Human and Material Resource Availability and Needs of Undergraduate Programme in University of Technology-based Library Schools in Nigeria

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine the availability and needs of both human and material resources for undergraduate programme in Universities of Technology mounting librarianship in Nigeria. Five research questions guided the study and include variables such as ranks and status of academic staff, non-academic staff, physical facilities and information resources, lecturer: students and computer student ratio and resource needs of undergraduate programmes. Survey research method and heads library schools in universities of technology were used for the study. Online administration of the copies of questionnaire on heads of library schools was carried out and completed copies returned through online. Simple tabulation was used in the analysis of data collected by ranked order. Results showed inadequacy in the areas of academic staff, departmental libraries, computers in computer laboratories with teaming undergraduate students’ population as well as absence of classification/cataloguing/indexing laboratories in three of the surveyed library schools. The implication is that with the gross inadequacies of academic staff, departmental libraries, computer, cataloguing/indexing/classification laboratories; the library schools are likely to produce half-baked graduates with possession of low level of technical and information technology skills. In order to meet up with the resource needs of undergraduate programme, the study recommended amongst that library schools should attract academic staff on senior lecturer and professorial cadre either full time or part-time appointment. The minimum academic standards of 1:30 lecturer/students be strictly complied; parent universities should commit reasonable funds for the establishment of departmental libraries, construction of laboratories and procurement of computers, information resources indexing, classification cataloguing tools to support teaching and learning and for adequate practical exercises