Authors : Ibrahim ALIYU; Dr. Mukhtar SHUAIBU

Volume/Issue : Volume 8 - 2023, Issue 2 - February

Google Scholar : https://bit.ly/3TmGbDi

Scribd : https://bit.ly/3K2GpuX

DOI : https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7789494

Abstract : - The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the ICT Competency Skills of Librarians on the use of ICT for Effective Service Delivery in Academic Libraries in Kebbi State, Nigeria. The study was conceived against the background of the importance of ICT in library services and how librarians as information practitioners are being trained to effectively apply it in their service delivery. Five research objectives guided the study and five corresponding research questions were formulated to aid the research towards achieving it stated goals. The study employed survey research method. Considering the manageable size of the population; the entire population of 46 professional librarians in the academic libraries was used for the study. The instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire. The instrument was titled: ‘Competency Skills of Librarians in the ICT’ for Effective Service Delivery Questionnaire (CSLICT) which was developed based on the research questions formulated for the study. The questionnaire was validated by three research experts from the Department of Library and Information Science in Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero, Waziri Umaru Federal Academic libraries, Birnin Kebbi and Kebbi State Academic libraries Dakingari respectively. The results of the findings was presented in tables and analyzed using frequency, percentage and the mean. Finding of the research work indicated that Librarians in academic libraries need to be competent in order to provide quality library and information services and that major competencies needed by these librarians to offer quality library services to users are public relations, communication, leadership and ICT skills. The study therefore recommended that, management of academic libraries should hasten up in the establishment of Internet services in their various libraries where available, such services should be scaled up. Inhouse training should be organized periodically to train both old and new staff to make them not only competent but also create awareness as new knowledge emerged in the field. Library management should endeavour to send as many librarians as possible to attend workshops, seminars, and conferences among others.

Keywords : Competency Skills, Librarians, Service Delivery, Academic Library, Training, Information and Communication Technology (ICT).