Adherence to Reference Service Standards for Service Delivery in Selected Federal University Libraries in Northeastern Nigeria
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Date
2023-11
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
The criteria for delivering efficient reference services are defined by reference service
standards. The extent to which these standards are implemented in reference service
delivery can be used to measure a service's effectiveness. Despite the importance of
the standards, few documented research on the evaluation of reference service efficacy
utilizing the standards as a critical criterion for assessing reference service transactions
have been conducted, particularly in Nigerian university libraries. As a result, the
adoption and adherence to the International Federation of Library Association (IFLA)
and Reference Users Service Association (RUSA) reference standards in the selected
university libraries in Northeast Nigeria was thoroughly examined in this study in
order to offer ways in which the reference service can reinvigorate the patron's
perception of the use of Libraries. The study addresses reference services and methods
of delivery used by reference librarians to provide services, evaluation of reference
librarians' behavioral performance by postgraduate students to determine whether it
aligns with IFLA and RUSA guidelines, establish how reference librarians' behavioral
performance meet the information needs of post graduate students', and users’
satisfaction with reference librarians' behavioral performance, challenges to effective
service delivery, and best practices for dealing with these challenges. 302 postgraduate
students, 86 reference librarians, and 4 heads of library services were proportionately
used from four federal institutions in Northeast Nigeria and utilized as the study's
sample. Data was gathered using a questionnaire and an interview schedule. The
instruments were verified by panel experts to determine the content validity ratio =
CVR of 1 by subjecting replies to Lawshe's template, and r-coefficients of 0.89 and
0.85 were obtained as r-coefficients using the Cronbach Alpha technique to verify the
instrument's internal consistency (homogeneity). Data was collected using a non proximal approach and analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency count and
percentages), while chi-square was used to establish statistical significance of
quantitative data obtained from participants across the universities under investigation.
The qualitative data gathered through interviews was coded and thematically analyzed
to supplement the quantitative data source's conclusions. According to student reports,
traditional reference services are provided at universities utilizing both face-to-face
and digital reference service techniques, and the behavioral performance of reference
librarians in accordance with IFLA and RUSA standards practice was not satisfactory.
Students' information needs were constant across institutions, however postgraduate
students' satisfaction with reference librarians' behavioral performance was
inconsistent among universities, and students were dissatisfied with the reference
librarian’s behavioral performance. According to the findings of the study,
conventional reference services are the basic services that university libraries provide
to their patrons via traditional (face-to-face and digital means), postgraduate students'
informational needs, and satisfaction is significantly influenced by reference librarians'
behavioral performance as suggested by IFLA, and RUSA standards practice. The
study recommended that; reference librarians should take advantage of training that
will have a direct impact on their behavioral performance. This would improve contact
between librarians and patrons, increasing user satisfaction
Description
A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Information Science in the School of Pure and Applied Sciences, Kenyatta University November 2023