Librarians’ ICT Competency in the 21st Century: A Study of Federal University Libraries in Southern Nigeria

Abstract

This study examines librarians’ Information Communication Technology (ICT) competency in the 21st Century using federal university libraries in Southern Nigeria as a case study. The total population for this study comprised of 362 librarians from eighteen (18) federal university libraries in Southern Nigeria. Total enumeration technique was adopted because of the small and manageable size of the population. The data collected were analyzed using simple percentage/frequency counts and weighted mean. Findings from this study revealed among others that computers, printers, E-mail, CD-ROMs, mobile phones, photocopiers, Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS), Internet connectivity, scanners, power point projectors and integrated library management software are available for use by the librarians in federal university libraries in Southern Nigeria; ICT skills such as skills to power on and off a computer system, skills to browse the web, skill to download files from the Internet, skills to navigate and use library automation software and its modules such as OPAC, skills to send and receive emails, skills to copy to and from a CD-ROM and flash drive/hard discs among other necessary skills are all needed by librarians to be able to properly utilize 21st Century ICT facilities and that the competency level of librarians on the use of 21st Century ICT facilities in federal university libraries in Southern Nigeria is high. Recommendations made based on the findings of the study include: The government should increase budgetary allocations to academic libraries across Nigeria so that university library administrators can purchase and maintain ICT facilities that will be useful in providing ICT related services to library users, as this will allow for effective information service delivery in the 21st Century among others.