IMPACT OF DIGITAL RESOURCE ACCESSIBILITY ON INFORMATION LITERACY SKILLS AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG LIBRARY AND INFORMATION UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BENIN

ABSTRACT

This study was designed to impact of digital resource accessibility on information literacy skills and academic performance among library and information undergraduate students at the University of Benin. The purpose of the study was aimed to investigate the impact of digital resource accessibility on information literacy skills and academic performance among LIS undergraduate students. Research questions were raised to guide the study. The descriptive survey research technique was adopted for the study and a well structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The population of the study was 288 library and information science undergraduates studying at the University of Benin for the 2023/2024 academic session. The sample for the study was 104 LIS students and the simple random sampling technique was used for the study. 104 copies of questionnaires were distributed to the respondents and 88 copies were retrieved and found to be usuable, resulting to a 84.62% response rate. From the data analysis carried out, the findings of the study reveals that digital resource accessibility significantly enhances the information literacy skills of LIS students. The study concludes that the ability to access and effectively utilize digital resources equips students with the necessary skills to thrive in an information-rich environment, thereby enhancing their academic success. Based on the results, it is recommended that the university should organize regular digital literacy workshops and training sessions to equip students with the necessary skills to effectively navigate and utilize digital resources and the library administration should consider providing more digital devices such as computers and tablets in the university library and study areas to ensure that all students have equal access to digital resources.