ASSESSMENT OF THE COMPETENCIES OF LIBRARIANS IN THE USE OF ICT FOR REFERENCE AND INFORMATION SERVICE IN ACADEMIC LIBRARIES IN ENUGUSTATE

ABSTRACT

This study examined  the Assessment  of the competencies  of librarians  in the use of ICT  for Reference and Information services in Academic libraries in Enugu State. The study was carried out to identify reference librarians tasks, background,  knowledge,  skills and  personal attitudes required in the performance of  his job. Six research questions were formulated    to guide the study. The research design adopted was a descriptive survey.   The population of the study was one hundred (100) librarians  working in the reference  section of academic libraries in Enugu State.  There  was no  sampling  since  the  population  was  small  and  it can be  manageable.  A structured questionnaire was used to get data from the librarians. Observation guide was used to get data on ICT resources/facilities available and its functionality, while the interview were used to  elicit  information  from  librarians  working  in  reference  section  of  these  libraries.    The instruments  were  face-validated  by three  senior  lecturers  in  the  Department  of  Library  and Information Science and faculty of Education. Major findings showed that ICT  resources were available  in reference  sections,  and that librarians  need some skills in  order  to enhance their competencies for efficient service delivery. A number of strategies could be used to enhance the acquisition  of    ICT  competencies  by librarians  working  in  reference  section.  These  include training and retraining through workshops, seminars/ conferences and attending IT programs as this will make them bring out their best in discharging their duties.  Based on the above   findings, the following recommendations  were  made: that the academic libraries should have a separate budget for the development of  ICT infrastructure  and continuing staff development.  They can also work at providing  alternative power supply through the use of generators or solar energy.

Background of the Study

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

Academic  Libraries  are  those  established,  owned  and  funded  by academic  institutions- Universities,  polytechnics and colleges which they are part of. Any library attached to a post- secondary or tertiary institution to serve its educational and research purposes can be described as an academic library. Libraries according to Ekere (2006) are libraries situated in institutions of higher  learning  such  as  universities,  polytechnics,   colleges  of  education,  and  colleges  of Agriculture etc. are known as academic libraries.  Academic libraries design their collections and services to meet the education, research and academic programs of the institutions. Ekere (2006) stated that Academic Libraries vary in shape, size and objectives or mission statements, from one institution to another, but both academic and administrative, are all designed and geared towards the  achievement  of  the  educational  objectives  set  by  the  individual  academic  institutions. Osadebe (2009) cited Brian as saying that the academic library is more than a collection of books, it supports new technologies in teaching, learning and research, offering everything from books to digital,  databases  as well as social  meeting  spaces  for  students  and  other  services  provided through their academic librarians.

The operational  definition  of competencies  for this study is based on that accessed  on

31/7/2015,   http:/www.doi.gov/training.  Competencies  refer to skills or knowledge that  lead  to superior performance. These are formed through an individual/organization’s knowledge, skills and abilities and provide a framework for distinguishing between poor performances through to exceptional  performances.  Competencies  can apply at  organizational,  team,  occupational  and functional  levels.  Competencies   are  individual   abilities  or  characteristics   that  are  key  to effectiveness in work. Competencies can also be described as the characteristic of a manager that lead to the demonstration of skills and abilities, which result in effective performance within an organization.

Academic librarians are librarians working in academic libraries. They are professionals who  provide  links  between  the  reader  and  the  intellectual  content  of  the   library.  Their qualifications  include first degree honors’ in librarianship  and above.  No  library can function effectively  without  the  help  of  a  librarian.  They  are  responsible  for  acquiring,  describing, classifying,  administering,  preserving  and organizing  these  materials  by introducing  effective access control devices and interpret their content through personalized services.

