




































American International Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences  

Vol. 3, No. 1; 2021 

ISSN 2643-0061   E-ISSN 2643-010X 

Published by American Center of Science and Education, USA 

 

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AN EXAMINATION OF INFORMATION LITERACY SKILLS 

ON THE USE OF LIBRARY INFORMATION RESOURCES 

AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN UNIVERSITY IN 

ADAMAWA STATE 

 
Aishatu Bello Dahiru 

Department of Library and Information Science 

Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria 

E-mail: aishabello1987@gmail.com 

 

ABSTRACT 

This study investigates the information literacy skill on the use of library information resources 

among undergraduate students in Adamawa State. The objectives of the study are to find out the 

level of information literacy skill of undergraduate student in Adamawa state, to determine the 

level of use of the information resources and to determine the challenges faced in the use of these 

information resources. Quantitative method of data collection was used using survey research 

design. The study revealed that most of the student has high level of information literary skill and 

they use information resource for academic purposes to a high extent, it was revealed from the 

findings that inadequate current reading and research materials are the major problem facing 

the use of information resources in University libraries in Adamawa. 

 

Keywords: Information Literacy Skills, Use, University Libraries. 

 

INTRODUCTION 

Students are faced with different kinds of information resources provided by their libraries for 

academic purposes. These information resources are available in different formats, raising 

questions about its value and authenticity. To be an information literate, undergraduate students 

will need to become a more prolific and independent learner and researcher in his field of 

specialization. Hence, the need for information literacy programmes in libraries. Student need 

the skill to use the libraries as education depends largely on information located, created, stored, 

retrieved and disseminate. In this view, the success, failure and mere existence of any given 

organization is determined by the availability and accessibility of suitable, important and precise 

information. Therefore, information literacy skill is needed in order to find access and use 

information effectively. 

Information literacy is a means of identifying information need and usage. In this regards, 

Bundy (2004) has seen information literacy as a means of searching for, locating, evaluating, and 

selecting. Organizing and using information to learn, analyses, synthesize, solve challenges, 

communicate, make decisions and create new knowledge. Library and information professionals 

have been trying to teach students the skills and knowledge needed to collect and use 

information resources effectively as well as serving as information disseminators. University 

student are expected to have the skill and competences of locating information in order to utilize 

information resources provided in their libraries. 

 



https://www.acseusa.org/journal/index.php/aijhass          American International Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences            Vol. 3, No. 1; 2021 

 

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LITERATURE REVIEW 

The benefit of information literacy skill cannot be over looked as today’s world is filled with 

information boom, Users of the library finds it very difficult to access and use information 

resources in their individual field, therefore they need skill of understanding want they want and 

how they want the information to be presented. Hadimani and Rajgoli (2010) are also of the view 

that information literacy has a greater significance for economic growth, educational 

achievement, social culture and personal wellbeing. 

Information literacy programs in academic libraries involves the process of imparting 

library users with the information skills that can help them identify their information need, 

locate, retrieve, evaluate and effectively use that information for problem solving (Muruga, 

2013). He further noted that, information literacy programs help achieve the objective of any 

academic library because the library users are trained to become independent learners hence 

maximize the use of the library information resources. 

As lifelong learners, students most have information literacy skill that will enable them 

achieve success in their educational objectives. Wooliscroft (1997) stated that Information 

Literacy provides an important connection between information society and the learning society. 

He further stated that IL skills assist people to learn and relearn, to train and retrain as he the 

various vicissitudes of living in a rapidly changing world require them to be adaptable and 

flexible with speed and competence barely imaginable few years ago. 

Information literacy has several has several component as seen by Bilawar and Pujar 

(2011) information literacy has a bunch of “Literacy” in terms of components, which includes 

basic literacy, library literacy, media literacy, ICT literacy, computer literacy among others. Ntiri 

(2009) notes that the new wave of global change and technological innovation has further pushed 

the boundaries of literacy and led to the growth of multiple literacy to address diverse audiences 

and needs. Although each component is often treated separately, all literacy rely on each other 

and sometimes build on each other. 

 

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 

In order to achieve high academic performance students’ needs the skill and ability to locate the 

required information. Murugan (2013) mentioned that information literacy programs in academic 

libraries involves the process of impacting library users with the skill that can help them identify 

their information need, locate, retrieve, evaluate and effectively use that information for problem 

solving. 

            Despite the benefit of information literacy skills, observation have revealed that some 

undergraduate student lack the basic skill of locating information resources in their libraries. 

Therefore, the study of information literacy skill on the use of information resources in libraries 

especially in Adamawa state is inevitable. 

 

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 

1. To determine the level of information literacy skill of undergraduate student in universities of 

Adamawa state 

2. To find out the level of use of the information resources in the libraries under study 

3. To determine the challenges faced in the use of the information resources in the university 

libraries under study 

 

 



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RESEARCH QUESTIONS 

1. What is the level of information literacy skill of undergraduate students in universities of 

Adamawa State? 

2. What is the level of use of information resources in the libraries under study? 

3. What are the challenges faced in the use of the information resources in the libraries under 

study? 

 

METHODOLOGY 

The study was done using quantitative methodology and a cross sectional research design. This 

method was chosen because it has the potentials to provide a lot of information from a large 

sample of a population. The population of the study is 38,322, and a sample of 395 was drawn 

using Yemani’ simplified formula of determining a sample size. Although only 379 of the 

returned questionnaires found useful for the study 

 

RESULTS 

Research Question 1 

What is the level of information literacy skill of undergraduate students in the use of library 

information resources in universities of Adamawa State? 

