MEDIA RESOURCES, MANAGEMENT AND USE FOR INFORMATION SERVICE DELIVERY IN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES IN NORTHWEST STATES IN NIGERIA
Abstract
This study investigated Media Resources Organization and Utilization for Information Service Delivery in University libraries in Northwest states of Nigeria. In order to achieve this noble objective, five research questions were formulated to find out the types of media resources available for information service delivery in university libraries in Northwest states of Nigeria; systems used in organizing media resources in university libraries in Northwest states; systems used in utilizing media resources for effective information service delivery in university libraries in Northwest states of Nigeria; Media resources preferred by users and challenges to effective organization and utilization of media resources. Survey research method was adopted for the study. The population of the study was made up of the media staff in three Federal Universities i.e Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Bayero University, Kano and Usmanu Danfodiyo University,Sokoto. Structural questionnaires were used for collection of data and analyzed using frequency table and percentages. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for data analysis. The research concludes that both print, electronic and non print media resources like TV, radio, microfilm, microfiche etc are very much available for information services delivery in university libraries in Northwest states of Nigeria. And the users prefer electronic media resources more than the print resources. The study discovered that libraries use open and closed systems of organizing media resources. It was recommended that university libraries in Northwest states of Nigeria should be encouraged to use semi-open and semi closed system of organizing media resources to allow users to have easy access to resources. White cloth or towels should be used to cover the resources to prevent dust to penetrate into the resources for good utilization, This would enhance location and every access of the resources in various formats. This would also improve the life span of the resources.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Generally, information provision, access and utilization are made possible through variety of media; some of which may be in documented, printed and non printed formats. The extent to which needed information is available, accessed and utilized may largely depend on the type of media it is recorded and documented there in as well as the type of services provided to facilitate access and utilization.
Media refers to all means of communication which include non printed resources like audio visual and digital resources. e.g. microfilm, microfiche, slides, projector, television, Audio cassette, video cassettes, CDs, and DVDs. They have become one of the most important tools for entertainment, education and research. The academic life of students, staff and other library users depend on effective and efficient use of the library and information resources to satisfy their information needs. Herron (2010) has asserted that Librarians and information managers must be alert and keep abreast of the changing trends in information provision scene due to rapid and successive technological advances. In order to achieve these laudable benefits, libraries have to provide relevant resources that could aid teaching, learning and research.
Media resources have become an accepted form of communication in the society at large. Certain messages are communicated to targeted audience through musical songs in cassettes and discs, talks and lectures in audio and television programs, and acting in films.
These and other media of communication are what are heard and seen in day to day activities. People have no option than to stop to read, listen or watch some of the messages which easily capture their attention as they go about daily tasks. The new media has made the whole world a global village; communications are made easy between person to person and country to country. The use of media resources in libraries and information centers is
not new. Hicks (2009) stated
that media resources play a vital role in information generation, processing, and dissemination. Media resources like, microfilm, sound cassettes, video cassettes, slides, film projectors, CD’s, DVD’s. memos, photographs, tape recorders, etc. are very essential in information service provision. Librarians and information managers should therefore be alert and keep abreast of the changing trends that brought to bear on information provision scene to provide relevant resources that could aid teaching, learning and research.
Media Resources
Media refers to information resources used in transmission of a message or information Guyton (2010) described media resource as information resources in all formats that are vital for effective information service provision in library and information centers. Media are channels used for the transmission of a message. Kaam (2009) stated that Media resources play a vital role in generation, processing, and dissemination of information. Media resources like microfilm, sound cassettes, video cassettes, slides, film projectors, CDs and DVDs have become one of the most important tools for entertainment, education and research.
Information travels within space and time. Therefore there should be a holistic approach to acquisition /organization of information resources in order to add value to information services provided to end users. Media resources simply mean any source of information that can be read or consulted for knowledge. It could be documented or non documented, printed or non printed,
e.g. books journals, reference sources, audio visual and computer based resources (e-resources).
Media refers to resources used in transmission of a message or information. Media resources can also be construed as information resources whose mode of presentation is through a combination of different communication technique either simultaneously or sequentially. Media resources are storage and transmission channels or tools used to store and deliver information or data. The Chambers 21st century dictionary defines media as; a means by which news and information etc is communicated to the public, usually considered to be TV, Radio and press collectively.
Organization of Media Resources in University Libraries
Generally, information resources are organized in libraries to provide easy access to users, and help the librarians and information managers to locate information for users easily and promptly. It also enables them to assist the users in the conduct of in-depth research, and bring to their knowledge the materials that are to be consulted at a given time. Basically, easy access to information resources by users, form the general concept and purpose of information
organization that is applicable in all the libraries.
