ASSESSMENT OF AVAILABILITY AND UTILIZATION OF LIBRARY RESOURCES AND SERVICES BY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OF BIOLOGY EDUCATION IN TWO UNIVERSITIES IN BENUE STATE

Abstract

This study is aimed at determining the availability and utilization of library resources by undergraduate students of Biology Education in two University libraries in Benue State. Three     research questions were answered by the study while one null hypothesis were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significant. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. The study was carried out in Benue State using targeted population of 1075 undergraduate students of Biology Education from Benue State University Makurdi and federal University of Agriculture Makurdi. The sample for the study was 292 undergraduate students from the two universities. The data were analyzed using mean to answer the research question and t-test statistics to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that some resources were available in the library and also some services were available in the two university libraries. It further revealed that, these resources are used in the two libraries and the available services in the two libraries are also used. Factors hindering the usage of library resources such as out dated information materials; power failures, lack of current awareness among others were discovered. It further revealed that, there is a statically significant difference between the mean ratings of the responses of respondents, the following recommendations were made. Current information resources should be provided in the two libraries. Also, user education programmes should be properly organised in the two university libraries and Stand-by generators should be provided in the two university libraries to avoid power frustration and finally, awareness should be created on availability of library resources in the two libraries among others.