The role of academic  library is to provide the curricular  and educational  needs of  the students as well as to support the teaching staff in their up-to-date materials required  for their teaching jobs. The main goal of academic library is to support the objective of the host institution, which has to do with learning, teaching, research and services. The extent, to which the institution is able to carry out its laudable objectives, portrays how well the institution’s library has been supportive  to it in the provision of all the essential  information  services.  With the advent of information and communication technology (ICT),  the role of academic librarians in providing different library services has changed.  In order to keep up with the new trend in librarianship, especially in this digital era, the academic librarian should be able to learn some techniques that will enable him/her to fit into the world of technology. Therefore, librarians should be familiar with e-learning and e-learning practices. He/ she is expected to collaborate with faculty members and teach the use of library on the e-learning platform.  According to Kumar (1996), every well- organised library should have a number of sections or departments. One of the key sections is the reference section.

A reference section is that section that provides reference service. Reference  service  is undoubtedly one of the basic services provided in a library and indeed any information Centre. It is the root of library and information services which provide for the library users’ research needs. Reference service refers to a personal assistance given to persons in search of information either from within the library or outside the library using traditional or electronic means. Mole (2006) reported Umunnaas saying that reference service is also seen as the act of bringing into contact the right readers and the book or the right information source at the right personal way. Provision of information in a manner most useful to its clients is the ultimate test of all the effort and funds expended and sustained in maintaining a library. According to Mole, reference service arose as a

distinct specialty in librarianship in the 19th and 20th centuries; the reason being that it is regarded

as developmental even in this 21st  century. However the face of Reference services has changed over  the  time.  With  the  advent  of  Information  Technology  (IT)  and  later,   Information Communication  Technology (ICT), library and information  providers have  been able to serve patrons not only face to face, but also virtually.

Information Technology (IT) according to Omekwu (2007) is any ICT technology, which includes the computer hardware and telecommunication  networks that enable the  transmission, processing,   storage,   organisation   and   the   retrieval   of   information   for   the   purpose   of understanding,  decision  making  and  action taking.   Information  communication  technology  (

ICT)  according to  Faboyinde (2006), emphasize the use of the computer and other technologies such as telephone to process, transport and transfer voice and other data singularly or mixed with least interference or distortion of contact.  The term ICT is also described as the use of computer- base technology and the internet to make information and communication services available to a wide range of users.  In fact, the term IT and ICT according to Achebe (2005) are not the same, they refer to different technological approach to information handling. To  buttress  her, point she said that ICT is a technology within the technology of IT but that it has grown so fast within the last few years that people began to allude to it features that are different from the parent body (IT).  The  availability  of  ICT’s  in  libraries  have  increased  and  broadened  the  impact  of information resources at their doorsteps but also place more emphasis on effective and efficient services.  Their  applications  in libraries,  commonly known as library automation,  have indeed continued to ease and promote quick and timely access to transfer of information resources that are found dispensed round the globe.

The  ICT  competence  which  can  be  adopted  in  libraries  especially  in  reference   and information  services of the academic  libraries  are as follows: ( use of computers  for  library automation so as to have an in-house database of library holdings in electronic form). The need to assess the ICT competencies  of reference librarians cannot be overemphasized  considering the relevance  of  reference  and  information  services  in  the  library.  The  librarians’  new  work environment is rapidly changing and increasingly becoming  competitive and new services are emerging as a result of that librarians need to possess ICT skills to be able to work effectively and render better services  to users. To assess according  to Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English  means  a judgment  about  a person  or  situation  after  thinking  carefully  about  it. An assessment is a process in which you make a judgment about a person or situation. An assessment of the competencies of librarians in the  use of ICT for reference services is necessary so as to ascertain their areas of strengths  and  weaknesses  in the use of ICT for reference  services.  A thorough assessment in this regards will help in providing for the skills acquisitions required to work effectively in ICT based reference and Information services. As many primary journals are being published in CD form, it becomes necessary to equip the libraries to optimize the use of information. E- mail, online retrieval networking, multimedia and internet are the other important technologies, which can be used for faster access to information. Reference services according to Ude (2010) are divided into two broad categories: Direct and indirect  services.  Direct service

category  includes  information  services  and  instruction  in the  use  of the  library and  indirect service may be outlined as: Selection, organization, access and evaluation.