In order to have properly organized information resources in libraries, the use of cataloguing and classification is inevitable. Enright (2010) stated that cataloguing and classification were once extolled as democratizing knowledge. On the other hand, they have been described as a necessary evil, and inevitable way of organizing library collection. Therefore, cataloguing is strictly the art of describing books and non books materials pointing out bibliographic information about the materials such as author, editor, title, publisher/producer, place of publishing/ production date of publishing/ production. While classification generally, is the arrangement of resources in logical order according to their degree of likeness. It is the scheme for the arrangement of books and other resources in a logical sequence according to the subjects on the shelf and in the catalogue.
Media librarian classifies resources by grouping those with the same or related subjects together and assign to them number /symbol. The symbol or number so assigned identifies documents or resources as members of specific group (class) and aids the library in organizing the resources. The common practice of organizing information resources in librarianship is to assign numbers or class marks to documents based on classification scheme.
Heinz (2010) stated that inability to access information resources by users may be as a result of lack of in accurate bibliographic source to identify the resource. Kaam (2009) further stated that “availability of information does not necessarily mean its accessibility not to speak of its use. Media resources may be available in library and may bibliographically be relevant to one’s subject or area of interest, but the user may not be able to lay his hand on them due to lack of proper organization and other bibliographic information for the resources. Also one may identify the resources but may not have access to the sources containing the relevant information. The more accessible information sources are the more likely they are to be used. Readers tend to use information resources that requires least effort to access. Ibokwe (2010) stated that the problems faced by the media librarians are network problems, user friendly programme and lack of access to the web, lack of awareness or information on new media and epileptic power supply also constitute some challenges. Also, Ezer (2009) asserted that lack of proper organization of media resources may hinder its accessibility and poses problems to internet access, low internet bandwidth, lack of knowledge of where the resources are kept is due to lack of proper organization of the resources.
The challenges faced by media librarians in organizing media resources has been on since when media resources are being used in information service provision for effective teaching, learning, entertainment, study and research. Foskett (2010) maintained that it is uncommon to locate any media resource in any library without necessarily making the use of the process of obtaining these vital information resources from the library collections. The comprehensive goal of organizing media resources in libraries is to assist the media librarian and the library customers to locate the available resources which will best suit users specific needs and best satisfy their particular needs. To achieve this, an analysis of the goal of cataloguing must emphasize the fact that organization of media resources is essential requirement for goal achievement. The library customers must know what resources are available and where and how to locate them. Anil (2004) stated that the purpose of cataloguing and classification is to organize resources for easy retrieval and to indicate the location of the resources.
Boyle (2010) asserted that grouping like media resources in a prescribed order helps the customer to find the information resources wanted more easily and more quickly. Problem of organizing media resources are said to be inherent in the system used for shelving, Media resources which will assist the users to locate and retrieve the resources easily. Bell (2012) stated that the purpose of classifying media resources in libraries is to organize the resources for easy retrieval and to indicate the location of the resources. Grouping like resources together in a prescribed order helps the customer to find the media resources needed more easily and quickly and retrieve other available information resources which may be used for a particular purpose.
A very large collection of media is expected to grow indefinitely and also contain pictures and other many related media collections that contain pictures in many different forms, such as photographs, clippings, form periodicals, film slides, glass slides, transparencies, and realia as well, will have to be organized in a special card catalog of a picture collections. Anil (2004) opined that the essence of having a system of organizing media library collections is to provide immediate access to the material on hand and for the acquisition of other materials.
The fundamental aspect of utilization of media resources is the determination of information needs of the actual and potential users of information. Information service is defined as the process of providing access to information. It could also be said to be said to be the functions and activities carried out to satisfy the information needs of intended users. These activities include media broadcast, publications, extension visits etc. Information service is desired to meet the needs of library customers. Popoola (2008) enumerated information services provided in library as follows: Current awareness services (CAS); Statistical data analysis (SDA); Selective dissemination of information (SDI); Document Delivery, Computer Word Processing, CD-ROM Database searching. Indexing and Abstracting, translation of articles in current and noncurrent periodicals. Creation of data base through documentation of information anticipated to be of interest to potential users of services etc. Library services are essentially important in building up the information required by researchers. The value of information service in the present information dispensation is not possessing information per se but in providing access to it.
