Extent of Information and Communication Technology Skills Possessed by Librarians in University Libraries in Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract

Persistent innovations and advances in Information and Communication Technology have substantially modified the way information is acquired, processed, stored, retrieved, and communicated. This has consequently changed the ways the library, which is visibly and significantly placed in the profession of information management operates, hence creating the need for library and information professionals to be sufficiently skilled in ICT operations which are now necessary for effective information services delivery. However, users are seemingly starved with services which the library professionals are expected to deliver through the use of ICTs. This implies that librarians are possibly not conversant with ICTs that they might be unable to respond to users’ needs promptly and render excellent library service to users as well. This is an ugly situation and may likely bring discredit to librarians and library profession in this 21st Century. This study therefore surveyed extent of Information and Communication Technology skills possessed by librarians in the universities in Anambra State, Nigeria. The research design adopted for this study is descriptive survey. The population consists of thirty-three (33) librarians in the five universities in Anambra State. Population was small hence, the whole subjects were studied. Two instruments - achievement test and questionnaire were used for data collection. Data obtained were analyzed using simple percentages, frequencies, and mean rating. Findings of the study include: Librarians in the universities in Anambra State are weakly skilled in ICTs hence their overall average percentage score in ICT skills was 58.3%. Their average percentage scores in dimensions of ICT are as follows: Basic Computing 83%, File Management 71%, Word Processing, 76%, E-mail operations 54%, Automated Cataloguing and Classification/use of OPAC 42%, use of Library Automation Software 56%, use of the Internet/WWW 61%, Information Search and Retrieval 62%, Presentation using Microsoft Power Point, 40%, Database Creation/Management 38%. Average percentage scores showed that librarians are highly-skilled in Basic Computing, Word Processing, and File Management and are moderately-skilled in Information Search and Retrieval, Internet and World Wide Web. They are weakly-skilled in Library Automation, E-mail operations, and are not skilled in Automated Cataloguing and Classification/use of OPAC, presentation using Microsoft Power Point, Database Creation/Management. Challenges militating against librarians’ ICT skills acquisition were identified and solutions were proffered.