Social Media Use in Academic Libraries (original) (raw)
Related papers
HOW LIBRARIES ARE USING SOCIAL MEDIA: NIGERIA PERSPECTIVE
Aderonke Oluwafemi Otunla, 2017
Social Media (SM) has found application in various organisations and institutions. This research intends to find out how libraries in Nigeria have been using SM. The research employ survey non-purposive sampling techniques by sending the questionnaire link to Nigerian Library Association Facebook page and posting it on NLA online forum email address. Findings reveal that Facebook is the commonest SM platform and visual SM like VIMEO, YouTube, Pinterest and library specific SM like library Thing and Ning are missing. Also most libraries manage only one SM platform and the staff in-charge in most library is computer/system analyst; some librarians experience restriction in using the SM. The number of libraries that are using SM for collaboration is small while the degree of use is good. Recommendations were made at the end of the work on how best libraries should use SM.
2020
The study determined library professionals' use of social media technologies for promoting library services in university libraries in North East Nigeria. Three research questions guided the study. This study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population of the study comprised 159 registered librarians in university libraries in North East Nigeria. The whole population was used for the study because the size is considered manageable by the researcher. The instrument for data collection is a questionnaire titled "Questionnaire on Social Media Technologies" (QSCT). The instrument was face validated by two experts and was trial tested among 10 library professionals in Ahmadu Bello University which was not part of the study but shares similar characteristics with the study area. Cronbach Alpha was used to determine the internal consistency of the instrument. An overall coefficient value of 0.72 was ascertained for the three clusters. In analyzing the data, mean standard deviation were used to answer the research questions. The findings revealed that only Facebook, Blogs and WhatsApp are the types of social media that are used by library professionals in promoting library services in university libraries in North East Nigeria. Also, the finding revealed that out of the numerous types of devices used to access social media sites, only laptop computers, mobile phones and desktop computers were utilized to access social media sites by library professionals in university libraries in North East Nigeria. Finally, the findings revealed that library professionals agreed on the benefits derived from the use of social media for promoting service delivery in university libraries in North East Nigeria. Based on this findings, it was recommended among others that all relevant stakeholders like the Nigerian Library Association, Library schools, Librarians' Registration Council of Nigeria, libraries, etc should assist in creating more awareness on the use and benefits of social media technologies.
Journal of Balkan Libraries Union, 2017
The study investigated the application of social media used for innovative library services by university library staff in South-Western Nigeria. A survey method was adopted with copies of questionnaire distributed to 354 library staff selected from the entire 36 university libraries located in South Western Nigeria. An in-depth interview was also conducted for heads of units in each of the libraries. The findings of the study reveal that social media application to library services is now prominent among university library staff in South-Western Nigeria. Facebook, Twitter, Blog, YouTube, LinkedIn, Delicious, MySpace and Flickr are the social media being used by the library staff. Facebook was found to be the most used site. In addition, the study affirms that selected libraries are using social media majorly to communicate with their users, provide reference services, disseminate information as well as news on library services.
FUDMA Jounal of Educational Foundations, 2020
The study was conducted to determine the use of social media platforms to promote library resources and services. Descriptive survey research method was used and the sample for the study consisted of one hundred and fifty (150) students at Al-Qalam University Katsina, Nigeria. Data were collected using five Likert scale questionnaire called "Social Media Use for the Promotion of Library Resources and Services Questionnaire" (SMUPLRSQ). Frequency and percentages were used to analyse the Data collected. Face and content validity was used for the instrument. A pilot study was carried out in Federal University Dutsin-Ma Library using split half method of reliability and reliability coefficient of 0.73 was obtained. The study showed that WhatsApp and Facebook are the most widely used social media platforms by respondents and could be used for promoting library resources and services in libraries. The results also showed that the use of social media platforms saves costs and increases revenue, increases library usage and facilitates two-way communication. Some of the benefits librarians derived from the use of social media to promote library resources and services were discovered, and recommendations were made. These include the provision of adequate computers and Internet services and available ICT policy among others.
