Assessment Of Library Application Software Packages For Library Operations And Services In Federal University Libraries In North Western States Of Nigeria

ABSTRACT

The study Assessment of Library Application Software Packages for Library Operations andServices in Federal University Libraries in North Western States of Nigeria was conducted toassess automation of library operations and services in Nigerian University Libraries. This isbecause efforts are being put forward to improve on the library operations and services frombeingmanuallydriventoelectronicallydrivenwhereinformationworkismostdonetraditionally. Application of library management Software to library services could facilitateeffective participation in the information sharing methods. Four objectives were achieved byformulating and answering four research questions for the study. The objectives were to findout the types of application software packages available for library operations and services infederaluniversitylibrariesinNorthWesternstatesofNigeria,identifythecriteriathatinfluenced the choice of software, find out the ICT infrastructure and strategies put in placeforthesustainabilityofthesoftwarepackagesandtoascertainthechallengesaffectingthefull implementation and utilization of automation software packages in federal universitylibraries, Survey method was adopted for the study. The research instruments used to collectdata for the study were questionnaire and interview. Purposive sampling technique was usedto select 218 sample subjects from five federal universities where library automation hasbegun.Thatis113subjectsfromAhmaduBelloUniversity,Zaria,36fromBayeroUniversity,Kano,34fromUsmanuDanfodiyoUniversity,Sokoto,15fromFederalUniversity Dutsinma, Katsina State and 20 from Federal University,Dutse, Jigawa State.Data werepresented infrequency tables andpercentages.Analysisand discussionsweremadetoeachtable.Findingsofthestudyrevealedthatalluniversitystudiedaremakinguseof KOHA,Virtua andE-libaswellasDSpace andGreenstone tomanage their digitalinformation resources, that available module, functionality and open source features are someof the criteria used to choose the software packages. Again the finding revealed that alluniversities have put in place high-speed Internet connectivity, high capacity bandwidth,Institutional websites and are also conducting appropriate training at the introduction of thesoftware, purchase after study and evaluation of software and are involving library staff in theacquisitionandmanagementofthesoftwarepackages.Thestudyconcludedthattheseuniversities are confronted by inadequate funding; inadequate technical expertise and rapidsoftware obsolescence were discovered as bane to successful implementation of automationsoftware application packages. Based on these findings several recommendations were madesuch as the need to apply other Inter library loan software for Serial Management software,ReferenceManagementSoftware;DigitalManagementsoftwareasfarasinformationdelivery is concerned, the need to consider major factors such as the Knowledge on how toidentify software available in the Market, cost features, product quality, and compatibilitywithotherprograms,datamigrationordatatransfers,recordofvendor,operationalefficiency, should put in place state-of-the-art ICT infrastructure such as functional libraryporter and highcapacity server machine.In addition, university libraries should involvelibrary staff in the process of procuring and managing library application software packages,interact with vendors and also involve library staff in decision making as part of strategies forthe sustainability of library application software packages in the library and need to procurestandard ICT facilities and power backups such as power inverter to complement standbygenerators and National Power Supply Companies in order to have up and running libraryautomationsystem in federal universitylibraries.