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University of Nigeria Research Publications
Aut
hor
MBAEKWE, Joan C PG/MLS/96/22677
Title
User Satisfaction in Nigerian University Libraries (A Case Study of UNN Law Library
And ESUT Law Library)
Facu
lty
Education
Dep
artm
ent
Library and Information Science
Dat
e
October, 2003
Sign
atur
e
USER SATISFACTION IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
A CASE STUDY OF UNN LAW LIBRARY AND ESUT LAW LIBRARY
MBAEKWE, JOAN CELESTlNA (NEE MOTE) (PG/MCS/96/22677)
DEPARTMENT OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE FACULTY OF EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA
NSUKKA
OCTOBER, 2003.
UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA !'C,UKKA
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
USER SATISFACTION IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES:
A CASE STUDY OF UNN LAW LIBRARY AND ESUT LAW LIBRARY
MBAEKWE, JOAN CELESTINA (NEE MOTE) (PGlMLSl96122677)
DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
IN PARTIAL I'ULFILLMENT OF: THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF THE MASTERS DEGREE IN LIBRARY AND INFORMATION
SCIENCE (MLS)
OCTOBER, 2003.
APPROVAL
UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
THIS RESEARCH STUDY HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCF
....... U..................... SUPERVISOR A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE
t
................................................. HEAD OF DEPARTMENT
DEAN OF FACULTY
CERTIFICATION
I certify that this research study
USER SATISFACTION IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES: A CASE STUDY OF UNM LAW LIBRARY AND ESUT LAW LIBRARY
was carried out by
MBAEKWE, JOAN CELESTINA, (NEE MOTF)
of the
Department of Library And Information Science - ~iiversity of Nigeria, Nsukka under my supervis~ol~
Mbaekwe, Joan Celestina Dr. (Lady) 0. N. AMUCHEAZI (Studerit) (Supervisor)
i v DEDICATION
To my father Mr Danrel P Mote, the memory of my late beloved mother Mrs Regrna N Mote,
t
To my husband Major Dr Foster F Mbaekwe
and I.
To sibl~ngs Chinweoke, Chukwunonye, Edekotaobi-achi-ewo whose love. support and understanding have been constant throughout my academic
I
pursu~t
v ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Many individuals too numerous to mention have in one way or the other encouraged assisted and contributed to the successful completion of this research work.
My major intellectual debt goes to my supervisor Dr. (Lady) 0 . N. Amucheazi for her wealth of knowledge and experience which she generously allowed me to tap, and through her regular friendly criticisms, spurred me on to achieve the objective in a good time. It is a thing of great pride to have had the rare opportunity of benefiting from her deep knowledge and intellectual wealth of experience.
My indebtedness also goes to the Deputy University Librarian University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Mr. Godwin N. Okoli for providing materials which formed the foundation of this project.
I am also most grateful to my good and worthy friend, Dr. (Mrs.) Grace Offorma, of the Institute of Education University of Nigeria, Nsukka Campus, and her husband Mr. Chibueze Offorma of the Ministry of Aviation, Jos for their sacrifice, in providing me with comfort and other necessaries so as to achieve a resounding success in the course of undergoing this programme. Offorma, Grace you are indeed more of brother and sister. May God reward you in hundred folds.
I am also grateful to my husband, Major (Dr.) Foster E. Mbaekwe, for his financial and academic contributions towards the completion of this programme.
Finally, I immensely thank my creator the Almighty God, who has seen me to and from school and has also sustained me in my endeavours.
MBAEKWE, CELESTINA, JOAN (NEE MOTE)
UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA SEPTEMBER 2002
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE
CERTIFICATION
APPROVAL PAGE
DEDICATION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES
ABSTRACT
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 BACKGROUNDOFTHESTUDY
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
1.3 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
1 .G RESEARCH QUESTIONS.
