ADOPTION OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES AND LIBRARIANS’ SERVICE DELIVERY IN FEDERAL UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES IN SOUTH-EAST, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined adoption of digital technologies and librarian’s service delivery in federal university libraries in South-East, Nigeria. Four objectives, and four research guided the study. The correlational survey research design was adopted for the study. A total of one hundred and fifty two (152) librarians from six federal university libraries, in South-East, Nigeria were used for the study population. Census sampling technique was adopted to select the entire population. Questionnaire was used as the instrument of data collection, titled: Adoption of Digital Technologies and Librarians Service Delivery (ADTLSD). Data were collected and analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). Out of 152 copies of instrument distributed, 143 were found valid for analysis. The findings of the study revealed that cloud computing (r-.604; p<0.05), has significant relationship with librarian’s service delivery of libraries in federal university libraries in South-East, Nigeria. It was found that radio identification frequency (RFID) (r-.836; p<0.05), virtual reference service (VRS) (r-.578; p<0.05), electronic resource management (r-.948; p<0.05), respectively, also have significant relationship with librarian’s service delivery of libraries in federal university in South-East, Nigeria. The study concludes that the advances in technology have greatly affected libraries, especially in transforming the ways federal university libraries operate, provide services, and interact with users. The study recommends, among others, that these university libraries should explore and invest in the integration of cloud computing, considering their advantages in facilitating remote access and increasing user satisfaction, basically for service delivery.