Analysis of library patrons’ usage of social media in a Nigerian university library
Information Impact: Journal of Information and Knowledge Management, 2018
The changing nature of library services and the advent of social media network technology have created emphasis on its usage in academic institutions. Librarians are using the latest social media technology in marketing their information products and services to the library patrons. The aim of this study is investigating the library patrons' usage of social media in a Nigerian University Library; and the instrument for data collection was a questionnaire of Two hundred and thirty-eight copies and the usable rate of returned responses was 87% of the anticipated responses. The findings revealed that Whatsapp and facebook were greatly used as it creates current awareness on the happening in the institution; it also established that social media enabled students to access local and web contents of information needs globally. The findings revealed that critical social media literacy is needed to help students to critically deal with the large amounts of information they interact with by sharing its content on social media. Furthermore, the research provides information on how this technology can be fully exploited for the benefits of the students and community at large.
Use of Social Media Space for Library Service Delivery: Evidence from Southern Nigeria Universities
2020
The incorporation of social media into service delivery by librarians is essential to render contemporary and seem-less library services to the users. Studies have shown that awareness and perception constitute important factors in the use of emerging technology for personal use with paucity of literature on the use of social media for library service delivery. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the use of social media for service delivery by librarians in Southern Nigeria universities. Survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised 669 librarians from the universities in Southern Nigeria. Total enumeration technique was adopted for the study. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that librarians used very few social media space for delivering library services. Low bandwidth, culminated in slow internet connection was the main challenge to the application of social media. Recommendations such as increase in the use of social media space and the provision of robust bandwidth to enhance internet connectivity were proffered.
Journal Article, 2020
The study aims to investigate the use of social media for promoting library and information resources and services in academic libraries in Ekiti and Ondo States, Nigeria. A descriptive research design was used for the study. The population of the study was fifty-seven (57) academic librarians. A total enumeration sampling technique was adopted for the study. A structured questionnaire was the research instrument used. Data extracted from the 40 correctly filled and returned questionnaire was analysed using descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that librarians rarely use social media to promote library and information resources, but to promote library and information services, like to pass information across to the library users, interact with students and colleagues as well as for keeping track with current trends in the library. It further showed that librarians regularly make use of the few available social media. To effectively make use of social media, the study revealed that some essentials social media skills are necessary The study concluded that few librarians make use of the available social media in their libraries to promote library and information services, since many of the libraries do not have a social media platform that could be used by the librarians to connect with library users in academic libraries in Ekiti and Ondo States. It was however recommended that academic libraries should create a social media platform that will enable librarians and other library staff to connect and interact with the library users, while they also need training on social media skills required to make use of social media for promoting library and information resources and services.
This study investigated social media use for information dissemination by librarians in federal university libraries in Southwest Nigeria. A descriptive survey method was adopted for the study, while the sample consisted of all 82 librarians in the selected universities. A questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection, while the data collected was analyzed through SPSS. The study established that there was a high level of awareness of social media tools like Facebook, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, Academia.edu, and the other social tools found in the study, but Facebook, Google+, and Twitter were the mostly used for disseminating information. Based on the findings, conclusion and recommendations were made.
2021
The study empirically investigated the extent of utilization of social media for effective Library and Information Service delivery in selected university libraries in Abia State, Nigeria. five research questions guided the study. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. Using multi-stage sampling technique 350 library users and staff were sampled from the entire population. Questionnaire and Observation Checklist was the instrument for data collection constructed for the study. The data collected was analyzed using frequency distribution table, charts, percentage and mean. The findings revealed that, both ABSU, Library and MOUAU, Library has no official facebook, twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, Nairaland, Skype, Googletalk, Academia.edu, researchgate, Mendeley, Ning, Librarything, Flickr among other social media sites. The findings revealed that due to the lack of official social media sites in both university libraries studies, social networking sites are not used in pr...