PAGE
1
I I
. . . I l l
iv
v
v i
vii
i x
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 9
2.1 USER SATISFACTION IN LIBRARIES 10
2.2 LAW LIBRARY RESOURCES IN NIGERIAN
UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES 14
2.3 LAW LIBRARY SERVICES IN NIGERIAN
UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES 15
.2.4 PROBLEMS IN MANAGING NIGERIAN LAW LIBRARIES
TO ENSURE USER SATISFACTION 16
2 5 SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW 19
vii
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
THE RESEARCH DESIGN
AREA OF THE STUDY
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
SAMPLE AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUE
INSTRUMENT FOR DATA COLLECTION
VALIDATION OF INSTRUMENT
METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION
METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 RESULTS
RESEARCH QUESTION 1
RESEARCH QUESTION 2
RESEARCH QUESTION 3
RESEARCH QUESTION 4
RESEARCH QUESTION 5
RESEARCH QUESTION 6
CHAPTER FIVE
5.0 DISCUSSION OF RESULTS, CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS,
RECOMMENDATION AND SUMMARY 40
5 1 DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS 40
5 2 CONCLUSION 50
5 3 ' IMPLICATIONS OF THE STUDY 54
5 4 RECOMMENDATIONS 55
5 5 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY 5 7
5.6 SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER RESEARCH 58
BIBLIOGRAPHY 59
APPENDIX
LIST OF TABLES
Page
TABLE 1 : POPULATION OF THE STUDY 24
TABLE 2: QUESTIONNAIRE DISTRIBUTION PATTERN 28
TABLE 3 USERS' ASSESSMENT OF LAW LIBRARY FACILITIES AND SERVICES 3 0
TABLE 4 USER'S ASSESSMENT OF LAW LIBRARY COLLECTIONS 31
TABLE 5 ITEM MEAN SCORES FOR CLUSTER ON STEPS BEING TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT FACILITIES AND SERVICES ARE ADDRESSED TO ENHANCE USER SATISFACTION IN UNEC AND ESUT 33
TABLE 6: IN WHAT AREAS LAW STUDENTS PERCEIVE THEIR LAW LIBRARY SERVICES AND FACULTIES AS SATISFACTORY 34
. TABLE 7. ITEM MEAN SCORES FOR CLUSTERE ON WHAT AREAS LAW LECTURERS PERCEIVE THEIR LAW LIBRARY FACILITIES AND SERVICES AS SATISFACTORY 36
TABLE 8: ITEM MEAN SCOPE FOR CLUSTER F & G ON PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN TRYING TO ENSURE SATISFACTION AND STRATEGIES ADOPTED TO ENHANCE USER SATISFACTION 37
TABLE 9: ITEM MEAN SCORE FOR CLUSTER G ON STRATEGIES ADOPTED TO ENHANCE USER SAT1 SFACTION 38
ix ABSTRACT
The study examined the factors which determine the users' satisfaction, their needs and the effectiveness of services offered in law libraries in Nigeria Universities. Attention was focussed on University of Nigeria law library, Enugu Campus and Enugu State University of Science and Technology Law Library, Enugu.
An attempt was made to examine the Library needs of the users and also to evaluate the adequacy of resources, facilities and the effectiveness of the libraries in meeting expressed needs.
Survey instruments like questionnaires, interviews and personal observation methods were used. The data collected were analyzed in tabular form and descriptive statistics were applied.
Assessment of libraries effectiveness based on user satisfaction revealed that the users were marginally satisfied with the services rendered. They complained among other things that the library staff and management did nothing to promote library use.
The library building provided by the management cannot accommodate more than 1000 law st~~dents at a time and the library staff who hardly attend law library workshops cannot effectively assist the students in search of information.
A number of suggestions were made including the provision of up-to-date law reports, journals, law texts, internet resources and CD-Roms.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
I !
I 1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY I
j Various organizations have developed over time one I
I
mechanism or the other for regular and effective assessment of their 1
I
performance. This attribute appears to be more pronounced in
organizations where the satisfaction of the needs of their clients
appears to be the major objective of the organizations.
Libraries are purely service-oriented organizations deliberately I
designed to provide valuable information for the users. The
~ncreasing sophistication of the Nigerian polity and the demands of
individuals, institutions and the business community in a rap~dly
changing economic and social environment point to the need for I
innovative library system which can rise to meet the new challenges
A modern law library is expected to be designed and equipped to
meet the challenges of the legal profession which appears to be
more involved in the daily affairs of the country than any other
profession.
Because the lawyer deals with all kinds of human beings and
with cases involving all kinds of human behaviour, the training of
legal practitioners requires the employment of modern systems and
technology highly qual~fied, competent and motivated teaching and -
non-teaching faculty staff Books, journals, periodicals, law reports
and other publications must be provided in large numbers for the
effective training of the law students.
