TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
Title Page – – – – – – – – –
Declaration – – – – – – – – ii
Certification – – – – – – – – iii
Dedication – – – – – – – – iv
Acknowledgements – – – – – – – – v
Table of Contents – – – – – – – – vi
List of Tables – – – – – – – – x
List of Appendices – – – – – – – –
Abstract – – – – – – – – xi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study – – – – – 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem – – – – – 6
1.3 Objectives of the Study – – – – – 8
1.4 Research Questions – – – – – 9
- Hypotheses – – – – – 9
1.6 Significance of the Study – – – – – 10
1.7 Scope of Study – – – – – 11
1.8 Definition of Terms – – – – – 12
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.1 Introduction – – – – – – – 14
2.2 Theoretical Framework – – – – – – 15
2.2.1 Customer’s Satisfaction Theory – – – – 15
2.2.2 Theory of Information Science by BirgerHjorland (1998) – 17
2.3 Conceptual Framework – – – – – – 18
2.3.1 Concept of Information Technology – – – 18
2.3.2 Information Technology Tools – – – – – 19
2.3.3 Concept of Accessibility – – – – – 20
2.4 Internet and Library Services Accessibility – – – 22
2.5 Printer and Library Services Accessibility – – – 23
2.6 Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC)
andLibrary Services Accessibility – – – – 25
2.7 Photocopier and Library Services Accessibility – – 27
2.8 Review of Related Empirical Studies – – – 28
2.9 Summary of Literature Review – – – 30
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODS
- Introduction – – – – – – – – 32
- Research Design – – – – – – – 32
- Area of Study – – – – – – – 33
- Population of Study – – – – – – 34
- Sample and Sampling Technique (s) – – – – 35
- Instruments for Data Collection – – – – – 37
3.6.1 Validity of Instrument – – – – – – 37
3.7 Procedure for Data Collection – – – – – 38
3.8 Method of Data Analysis – – – – – – 38
CHAPTER FOUR: ANALYSIS OF DATA AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
4.1 Introduction – – – – – – – – 39
4.2 Analysis of Data – – – – – 39
Answering of Research Questions/Hypothesis Testing – 40
4.3 Discussion of the Findings – – – – – 52
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary – – – – – – – 55
5.2 Conclusion – – – – – – – 57
5.3 Recommendations – – – – – – 58
REFERENCES – – – – – – 59
APPENDICES – – – – – –
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE TITLE PAGE
1 Distribution of Population by Year of Study – – – 34
2 Mean Responses of the Influence of Internet on Library
Services Accessibility – – – – – – 40
3 Mean Responses of the Influence of Printer on Library
Services Accessibility – – – – – – – 42
- Mean Responses of the Influence of Online Public Access
Catalogue (OPAC) on Library Services Accessibility – – 44
- Mean Responses of the Influence of Photocopier on Library
Services Accessibility – – – – – – 46
- Test of Significance for Influence of Internet on Library
Services Accessibility – – – – – – – 48
- Test of Significant for Influence of Printer on Library
Services Accessibility – – – – – – 49
- Test of Significant for Influence of Online Public Access
Catalogue (OPAC) on Library Services Accessibility – – 50
- Test of Significant for Influence of Photocopier on Library
Services Accessibility – – – – – – – 51
ABSTRACT
This study investigated Information Technology Tools and Library Services Accessibility in University of UyoLibrary. It had four objectives, four research questions and four hypotheses. The study was guided by Customer’s Satisfaction Theory and Theory of Information Science. It employed a descriptive survey design, questionnaire was used to gather data. The population of the study was 154 of 100 level, 200 level, 300 level and 400 level undergraduates students of Library and Information Science in the Department of Educational Technology and Library Science who registered in the library during the 2017/2018 academic session. 77undergraduate’s students of Library and Information Science in the Department of Educational Technology and Library Science was used as sample of the study. The data obtained were analysed using mean and standard deviation for the research questions and t-Test was used to test hypotheses at .05 level of significance. The study revealed that, there isno significant influence of Internet, printer, Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) and photocopier on library services accessibility in University of Uyo library. It was concluded that there is need for libraries to greatly engage in information technology tools to help them facilitate library services accessibility to enhance student’s satisfaction in University of Uyo library.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
- Background to the Study
The universities are in existence for the improvement of learning, teaching and research. The university education is geared towards the production of intellectuals capable of independent learning and research. For the independent learning and research to take place, the university education should depend largely on information resources and services provided by the library as these are the driving force for making the society an educated one (Crowley &Gilreath, 2012). According to Danuta (2016), academic libraries assist the mother institutions in the discharge of their functions by acquiring all relevant resources necessary for sustaining the teaching, learning, and research and service functions of the institution.
