Assessment of Use and Impact of Electronic Resources on Academic Performance of Students of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto-Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract Electronic resources have been defined as computer-based resources which are encoded and usually made accessible through a computer system or other electronic devices (LC, 2016). In view of the role played by the electronic resources in terms of academic achievement or excellence; it's obvious that no institution can record any academic success without effective library service delivery in which the provision of electronic resources is not an exemption. This study assessed the use electronic resources of the Abdullahi Fodiyo Library Complex (AFLC), and its impact on the academic performance of the students of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. The research design used for the study was survey (descriptive); a simple random sampling technique was used to collect data from the respondents. The instruments used for data collection was questionnaire and, the data collected were analyzed using the SPSS version 22. Findings revealed that students of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto have access to electronic resources in particular database such as ProQuest ebooks, ebrary, Law Pavilion, Lexis Nexis, Elsevier Science Direct, HINARI, JSTOR, RefHelp Desk, OARE, AGORA but the utilization of the e-resources was not impressive. The study also revealed that Abdullahi Fodiyo Library Complex has basic infrastructure for effective electronic service delivery. The challenges faced in the use of electronic resources were technical know-how, inadequate ICT staff, lack of relevant search skills due to inadequate user training, sporadic power supply, low internet signal/download time, no internet to access from home, inadequate facilities among others. The paper recommended that more advocacy, sensitization and publicity to be employed to promote the use of electronic resources in the University, lecturers to mandate their students to cite online resources in any given assignment, institution to boost the existing internet connectivity to ensure provision of effective internet services within the institution, libraries to organize more Information Literacy training for users to increase the awareness of e-resources and improve skills that will enable them to make best use of the available resources, more technical staff to be posted to the University eLibraries and the e-rooms to provide necessary assistance to users when needed, Abdullahi Fodiyo library to subscribe to more electronic resources that will allow on-campus access via the IP as well as remote access for the off-campus users, alternative power back up such as inverter, industrial UPS or solar energy to be provided to ensure constant power supply for 24/7 access to library electronic resources.

Keywords: Electronic resources, academic libraries, university library, database, academic performance, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, e-resources, Abdullahi Fodiyo, library, libraries