An efficient and effective utilization of media resources helps to facilitate access to all human knowledge, anytime, and anywhere in a friendly, and multimodal, by overcoming barriers of distance, language and cultures. And it will provide librarians and the customers of the resources to use the resources carefully and expertly maximizing their applications to the task at hand and understand the priorities of the customer of the collections. The power of information service in delivering information lies in the fact that it is multisensory, stimulating the senses of the customers/ audience. It is also interactive enabling the end users to content and the flow of information and the way to communicate information to the customers. This will make them active participant in their own learning process, instead of just being passive learners of any educational content. Hicks (2012) viewed information service delivery as essential to help the librarian to have a clear idea or understanding of the information needs of the clientele or the society before rendering services to them. Information service deliveries are many and they include information consultation, information searching, and user education. Information service delivery is an “essential function of management to make the members of the organization aware promptly of new information which will contribute or help them to perform their individual tasks with the highest degree of competence. It is employed to satisfy the customers in request of information. Prompt dissemination of these services will enable the customers to meet their specific needs. Information service delivery is closely related to notions of constraints, control form, instruction, knowledge, meaning, pattern, perception, representation and creative works of human intellect and imagination that have been communicated to promote human resourcefulness socially, politically, economically, scientifically and technologically. Kaam (2012) Relevant information service delivery promotes and
Utilization of Media Resources
Media resources have long been very valuable library collections because of the immense potential benefits derived from them by the library users. These have made many libraries to spend huge amount of money on such collections for their maintenance and utilization.
Neo (2011) Posited that Effective utilization of media resource involves making the most effective use of the resources whether in form of machines or other related resources. The people responsible for utilizing media resources are the customers, media managers, as well as other library staff who are chiefly responsible for planning, directing and running their operations. He further stated that media resource will be valueless in the library until it is put to use. Olanlokun (2010) stated that media resource is a vital tool in dissemination of information and making information available to the intended users. Utilization of media resources also refers to physical control of resources, preservation of resources, minimization of the obsolescence and damage through timely disposal, efficient handling, maintenance of the resources for proper location and stocking. Proper utilization of media resources in libraries and information centers will provide adequate and proper preservation of media resources and can protect them from obsolesce, surplus, and scrap through proper codification, preservation, stocking and use can effectively be made.
Media resources help in transmission of knowledge by providing the customers with a total information environment, and capable of giving information in its own unique way. The library being an organized medium for obtaining information must acquire media resources regardless of form or format and make them available to customers for entertainment, study and research. Properly utilized media resources help in transmission of knowledge by providing the customer with a total information environment, and are capable of giving information in its own unique way. Neo and Neo (2011) stated that media resources are organized and utilized in libraries and information centers to provide easy access to users, and help the media librarian to locate the needed resources for users easily and promptly. It also enables the users to consult the resources and to conduct in depth research.
An efficient and effective utilization of media resources helps to facilitate access to all human knowledge, anytime, and anywhere in a friendly, and multimodal, by overcoming barriers of distance, language and cultures. And it will provide librarians and the customers of the resources to use the resources carefully and expertly maximizing their applications to the task at hand and understand the priorities of the customer of the collections. The power of information service in delivering information lies in the fact that it is multisensory, stimulating the senses of the customers/ audience. It is also interactive enabling the end users to content and the flow of information and the way to communicate information to the customers. This will make them active participant in their own learning process, instead of just being passive learners of any educational content. Hicks (2012) viewed information service delivery as essential to help the librarian to have a clear idea or understanding of the information needs of the clientele or the society before rendering services to them. Information service deliveries are many and they include information consultation, information searching, and user education. Information service delivery is an “essential function of management to make the members of the organization aware promptly of new information which will contribute or help them to perform their individual tasks with the highest degree of competence. It is employed to satisfy the customers in request of information. Prompt dissemination of these services will enable the customers to meet their specific needs. Information service delivery is closely related to notions of constraints, control form, instruction, knowledge, meaning, pattern, perception, representation and creative works of human intellect and imagination that have been communicated to promote human resourcefulness socially, politically, economically, scientifically and technologically.
Kaam (2012) emphasized that relevant information service delivery promotes and develops the resourcefulness of a person, society or the nation at large. Katz (2010) has maintained that information service delivery provides library users with adequate information on variety of print and non print resources to ensure good consultation through proper codification and handling of the resources, preservation, stocking and use can effectively be made and communication of information can be done in a more effective manner. It can be an effective instructional medium for delivering information.
Kinder (2009) stated that the main purpose of utilization of media resource is to provide relevant and pertinent information desired to meet the needs of the library customers. It assist in good and quick information services to be delivered to customers in university libraries. Popoola (2010) maintained that information service delivery assist library customers to locate library resources easily and help the library staff in documenting library resources for research and consultation. Media resources can be used to provide all kinds of services to users, and other services to meet customer’s diverse needs. Information services are set out to identify and provide the use of documents or piece of information which could best help the user in his/her study, teaching or research.
