PROMOTION OF SUSTAINABLE HEALTHCARE PRACTICES, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND INFORMATION ACCESS BY USERS OF MEDICAL LIBRARIES IN NORTH-EAST NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigates the promotion of sustainable healthcare practices, community engagement, and information access among users of medical libraries in North-East Nigeria. The research was guided by three key objectives: to identify the level of promotion of sustainable healthcare practices by users of medical libraries, to assess the extent of community engagement among these users, and to determine the degree of information access available to them. A survey research design was adopted, and data were collected using a self-structured instrument titled Sustainable Healthcare and Library Engagement Questionnaire (SHLEQ). The instrument was validated by experts in Health Information Science and demonstrated strong reliability with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.86. The study targeted 426 users drawn from eight major medical libraries across the region, using proportionate random sampling. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. Findings reveal that the level of promotion of sustainable healthcare practices among users of medical libraries is moderate, with considerable variations across institutions. Awareness of sustainable health information is relatively high, but active dissemination and application of the knowledge remain limited. The study also found that community engagement among users is moderately strong; however, engagement efforts are hindered by inadequate outreach programs and restricted collaboration between medical libraries and community health stakeholders. Conversely, the degree of information access was found to be relatively high, particularly regarding digital medical resources, open-access journals, and public health information, though challenges such as unstable internet connectivity and inadequate ICT infrastructure persist. The study concludes that medical libraries in North-East Nigeria play an important role in promoting sustainable healthcare, engaging communities, and enhancing access to critical information. However, their impact is constrained by infrastructural challenges, insufficient community-library collaboration, and limited user training on sustainable healthcare resources. Recommendations include strengthening health information literacy programs, enhancing community outreach, upgrading ICT infrastructure, and promoting strategic partnerships with health institutions and NGOs.