ABSTRACT

This research aimed to investigate the awareness, utilization, and satisfaction of library electronic resources among undergraduates at the National Open University of Nigeria, Lagos Study Centre. Objectives included assessing user awareness, determining necessary skills, gauging resource usage, evaluating satisfaction levels, exploring awareness of electronic resources, examining the influence of usage on satisfaction, assessing the joint impact of awareness and usage on satisfaction, and identifying challenges faced by users at NOUN.

A survey design was employed, utilizing a structured questionnaire named “Awareness, Use, and Users’ Satisfaction of Library Electronic Resources by Undergraduates of National Open University of Nigeria, Lagos Study Centre” (AUUSLER). The questionnaire was validated through a pre-test with 50 NOUN undergraduates, resulting in Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.88 for awareness, 0.92 for usage, and 0.74 for satisfaction. Of 966 distributed questionnaires, 722 (75.2%) were valid for analysis.

Findings indicated significant influence of awareness and usage on users’ satisfaction (p<0.005). Sixty-six percent of respondents were categorized as very aware, aware, or somewhat aware, while 34% lacked awareness or were uncertain. Regarding skills, 64% were highly or moderately skilled, particularly in computer and internet usage, but exhibited lower proficiency in OPAC, navigation, and queries. Sixty-four percent utilized electronic resources, while 36% did not. Satisfaction levels were high, with 81% expressing satisfaction and 19% dissatisfied. Additionally, 54% either strongly agreed or agreed with identified items, while 46% disagreed or strongly disagreed.

The study concluded that a considerable percentage of undergraduates lack awareness and skills for online databases, impacting resource utilization.