Information service delivery generally requires careful planning for attainment of success to meet the desired goal in any library customer. This is usually achieved when the information resources are relevant and organized.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
University libraries are established to acquire process, organize, and disseminate information that will assist these universities to achieve their objectives. Guyton (2014) stated that the objective of any university is to provide public instruction to students in certain areas of knowledge; provide public service by training people for various profession especially in the areas of needs as articulated from time to time; make information available to members of their academic communities and those from outside, within the limit of the resources available, conduct research and extend the frontiers of knowledge; contributes to the efforts in finding solutions to the problems associated with the way on which these vital information resources are preserved, organized, managed and utilized to disseminate information.
Media resources have become very vital library collections because of the immense benefits derived from them by helping the library customers to obtain the desired information in whatever format whether in print, non print/electronics or new media. These have made many libraries to spend huge amount of money on these forms of library collections for their purchase, maintenance and utilization.
The researcher observed that even though libraries in North West states universities have large collections of media resources, the staff in charge of operating these resources find it difficult to organize these vital information resources in such a way that the customers can consult and make a good utilization of them to retrieve the required information for research, entertainment and study.
It is on this basis that the research was conducted to find out the problems associated with the organization of these materials with a view to proposing appropriate methods of organizing the resources for effective information services delivery in
university libraries in North West States of Nigeria.
1.3 Research Questions
The following research questions were formulated to guide this study.
- What types of media resources are available for information service delivery in university libraries in North West states in Nigeria?
- How are media resources organized for information service delivery in university libraries in Northwest states in Nigeria?
- How are media resources utilized for information service delivery in university libraries in Northwest states in Nigeria?
- Which media resources are more preferred by users in university libraries in Northwest states in Nigeria?
- What are the challenges to effective organization and utilization of media resources in university libraries in Northwest States in Nigeria?
1.4 Objectives of the study.
The main purpose of this study is to explore the extent of utilization of media resources for information service delivery in North Western states university libraries. But in specifically the study has the following objectives
- To find out how media resources are organized in North West states university
libraries.
- To find out how media resources are utilized in Northwestern states university
libraries.
- To find out which resources are preferred by users in Northwest states university
libraries.
- To find out the challenges to effective organization and utilization of media resources in university libraries in Northwest states of Nigeria.
1.5 Significance of the Study
The study has brought to light the challenges encountered by university libraries in organizing and utilizing media resources and offered solutions to such challenges. The research would be useful to customers and media librarians in understanding the proper ways of organizing and utilizing media resources for information service delivery in university libraries. The research is useful to customers and media librarians to understanding the proper ways of organizing and utilizing media collections in university libraries so their customers could easily retrieve media resources for research, studies and consultations. The study would be very useful to the university management and university librarians to know the best media resources needed/preferred by customers of media resources. The study would be of help to would be researchers, for further investigation on this important and special area of knowledge.
1.6 Scope of the Study
The study was limited to Federal university libraries in Northwest states in Nigeria. The three universities libraries were selected because all the libraries have media resource collections. The university libraries selected are: Kashim Ibrahim Library, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Bayero University library Kano and Abdullahi Fodio library Usman Dan fodio University, Sokoto.
1.7 Limitation of the Study
Due security threat in the country the study was restricted to three Federal Universities in the North west states university libraries in Nigeria (Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria,
Bayero University Kano, and Usmanu Danfodio University Sokoto)
Operational Definition of Terms
Information: Data, facts, ideas, knowledge and experiences conveyed through any available and feasible means to an individual, groups or society for enlightenment, educational, cultural, attitudinal and behavioral changes in social, technological, and economic development
Information Service: Is the process of providing customer to access information or the functions and activities carried out to ensure the availability of information to the intended users. These activities include media broadcast, publications, extension visit etc.
Information Service Delivery Any information service rendered to aid customers to locate a resource
Media: Media resources simply mean any source of information that can be read or consulted to obtain information. It could be printed or none printed. E.g. Newspapers, audio, audio visual,
Media Resources This term is used to describe the complete range of physical forms for the recording of information carried by the media, for example books, wall charts, video recording, sound recording and computer discs.
Media Resources Organization: Appropriate method of organizing or arrangement of media resources to satisfy the customer’s information needs.
Nigerian University Library established to serve the university clienteles, users or customers to obtain the needed information
Utilization of Media Resources: Making use of media resources in appropriate, purposeful and effective way to satisfy the customer’s information need.
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MEDIA RESOURCES, MANAGEMENT AND USE FOR INFORMATION SERVICE DELIVERY IN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES IN NORTHWEST STATES IN NIGERIA