Traditionally,  library and information  services  have been concerned  with the  collection, organization,  storage  and  dissemination  of  information  materials  to  users  with  the  aim  of satisfying their information needs. The clients in those days are required  to physically visit the library or information centre as the case may be, before they can benefit from the services.  But today,  the evolution  of ICT  has  tremendously  extended  reference  services  delivery to  wider geographical locations not just in-house library services.

Coping with the challenges brought about by the introduction of ICTs, librarians  have started to provide relevant and appropriate services. The user is, the focal point of the library and information services, because a library primarily exists to satisfy the user. The mission statement of any library should be the provision of resources and services to its clientele. Therefore libraries should strive to always ensure that users are satisfied with the services offered to them Adomi (2008). Reference service helps the users to get the right kind of documents and information at the right time, thus saving their time. It assists the researchers to avoid duplication of work and helps them in the introduction of new ideas.  Reference services help users make best selection from the universe of recorded knowledge. Then one wonders what will happen if these services are  not  provided,  users  would  have  been  at  cross  road  as  to  which  materials  to  consult. Justification of the usefulness of reference services to users is that with the introduction of ICT in reference services, it allows users to access and share information by methods that could not be achieved with the traditional formats. The different types of ICT assisted reference services are: chat  reference  services,  digital  reference  services,  networked  digital  reference,  cooperative reference services, etc as explained below.

Chat Reference Service, live or real- time reference service began in US at the end of the 90’s. Libraries use different chat software depending on their capabilities.  Ude (2010) observed that student prefer chat reference service to e-mail because it involves a two-way conversation, very much like talking to a reference Librarian in person. Chat users receive immediate feedback.

Digital reference  allows  a user  to submit a question to a library staff to be answered  by electronic  means.  The  software  provides  avenue  for  interaction  between  the  questioner  and responder;  it  tracks  the  status  by requests  and  record  questions  and  answers  in  searchable database. Digital reference can be real-time via chat, asynchronous via e-mail or a combination of both.

Networked  digital  reference  involves  multiple  institutions,  for  instance  the  Library  of Congress is coordinating a large scale collaborative Digital Reference Service (CDRS) that now involves  more  than  100  members.  This  is  as  well  a  digital  reference  service  that  brings professional  reference  service  researchers  anytime,  anywhere  through  an  international  digital network of libraries and related institutions.

In cooperative reference services, a number of institutions work together to provide services

that are considerably facilitated by digital media and the internet. This is where several libraries join in order to provide  reference  services  co-operatively.  Such services  include  information transfer services, photocopying services, and inter library loan, on-line services.

The computer based technology is at present, the best gift technology has presented to the library for the overall improvement of reference services. It is virtually impossible to imagine any sphere of human endeavor today where computers are not in use as the mainstay or as a support. In the library, computers are used for check in, check out, reference  services, record keeping, network communication etc. Its capability is enormous.   Ude (2010) cited Olanlokun arguing a case for application of computers in reference service posited that ‘’the age of the domination of books and other printed materials is checking phasing out. It is now possible for libraries to find the answers even at a greater speed and with less difficulty by using the computer. Within a few minutes a librarian can search thousands of periodicals, scores of books, reports and studies to discover citation about or in many cases full text of the document required. He further asserted

that:

Multiple entry point allows one to find a person’s name, a Subject or subjects, keywords used in the abstract and Possibly the article. Information could be obtained on the date and place of publication. A searcher can retrieve brief, facts, names, headlines or statistics from the mass of stored materials, as well as the complete text of an article, report or a book. page382.

E-mail is a computer mediated communication system in which message in an electronic form are transmitted by various means between the sending and receiving computers. In reference services, e-mail is being used for both official and personal communication. It is being used for the transmission  of   inter  library  loan request,  making  of order  inquiries  and  placing  order, receiving reference questions from other libraries and  receiving answers to reference questions. E-mail is also being used to set up library based news groups through which information about the library can be disseminated. On a personal and professional level, Reference librarians use e-

mail facilities to access electronic conference, discussion groups and information services.  The reference librarian through the on-line wire services communicates directly with the computer’s database  regardless  of  the  distance.  Online  database  is  another  reference  tool  in  modern information system. It can be defined as computerized store for information, which is accessible through the host computer or across computer networks.

