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Adoption of Automation and Effectiveness of Library Services By Librarians in Academic Libraries in Abia State
Abstract
The study examined adoption of automation and effectiveness of library services by librarians in academic libraries in Abia State. It adopted the survey research design with four objectives to guide the study. The population of the study comprises 27 librarians of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) Library. The data for the study was collected using the structure questionnaire and the census sampling technique was used since all the study population were used. The instrument yielded a 100% response rate. Data collected were analysed using the descriptive statistics which showed the frequency counts, mean scores and standard deviations, while the corresponding hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance with the chi-square inferential method. The findings revealed that library services necessary for automation in academic libraries by librarians include acquisition, circulation, cataloguing and classification, etc. It also showed that the facilities needed for automation of academic library services are computers, printers, scanners, effective internet services, etc. The study further revealed that the status of automation of academic library services in the academic library under study is not effective. The study showed the problems of automation of academic library services in Abia State to include inadequate funding of academic libraries, inadequate ICT skills of librarians, por internet access, etc. However, the test of hypothesis revealed that there is a relationship between automation and effectiveness of library services in academic libraries by librarians in Abia State. Consequently, the study conclusively recommends, among other things, that management of academic libraries should provide adequate funding to academic libraries to enable plan and execute effective automation of library services in academic libraries.
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References
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