Availability and use of library digital information resources by postgraduates students of university of Abuja

The growing supply of digital information resources in libraries has facilitated effective searching for the material needed by scholars. This study investigated availability and use of library digital information resources for research by postgraduate students of University of Abuja. Descriptive survey design was used for the study. The population of the study was 2323 postgraduate students of the University of Abuja. Using the Taro Yemen’s (1964) statistical formula, a sample size of 64 respondents was considered for the study. The instrument for data collection was questionnaire. To maximize return rate, the 64 questionnaires were distributed, filled and returned on the spot. Percentages, mean scores and standard deviation were used in analyzing the data. The findings revealed that the following resources were available: OPAC (Online Public Access Catalogue), online databases, e-journals, CD-ROMs, e-news paper and e-thesis. In addition, findings showed that the respondents were highly aware of all the digital information resources identified by the researcher. The findings further discovered that the identified resources were also used to a great extent by the respondents. However, some challenges such as server slowness, high cost of 'air time' for browsing, lack of skill to access digital information resources in local and foreign databases among others were identified as militating factors to effective use of the resources. The study therefore recommended that government should show more commitment to the development of an ICT base in the country by making available ICT grants to our universities and libraries in particular on annual basis among others.