POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS ACCESSIBILITY AND UTILIZATION OF INFORMATION RESOURCES IN THE UNIVERSITY OF UYO MAIN LIBRARY
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The library is not just a reservoir of knowledge, information and human experiences but it is a place that creates an avenue for accessing treasure. In view of this, students in tertiary institutions especially the postgraduate students make use of the library for academic materials, equipment, assistance and guidance. This is because library resources and equipments provide both access to information and the information itself. It helps the institution to achieve its objective of producing users that are information literate (Prout, 2009). It exists to implement, enrich, vitalize and humanize the educational programmes, as it strives to attain excellence in content, process and product (Maliki & Uche, 2007).
A textbook according to Okiy (2008) is a manual of instruction or a standard book in any branch of study. They are produced according to the demand of the educational institutions. It can also be a teaching tool (material) which presents the subject matter defined by the curriculum. Textbooks promote over involvement of the teacher and under involvement of the learner. It is also possible that textbooks are designed to promote loosely co-operative styles of learning. Another basic reason for using particular textbooks is for learners who, for various reasons, had missed lessons to catch up. Textbooks also made it possible for the students to prepare in advance for the appropriate lessons. The chance to look ahead to future lessons and spend time preparing oneself for them is welcome to many learners. This is particularly so when the learner is having trouble staying in touch with the average level of the group he or she belongs (Hannabuss, 2008).
Most digital journals are only published on the web and in a digital format, but most electronic journals originated as print journals, which subsequently evolved to have an electronic version, while still maintaining a print component. As academic research habits have changed in line with the growth of the internet, the e-journal has come to dominate the journals world (Meera & Ummer, 2010). Journal articles are available for download in two formats – as a Portable Document Formats (PDF) and in Hypertext Mark-up Language format (HMTL), although other electronic file types are often supported for supplementary material. Articles are indexed in bibliographic databases, as well as by search engines. E-journals allow new types on content to be included in journals, for example video material, or the data sets on which research has been based (Wilson, D’Ambra & Drunnond, 2014).
A database is a collection of information that is organized so that it can be easily accessed, managed and updated. Data is organized into rows, columns and tables, and it is indexed to make it easier to find relevant information. A database is a collection of information organized to provide efficient retrieval. Library database makes use of database management systems offered by different vendors like Oracle, Informix, Ms SQL and Micro Soft Access. The databases are made up of cataloging module used for the creation, storage, retrieval and management of bibliographic records and/or indexes. It also defines the record format used in the database and provides for authority control, author and subject headings. It comprises two different interfaces for search and retrieval of the electronic catalog for catalogers that allow them to maintain the library database and for users that allow them to search and display the results (Alhaji, 2007).
An electronic book (e-book) is a book publication made available in a digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. It can be seen as an electronic version of a printed book that can be read on a computer or handheld device designed specifically for such purpose. Electronic books have caused a rapid progress in educational media since the early 1990s (Gibson, C. Gibb, 2011). The emergence of concepts such as electronic books and electronic learning into the field of education indicates development of education and creation of the possibility to learn for everyone anywhere and anytime. According to the author, electronic learning provides easier and wider access to information for education as it makes coordination and collaboration between experts and students and shows more rate of success compared to the conventional method as well. E-books offer a number of advantages over print for both the patron and the library. For the patron, e-books offer all round availability, remote access outside the physical library, full text searching, and copying and pasting of text and images. For the library, e-books require no shelf space or re-shelving and are never lost, damaged, stolen, or overdue (Hwang, Kim, Lee & Kim, 2014).
Utilization is the ability of someone or group of persons to learn to apply knowledge to service. It can also be seen as the ability of academics or researchers to adopt and adapt technologies to achieve a purpose or set goals. Accessibility means to be aware, install, download, copy, or otherwise benefit from using a service or the functionality of any technology (Ukpebor, 2012). However, Utilization of information resources is the ability and the extent to which the users could access and explore information resources to achieve quality and easy academic and research executions. This study attempts to examine postgraduate students and utilization of information resources in the University of Uyo Main Library.