Availability and use of serials by students in Festus Aghagbo Nwako library, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka

Abstract

The study examined the availability and use of serials by students in Festus Aghagbo Nwako Library, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Six objectives guided the study. The research adopted a case study research design. The population of the study comprised all the 3,031 registered postgraduate and undergraduate library users for 2014/2015 academic session. Purposive sampling technique was used to select one hundred and fifty (150) final year and postgraduate students. Questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection. Frequency, percentages and mean were used to analyze data. The result of the findings showed that journals and magazines were the most available serials; newspapers, journals, e-journals and magazines were available to a very high extent; journals and newspapers had the highest extent of use; serials were mostly used for research/writing projects or theses; lack of awareness of the existing journals in both the digital and traditional Serial Sections and insufficient number of copies and titles in some disciplines were the major challenges; provision of enough copies of serial titles in the library and creating proper awareness of the existing serials were the major strategies for enhancing the availability and use of serials in the library. Based on these findings, some recommendations were made which include among other things that the library management should take necessary steps to intensify its awareness campaign of the Serials Section by placing signposts of the Section from the ground floor. Publicity campaigns should be increased in the news bulletins, students’ forum, orientation programmes, and social media platforms.