Assessment of Users Perception of Environmental Performance of University Library Buildings in Nigeria

Abstract

The indoor environmental quality of any building can directly affect the wellbeing of the users of the building. The university libraries, being a public space designed for learning purposes, must meet important, specific indoor criteria such as lighting, acoustics, etc. in order to enhance students' academic performance. The aim of this is to examine elements in the indoor environmental conditions of university libraries that could enhance user’s educational learning. The objective is to identify and address the potential issues and challenges encountered by the library's users that could discourage them from using the library. A survey methodology and the use of a questionnaire were adopted to collect data from library users at three (3) universities in the study location (n (n=484). The response rate recorded 84%, with having overall reliability test of 0.87. Findings indicate that the respondents agreed that the indoor environmental conditions were satisfactory. However, further findings suggest that as the environmental condition improves, the users are more inclined to use the library. The study concludes that there is a need to improve the indoor environmental condition of the library. This would encourage more attention from of the library for their educational learning and consequently boost their academic performance.