Assessment of Digital Reference Resources and Services in Federal University of Technology Library, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the digital reference resources and services in the Federal University of Technology Library, Minna. The objectives of the study include identifying the types of digital reference resources available and services provided; determining the challenges faced in the process of rendering such services as well as proffering solutions to the identified challenges. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The questionnaire and observation checklist were used as data collection instruments. The entire population of twenty-eight (28) academic librarians was used. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentages, and mean scores. The findings revealed that electronic reference resources such as e-encyclopaedias, e-dictionaries, e-biographical sources, and e-handbooks were not available in the library. Reference services such as reference via the World Wide Web, social media, video conferencing, and collaborative digital reference services (CDRS) were equally not provided in the library. The study, therefore, recommended that Management of the Federal University of Technology Library, Minna should subscribe to active online databases that will enable the use of electronic reference resources and services. The library should adopt the use of technologies to allow the provision of digital reference resources and services such as e-dictionaries, e-bibliographies, reference via the World Wide Web, social media, for their reference service delivery.