Experts in legal education have variously observed that of all
professions, law has the largest collection of books because a well
stocked reference law library is important to a lawyer as well as the
judge in the admmistration of justice. Ekundayo (1994) opined that a
legal executive with no library would be sharing the fate of a blmd
man holdrng a driving licence. On this part, Malomo (1994)
emphasized that law libraries are not only essential but crucral to the
st~tdy of law and the practrce of legal profession.
In recognition of the importance of well equipped law library to
the study of law and legal profession, the Councll of Legal Educat~on
insists that a university must
( i ) Have a well-stocked separate law library for the Faculty of
Law,
(ri) Employ a profess~onally qualified law librarian, and
( i~ i ) Have a well-equipped office for the law librarian.
As practiced in the United States, the law library should be an
integral part of the Law Faculty rather than forming a part of the
Unrversity L~brary system The National Universities Comrn~ss~on
non-teaching faculty staff Books, journals, periodicals, law reports
and other publications must be provided in large numbers for the
effective training of the law students.
Experts in legal education have variously observed that of all
professions, law has the largest collection of books because a well
stocked reference law library is important to a lawyer as well as the
judge in the administration of justice. Ekundayo (1994) opined that a
legal executive with no library would be sharing the fate of a blmd
man holding a driving licence. On this part, Malomo (1994)
emphasized that law libraries are not only essential but crucral to the
st~ldy of law and the practice of legal profession.
In recognition of the importance of well equipped law library to
the study of law and legal profession, the Council of Legal Education
insists that a university must
(I) Have a well-stocked separate law library for the Faculty of
Law,
(11) Employ a professionally qualified law librarian, and
(iii) Have a well-equipped office for the law librarian.
As practiced in the United States, the law library should be an
integral part of the Law Faculty rather than forming a part of the
University Library system. The National Universities Commrss~on
(NUC 1989) has long emphasized that the library holdings of a Law
Faculty should consist of
(i) Nigerian Publications
(ii) English Publications
(iii) Common Wealth Law Reports
(iv) Text Books on all the major course taught in the faculty,
Encyclopedias and law Dictionaries.
It further directs that new issues of law report, journals and
current editions of books should be acquired from time to time. All
the aforementioned requirements are designed to ensure that the
users of a law library are satisfied and the standard of legal
education maintained in N~geria
User satisfaction may therefore be defined as the feeling of
contentment which a library user experiences after making use of
the library resources. To have contentment after s sing a library the
user must be able to obtain the information sought in the statues, the
current law reports, the gazettes, the text books, the practice books
the precedent books, the case-books, the Digest, citators and
indexes, the legal periodicals, the Reference sources and the loose -
leaf works (Anyaeg bu, 1998)
In Nigeria today, the rising cost of books in the face of
dwindling fund allocation to the law faculties hardly improve the
student - book ratio in our Universities. Law students cannot find
the necessary materials in the law library may find it difficult to
graduate and effectively participate in the practice of law.
In view of the prevailing circumstances, it has become
necessary to find out the perception or opinions of law library users
about the libraries they use in training as lawyers. An appraisal of
this nature may help in detecting factors that are likely to lead to the
lowering of quality of law degrees from the Nigerian Universities.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The management of the human and material resources of any
organization creates its own problems, which must be addressed
from time to time. Being service-oriented, the law libraries of both
the UNEC and ESUT naturally have the challenge of satisfying the
expectations of their users even when all the resources are not
available.
Although writers in the field (Mendel 1967; Stecher, 1975)
warned that the attitudes of the users may bear little relationship to
the provision of good library services, some others (Jegede, 1997;
Below, 1994; Ajayi, 1994) believed that lack of fund was responsible
for the understocking of the law libraries to meet the needs of the
users.
As more students are being admitted for the regular and
sandwich programmes, it becomes necessary to know what the
library and school administrators are doing to satisfy their users with
the small available resources.
The problem$of this study therefore, put in the form of a
question is: What factors determine user satisfaction in law libraries,
what problems do their management encounter in providing services
to users, and what strategies can be adopted to enhance user
satisfaction?
1.3 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES (PURPOSE)
The study specifically attempted to:
1. Ascertain factors which determine user satisfaction in libraries
as culled from the literature.