Mole (2006) cited Mittal as saying that qualified reference personnel are synonymous with

effective services.  In the same vein, he remarked  that reference  librarians represent  reference service, and act as the key to effective materials in the library.

Reference librarians are no longer merely concerned with generation, processing, storage and distribution of knowledge rather they are expected to use and instruct users on how to use ICT in accessing information.  Gbaje (2007) opined that to work in the digital  environment,  librarians need  information  technology  skills such as   how to use    integrated library systems,  portable document  format  (PDF)  software  to  download,  save,    print  and  search    online  databases.( Available on www.google.com accessed on 10/5/2012).

As a result of advancement  in ICT and subsequent  globalization,  the current  trend  in librarianship  is  on-line  reference  services.  The  present  day  librarians  have  started  to  use computers,  networking  and  internet  facilities  to  fulfill  their  professional  obligations.  In  this environment, it is necessary that the skills of these librarians in the use ICT for reference service be assessed so as to encourage them to improve on the practice through training. This is essential considering the increasing number of students who are the potential users of academic libraries in institutions in of south-east Nigeria, as a whole and Enugu and Anambra States in particular.

To be able to function effectively as a librarian, there has to be a degree of expertise in various aspects of library and information work especially with the use of ICT.  Librarians are increasingly responsible not only to provide traditional library Information services but also to deliver online information services according to the actual user needs. Librarians need to keep up with their user’s expectations  to survive and service  them.  They  need to become information knowledge navigators who distil data into usable information.

Librarians are functioning under great pressure to become more efficient to deliver more effective services to the users. As the role of librarians is changing to face the new  challenges posed by ICT, they must be keen to stay at the forefront of innovation in the library world. They need to be confident and competent that they can prepare for new challenges, deal with emerging technologies,  manage  change  effectively  and  claim  new  professional  roles.  A well-informed

competent and creative librarian   plays multiple evolving roles in the 21st  century.  In this era of digital  libraries,  electronic  libraries,  globalization  occasioned  by  the  use  of  communication technology, librarians require skills that can enable them operate in the environment. Therefore, librarians should be able to independently operate their own personal computer and to manage various  peripherals  and  associated  software  applications.  As they are  involved  in web-based information surfing, retrieval, organisation and dissemination, they should also have the skills to manage and use computer and internet to discharge their responsibility in reference services in academic libraries.

The consequences of reference librarian not using ICT in carrying out reference function is that he will not have the best information  to give to users and  will not be able to meet up to the enormous demands of information to the users. For any reference librarian to function well, he/she must move alongside this information age which embrace the information technology that revolves around computer.

Statement of the Problem

Transformations  in the 21st   century are  forcing  organizations  to rethink  the  way  they work. ICT, the main driver of these transformations affect organizations in different ways. In the Reference service setup of academic libraries, ICT is forcing librarians to accept new roles and challenges which demand new competencies in academic libraries in Enugu State. If libraries and librarians  must  remain  relevant,  they must adapt  the use of  ICT  in discharging  their  duties. Unfortunately, according to Ademodi and Adepoju (2009), the greatest problem facing libraries

and librarians’ in the 21st  century is inadequate or dearth of knowledge and skills in the use of

ICTs.  Librarians  need  ICT  competencies/skills  for  a  number  of  reasons.  The  new  working environment has become a competitive one and many players are now involved which include, ICT users, ICT providers, ICT staff, and many others in information profession ( Ugwu) 2009 cited Wittmer. Some of these players especially the ICT users lack necessary IT skills to obtain quality information. Librarians will be called upon to act as both educators and intermediaries. New services are emerging in the new working  environment.  We now have digital reference services (DRS) aimed at maintaining a twenty-four hour global reference services. This is being developed in many academic libraries to replace the traditional library services. This implies that librarians must possess ICT skills/competencies to be able to render this services to users.  If the ICT skills of librarians are not assessed, areas of training needs of these reference Librarians may

not be identified for quick intervention to boost developmental strategies for addressing current and future reference services problems. This may lead to redundancy and possible retrenchment. Therefore, there is need for study like this to assess the competencies of librarians in use of ICT for reference and information services in these academic libraries.

