Librarians’ ICT Competency in the 21st Century: A Study of Federal University Libraries in Southern Nigeria

Abstract

This study examines librarians’ Information Communication Technology (ICT) competency in the 21st Century  using federal university libraries in Southern Nigeria as a case study. The total population for this study  comprised of 362 librarians from eighteen (18) federal university libraries in Southern Nigeria. Total enumeration  technique was adopted because of the small and manageable size of the population. The data collected were  analyzed using simple percentage/frequency counts and weighted mean. Findings from this study revealed among  others that computers, printers, E-mail, CD-ROMs, mobile phones, photocopiers, Uninterrupted Power Supply  (UPS), Internet connectivity, scanners, power point projectors and integrated library management software are  available for use by the librarians in federal university libraries in Southern Nigeria; ICT skills such as skills to  power on and off a computer system, skills to browse the web, skill to download files from the Internet, skills to  navigate and use library automation software and its modules such as OPAC, skills to send and receive emails,  skills to copy to and from a CD-ROM and flash drive/hard discs among other necessary skills are all needed by  librarians to be able to properly utilize 21st Century ICT facilities and that the competency level of librarians on  the use of 21st Century ICT facilities in federal university libraries in Southern Nigeria is high. Recommendations  made based on the findings of the study include: The government should increase budgetary allocations to  academic libraries across Nigeria so that university library administrators can purchase and maintain ICT  facilities that will be useful in providing ICT related services to library users, as this will allow for effective  information service delivery in the 21st Century among others.