2. Identify measures taken in the ESUT and UNEC law libraries
to ensure user satisfaction based on these factors;
3. Find out aspects of the services and resources of these
libraries which law lecturers consider satisfactory;
4. Find out aspects of the services and resources of these
libraries which law students perceive as satisfactory;
5. Identify problems reported by the management of thee
libraries as they try to enhance user satisfaction;
6 . Suggest strategies for enhancing user satisfaction in these
libraries based on their perception.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Today the Nigerian academic libraries are facing very
challenging times as they try to render satisfactory services to their
increas~ng clientele in a period of rapidly shrinking resources and
funding. If the law library IS to still remain relevant to legal education
in Nigeria, it is necessary to document any problems that may hinder L
this and solve them with dispatch. This is why this study can be said
to be both timely and significant to both law librarians, the university
authorities, the Nigerian Bar Association and the legal profession in
Nigeria in general.
Thus, the findings of this study will be useful to these
aforementioned groups in the following ways:
1. Sensitizing of the university authorities, law librarians and the
Nigerian Bar Association on the extent of authority and
adequacy of services and materials for legal education and
law programmes in our universities, specially as these will
finally determine the quality of lawyers produced who will then
dictate the quality of legal practice in the country.
2. Assisting universrty librarians and law librarians to dev~se 1
1
means of salvaging law libraries in their institutions for more i
dynamic law programmes. i
3. Furnishing the National Universities Commission (NUC) with
useful information and data on the state of Law libraries in
Nigerian Universities so that their funding situation can be I
improved and/or required learning resources sent to them to
boost teaching and studying of law as a very critical university
course.
4 . Appraising the relevant bodies, NBA, NUC, Council of Legal
Education, etc on the need to improve law libraries resources
in our universities through donations of much needed
materials/resources
5. Above all, the findings from this study will basically add to the
literature of law librarianship, mostly in the area of user
expectations in the university libraries. The findings will
contribute immensely in helping law librarians to improve on
their approach and techniques in library management and
b thereby satisfying the needs of the users.
1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study covers the subject of user satisfaction in two
Nigerian University libraries - one State, the other Federal - the
Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) and
University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). The choice of these two
universities are obvious because of their level of funding and age
apart from the convenience of the researcher who is a full-time
worker and part-time student.
It is of course acknowledged that there are several other
universities with law libraries in Nigeria, but constraints of time and
money make it impossible for the researcher to include them.
1.6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
This study is guided by the following research questions:
1. What factors determine user satisfaction in law libraries as
culled from the literature?
2 . What measures are being taken by the ESUT and UNEC law
libraries to ensure user satisfaction based on these factors?
3. Which aspects of the services and resources of these libraries
do law lecturers consider satisfactory?
4. Which aspects of the services and resources of these libraries
do law students perceive satisfactory?
5. What problems do the management of these law libraries
encounter as they try to enhance user satisfaction?
6. What strategies will be adopted for enhancing user
satisfaction in these libraries based on their perceptions?
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter is presented under the following headings: 4.
1. User satisfaction in libraries.
1 - . Law library resources in Nigerian University libraries;
J. Law library services in Nigerian University libraries
4 Problems in managing Nigerian law libraries to ensure user
satisfaction
> . . Summary of literature review.
Libraries have been studied from different angles by
educational researchers in many countries including the developing
countries like Nigeria, but more studies have been done especially in
the United States and Britain. Most of the studies on trends and
contingencies of library development have provided information on
academic libraries such that enabled university librarians and
various agencies connected with the library system to:
(1)
(ii)
(i i i)
recognize the significance of library planning;
identify problems in interpersonal relations in a library and
evolve solutions for them;
understand the importance of identifying the external links -
legal, conventional, procedural or functional - which a library
has to maintain;
1 I 1
understand the importance of reviewing the organrzatlonal
structure of a library as objectives and functions change;
analyze the cause of friction between a library and its
controlling agencies,
recognize the advantages of participatory management and in
relation to a library; and
identify skills to be acquired to ensure neatness and efficiency
in the house - keeping functions of a library.
Other studies focused on the management of library
resources, design and use of library facilities and library p o k y
formulation.
It is beyond the scope of this study to try to review the entire
literature or to attempt any significant clarification of issues and
theories arising from each of the diverse fields as library innovation,
administration, organization and user education, etc attempts would,
however be made to provide an organizing frame work for the
literature as it relates to user satisfaction, collection building,
management of library resources and the socio-political context of
library development.
