Availability and use of information technologies in Nigerian university libraries

Abstract

Information technology has four distinct phases - input, processing, distribution and output. Information technology is widely used in the developed world, but its status in the developing countries is not very clear due to the dearth of published information on the subject. Many reasons have been advanced by producers for the inability of developing countries to acquire and use information technology, but it is not the objective of this study to confirm or dipute these reasons. Rather, a fresh viewpoint from the perspective of the enduser and not of the technology producer, is sought with a view to understanding the problems and attempting to solve them. Nevertheless, information technology is vital today. In a world in which paper has become a menace to infImation storage and ietrieval, the productivity and efficiency of workers ae greatly reduced as timely retrieval of /nformation beconnes an uplhill task. "The paper explosion has to be tarmeci :f productivity and efficiency are to be restored in the working environment. This is why information technology is welcome. This' study focuses on the inventory and use of input, processing, distribution and output phases of information technology in the libraries of both state and federal universities in Nigeria.