Purpose of the Study

The general purpose of this study is to assess librarians’ competencies in the use of ICT in

Reference services in Academic libraries in Enugu State.  Specifically the study seeks to:

1.        Identify the ICT resources available for reference service in academic libraries in Enugu

State.

2.        Examine the ICT competencies  possessed by librarians working in reference section  of academic libraries in Enugu State.

3.         Find out difference uses of ICT in reference section of these academic libraries.

4.        Ascertain the methods of acquisition of ICT competencies by the reference librarians in these libraries.

5.   Find out the hindrances librarians encounter in acquisition of ICT competencies.

6.        Ascertain strategies of curbing the problems encountered by librarians in the acquisition of ICT skills.

Research Questions

In line with the set purpose of this study, the following research questions were  formulated  to guide the study.

1         What are the different ICT resources available in reference service in academic libraries in

Enugu State?

2          What are the ICT competencies possessed by the librarians working in Reference section of these academic libraries?

3      What are the different uses of ICT in reference services?

4      What methods are needed for the acquisition of ICT competencies by

Reference librarians working in academic libraries in Enugu State?

5         What  are  the  perceived  problems  that  hinder  librarians  from  the  acquisition  of  ICT

competencies?

6.        What are the strategies for curbing the problem encountered by librarians in acquiring ICT

skills in academic libraries?

Significance of the Study

It is envisaged that the findings of this study will be of beneficial to the following: to the library management, reference librarians, education planners, and library users/researchers.

The study can help the library management to identify the resources/facilities employed and  be in a position  to  develop  strategic  plans  for the successful  digitization  project  in the academic  libraries  through effective  funding and maintenance.  This is  because  the  important aspects  of project  management  are to understand  the requirements,  the role of planning  and ability to determine budgets and schedules. The information generated in this will equally help the library management design a balance, effective and efficient programme of personnel policies and practices which will help in making  managerial  decisions on the management  styles that produce the best result in terms of job satisfactions and performance of the librarians and it help showcase their scholarly output  globally, share useful information,  practice hybrid  library and support from well-established digital libraries in the world. This is by providing library website, maintaining digital library ,employing technical staff, training librarians who can use database of other libraries for more information and exchange services.

To the librarians, the study is expected to give them the opportunity to acquire skills and competencies that can upgrade, update and improve reference services. Library users will benefit from the study because reference librarians having been exposed to new methods of reference services through ICT will help them to know how to meet up the users’ information needs in the digital era.

The Education planners will benefit from the result of this finding of this study because it will help them to know what should be included in the library students’ curriculum in this era of information explosion. This will enable them to integrate courses that will help produce future ICT competent reference librarians who are prepared for electronic library services.

Finally,  the results of this study will service as a reference  materials  to library  users, librarians, researchers, education planners and students who may want to explore into this area of study since the improvement of reference services in the academic libraries should be a continues process. The study will produce an additional to knowledge and update in the literature of the library and information science.

Scope of the Study

The study covered selected academic libraries in Enugu State. They include University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), College of Education Technical, Enugu State Polytechnic Iwollo, Eha-Amufu  College of Education,  Godfrey Okoye  University,  Our Savior  Institute of science and Technology (OSISATECH), Renaissance University Ugbuawka, Carritas University Emene and National Opeu University of Nigeria (NOUN).    The study focuses on the librarians working in the reference section of these institutions, the competencies required and methods of assessing them.  The study will also cover the problems that hinder librarians from acquisition of ICT competencies and the strategies for curbing the problems encountered in the acquisition of ICT competencies in reference service of academic libraries in Enugu State.

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