Ideally, the use of technologies of modern computer-based information systems according to Hiller (2011), is a major force that has transformed the traditional library methods used in library practices.
According to the author, it is expected that all technologies used in processing, storing and communicating data and information in libraries should be managed as an integrated system and be used as service delivery tools in libraries. Notably, today’s libraries are service providing institutions because Information Technology (IT) has provided a means of reversing the traditional paradigm, not only by providing accesses to information, but also by disseminating information and fostering interaction. Library services ranges from membership registration, acquisition, cataloguing, resource sharing, circulation, inter library loan, reference services, current awareness service, selective dissemination of information, and document delivery can be offered through the Internet (Afolabi and Abidoye, 2013).
The Internet is an offshoot of Information Technology (IT) that has increasingly become an invaluable asset in education in terms of learning, teaching and research (Capron, 2014). The author observes that its role in information handling, packaging, storing, retrieval and dissemination is at the root of any meaningful academic enterprise all over the globe. The
Internet is a worldwide collection of networks, gateways, severs and computers using a common set of telecommunication protocols to link up. It provides worldwide access to information resources. According to Daniel (2013), the Internet has become the symbol of the information age and a means of accessing and sharing of information now extending throughout the whole culture of human beings. To Ekong (2008), Internet is a worldwide network that connects hundreds of thousands of smaller networks. This networks link educational commercial, non-profit and military establishments and even individuals. It plays an important role in accessing library services. Internet enhances services in a way libraries organize, manage and disseminate information to the teaming users.
The printer is another Information Technology tool that can facilitate effective accessibility of library services. A printer is a device that accepts text and graphic output from a computer and transfers the information to paper, usually to standard size sheets of paper (Baker, 2016). The history of printer according to Baker (2016) goes back to the duplication of images by
means of stamps in very early times. The use of round seals for rolling an impression into clay tablets goes back to early Mesopotamian civilization before 3000 BCE, they feature complex and beautiful images. The use of small stamps for seals preceded the use of larger blocks. Printing on cloth certainly preceded printing on paper or papyrus. The process is essentially the same. According to Lahood& Sullivan (2009), the development of printing as an information technology tool has made it possible for books, newspapers, magazines, and other reading materials to be produced in great numbers, and it plays an important role in promoting literacy and improving library services.
         Library Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) first emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s and has gone through several cycles of change and development (Sridhar, 2014). According to Sridhar the basic purpose of the OPAC is to create a database of library holdings which provides an online catalogue to help users to identify and find resources easily. Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) is an electronic catalogue which contains complete bibliographic and holding information of all items in the library (Adedibu, 2008). The OPAC is the gateway to library’s collection and an electronic database that contains the same information such as author, title, and subject information about the materials that a library owns (Ansari, 2008). Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) according to Dilger (2008), can refer to either the actual workstation in the library, or to the interface provided by the library that is accessible from anywhere and an online bibliography of a library collection that is available to the public.
A photocopier (also known as a copier or copy machine) is an information technology tool that makes paper copies of documents and other visual images quickly and cheaply (Orr, 2013). Most current photocopiers use a technology called xerography, a dry process that uses electrostatic charges on a light-sensitive photoreceptor to first attract and then transfer toner particles (a powder) onto paper in the form of an image. Heat, pressure or a combination of both is then used to fuse the toner onto the paper. Copiers can also use other technologies such asink jet, but xerography is
standard for office copying. Photocopy is the duplicating of an original document by the use of photocopier machines. The use of photocopier is however, encouraged in libraries to avoid mutilation and outright stealing of library materials.
         The place of Information Technology in library services accessibility cannot be over emphasised. Academic libraries need to be repositioned to ensure that the transformation brought by Information Technology and other related technologies is appreciated. That means, University of Uyo library is expected to apply the Information Technology tools in order not to be left behind as well as provide effective services that satisfy the teaming library uses. Therefore, it becomes imperative to examine the influence of Information Technology tools on library services accessibility in University of Uyo library.
