UTILIZATION OF REFERENCE RESOURCES BY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

ABSTRACT

This study was designed to ascertain the utilization of reference resources by undergraduate students of library and information science for effective research in University of Benin. Four (4) research questions were formulated to guide the study. The population of the study consists of all the librarians in John Harris Library, University of Benin, Benin City with a total population of 9 academic librarians and 171 non academic librarians. The sample for this study is the total number of all the librarians (100) in John Harris Library, University of Benin. The research instrument for the study was a Questionnaire Utilization of Reference Resources by Undergraduate Students of Library and Information Science for Effective Research Questionnaire (URRUSLISFRQ) which was distributed to the respondents and collected immediately after completion from respondents. The simple percentage and mean score was used in computing the responses of the questionnaire items. To account for the reliability of the study, the Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was used which gave a value of 0.721. The findings from the survey reveal that the John Harris Library effectively provides reference services, and there is a consensus among respondents on this aspect. Additionally, a majority of respondents acknowledge the availability and accessibility of information resources and special collections for university students. Librarians primarily rely on bibliographies for citation verification and identifying materials by various criteria, while most respondents use the library catalog as their main gateway to access information resources. Furthermore, the library is commonly utilized by respondents for research, accessing online journals, and obtaining additional information related to their coursework, indicating its central role in supporting academic pursuits. The researcher recommended that the administration maintain and enhance the John Harris Library's reference services, ensure accessibility to information resources and special collections, and provide librarians with additional training in using bibliographies for citation verification. Simultaneously, improve the user friendliness of the library catalog and integrate online journals and research resources to better support students in their academic pursuits, offering a comprehensive strategy for meeting diverse user needs.