Availability and Use of Electronic Information Resources by Postgraduate Students in John Harris Library University of Benin Benin City

Abstract

The study investigated the availability and use of electronic information resources by postgraduate students in the John Harris Library University of Benin. A descriptive survey design was used for the study. The population of the study is 249 registered postgraduate students. An accidental sampling technique was used. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Out of 80 copies of the questionnaires distributed, 47 were found valid for analysis. Frequency count and the simple percentage were used for data analysis. The resushowed that the electronic information resources available include e-books, e-journals and e-thesis. Electronic information resources were used for project writing, assignments, and academic achievement, and their reasons for using the resources include easy access, multi-access, saving time, and space among others. The challenges faced by postgraduate students in using electronic information resources in the library include; poor infrastructure, erratic power supply, and inadequate skills by both staff and students. It was therefore recommended that there should be training and retraining of both staff and postgraduate students to promote effective use of electronic information resources.