 

Table 1. Level of Information Literacy Skill of Undergraduate Student 

 

Level of Information Literacy Skill VH H L VL 

Ability to identify my information 

need 

259(68.3%) 50(13.2%) 45(11.9%) 25(6.6%) 

Ability to retrieve information from 

internet 

123(32.5%) 96(25.3%) 87(23.0%) 73(19.3%) 

Ability to evaluate information 

resources 

135(35.6%) 127(33.5%) 93(24.5%) 28(6.3%) 

Ability to locate and use information 

resources 

116(30.6%) 200(52.8%) 63(16.6%) - 

 

             Table 1 above, present the level of information literacy skill of undergraduate student in 

universities in Adamawa State. From the table it can be deduced that the student have high 

information literacy skill as indicated in the table. 259(68.3%) revealed that they have they have 

the ability to identify the information they need, Also ability to retrieve information from the 

internet 123(32.5%) revealed they have a very high percentage, in the table also 135(35.6%) 

indicated they have the ability to evaluate information resources and lastly 200(52.8%) revealed 

they have a high ability to locate and use information resources. 

 

Research Question 2 

What is the level of use of information resources in the libraries under study? 

 



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Table 2. Level of use of information resources in the libraries 

 

Types of Information 

Resources 

Always Rarely Never 

 Books  

 Journals 

 Newspaper 

 Magazine 

 Encyclopedia 

 Library catalogue 

 Microform 

 Electronic databases 

 Internet

 Dictionaries 

 CD-ROMs 

 Thesis/Dissertation 

345(91%) 

331(87.3%) 

326(86%) 

301(79.4%) 

282(74.4%) 

36(9.5%) 

25(6.9%) 

22(5.8%) 

357(94.2) 

364(96%) 

120(31.7%) 

279(73.6%)  

34(9%) 

48(12.7%) 

53(14%) 

78(20.6%) 

97(25.6%) 

343(90.5%) 

354(93.1%) 

357(94.2%) 

22(5.8%) 

15(4%) 

259(68.3%) 

100(26.4%) 

 

 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

 

- 

 

 

           Based on the frequency and percentages that were computed, table 2 shows that majority 

of the respondents were of the view that library information resources such as Books, Journals, 

Newspapers, Magazines, encyclopedia, internet, dictionaries, were use always in the libraries 

while Thesis/dissertations, Electronic databases, Microform and library catalogue are used 

rarely. 

 

Research Question Three 

What are the Challenges facing the Use of Information Resources in the university libraries 

under study? 

 

Table 3. Challenges facing the Use of Information Resources in the university libraries 

 

ITEM Responses Percentages 

Obsolete information resource 199 50.0 

Poor library management system 133 35.2 

Lack of  internet connectivity 320 64.9 

Inadequate current information resources 188 49.9 

 

            Table 3 shows the percentages of respondents.50.0% revealed that obsolete information 

resources are the major problems of using information resources, lack of poor library 

management system 35.2, lack of internet connectivity 64.9 and inadequate current information 

resources 49.9. Thus it is clear that majority of the respondents indicate that lack of internet 

connectivity are the major problem of the use of the information resources available in the 

libraries. 

CONCLUSION 

The undergraduate students in Adamawa State Universities have information literacy skill as 

indicated in the findings. Although it was revealed that they don’t use their information literacy 



https://www.acseusa.org/journal/index.php/aijhass          American International Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences            Vol. 3, No. 1; 2021 

 

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skill in the identification and use of library information resources. The students need to be 

intensified with that will enhance their information literacy skill since there is a significant 

relationship with the use of information resources in libraries. 

 

REFERENCES 

Bilawar, P. B., & Pujar, S. M. (2011). Information literacy models: correlation and conceptual 

model for higher education. Retrieved from 
http://wwwir.inflibnet,ac.in/bitstream/handle/1944/1632/40.pdf 

 

Bundy, A. (2004). Australian and New Zealand information literacy framework. Principles, 

standards and practice, 2. Retrieved from http://www.caul.edu.au/info-

litrtacy/InfoLiteracy Framework.pdf 

 

Hadimani, M. B., & Rajgoli, I. U. (2010). Assessing information literacy competence among the 

undergraduate students of College of Agriculture, Raichur: a case study. DESIDOC 

Journal of Library & Information Technology, 30(2), 70. 

 

Murugan, B. S., & Sornam, S. A. (2013). Internet and Online Medical Journal Access Skills of 

the Medical Practitioners of Tamilnadu: A Study. In Challenges of Academic Library 

Management in Developing Countries (pp. 75-82). IGI Global. 

 

McNabb, E.D. (2009). Introduction to Research Methodology. Ibadan, Africana First Publisher 

  

Ntiri, D. W. (2009). Toward a functional and culturally salient definition of literacy. Adult Basic 

Education and Literacy Journal, 3(2), 97-104. 

 

Wooliscroft, M. (1997). From Library User Education to Information Literacy: some issues 

arising in this evolutionary process. Retrieved from http://www.library.otago.ac.nz/pdf/-

tandlpapers-MJW.pdf 

 

 

Copyrights  

Copyright for this article is retained by the author(s), with first publication rights granted to the 

journal. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative 

Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). 

 

 

http://www.caul.edu.au/info-litrtacy/InfoLiteracy%20Framework.pdf
http://www.caul.edu.au/info-litrtacy/InfoLiteracy%20Framework.pdf

