and use of online databases among
postgraduate students in library schools in South-South Nigeria. A survey
was conducted using questionnaire to collect data from a total of 121
postgraduate students in the three library schools accredited by the NUC
and the LRCN to offer Library and Information Programmes at postgraduate
level in South-South Nigeria. Data collected were analysed using Statistical
Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings indicate that the level of
awareness of online databases among LIS postgraduate students in the three
institutions under study is low and this affected their usage as they were
underutilized. Furthermore, the findings of the study identify lack of
awareness of the existence of relevant online databases, inconsistence of
electricity supply, lack of/inadequate information (Internet) skill as major
impediments to the access to and use of online databases. This paper,
therefore, recommends that libraries intensify their awareness campaigns
for the online databases which they subscribed to and ensure that they
subscribe to relevant online databases in order to avoid their
underutilization which is bound to occur if libraries keep subscribing to
online databases that are not relevant to disciplines within the institutions.
In addition, the study recommends that libraries organize user education
and workshop on the use of online databases and provide constant electricity
supply.
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