USER SATISFACTION IN LIBRARIES
User studies proliferate in the literature of librarianship and
information science. As early as I967 one bibliography of library
user studies contained 547 references (Deweese 1967). The
popularity of user study is probably a function of the service-
orientation of contemporary library philosophy. Librarians have
become increasingly sensitive to user requirement and the user
study offers a means of defining a library's clientele, establishing
levels of demand for various services, and tailoring those services to
meet the interests of that clientele. While some user studies have
restricted themselves to gathering data about patterns of library use,
many aim at evaluating users attitudes to the library, and assessing
the degree of satisfaction being achieved.
The majority of user studies have based their studies and data
collection on interviews, questionnaires, participant. observation,
diaries and intuition. Such techniques are inherently subjective and
the data they yield lack the authority of more objective studies. It
has been observed of the run of user studies that:
Generalizations based upon data yielded by the
heterogeneous investigations of varying merit are
of arguable validity and are certainly not
universally applicable: each will be false in some
circumstances (Hanson, 1971 ).
The methods used by librarians to gather information about
their clients have generally lacked scientific rigour. Lack of both the
scientific technique and methodological uniformity has generated a
rambling, redundant literature little of which is competent to be used
as a foundation of further work. The solution to this problem
obviously lies in the development of more stringent investigative
techniques.
With particular regard to studies of user satisfaction, however,
even if the data were to be obtained by acceptable methods, there is
still a considerable area of doubt as to how far Librarians should be
influenced by the preferences of their users. A number of wr~ters
(Menzel, 1967; Stecher, 1975; Richard HI 1973) have cautioned that
the attitudes of users may bear little relation to the provision of good
library services. Menzel, for example argues that "Valuable
information" may well not be the information that users need
Stecher is more emphatic stating that:
"There is no valid quantitative relationship between user
attitudes and the quality of the library"
Since doctors do not allow patients to decide their own
treatments, the library user is not fit to decide how a library should
function in order to serve his own best interests he argued.
Certainly, the user is the final arbiter in judging the relevance in
relation to his own needs of any document supplied to him by the
library, but he is not qualified to comment on how the system which
supplied that document should operate. To take any other viewpoint
negates the training deemed necessary to becoming a professional
librarian.
Consequently, as far as planning and decision-making are
concerned, it is not necessarily of value to the librarian to know
which aspects of this service engender user satisfaction. For all
practical purposes user satisfaction must be disregarded as anything I I I
other than a supportive measure.
Although user satisfaction is of limited direct value to practical
library decision making, it would be unpragmatic to disavow totally
the concept of user satisfaction. Wills (1977) offers a perceptive
comment on this subject.
"Making decisions about a library's operation.
based on user's preference is considered unwise
because users do not know what they want in
terms of information services. However, here is a
great deal of evidence that the budget decision
making process is very much influenced by users
satisfaction with a library system".
Wills is acknowledging the known fact of life. Librarians have
always been plagued by inability to quantify the value of their
hrv ices and thus objectively justify budget requests. Even in the
academic sector where libraries have traditionally been assumed to
have value "per se", librarians are facing new pressures to justify
their budgets.
Sensitivity to user attitudes is entirely healthy and the librarian
who paid no attention to the view of this use would be regarded as
having severe communication problems. This review of the concept
of user satisfaction literature has introduced the notion of user
satisfaction as an end in itself, to be pursued perhaps as a surrogate
of actual quality of library services, of which it may be independent.
2.2. LAW LIBRARY RESOURCES IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY
LIBRARIES.
Many writers, includmg Librarians have identified important
connections between collection building and user satisfaction in
libraries (Edoka 1983, Gorman, 1989 Daton, 1967). They made the
following points:
I . that only relevant materials which are capable of meeting the
user's needs are selected.
ii. that in the collection development process, a concrete
programme plan and selection must be done to pick out the
materials that are capable of satisfying users, needs (Edoka
1983)
iii. that every university law library should have a written selection
and acquisition policy which must clarify the objectives for the
selection and acquisition (Gorman, 1989)
iv. that collection building in essence is a matter of systematically
determining the quality and also the value of the material to
satisfy the users needs (Daton, 1967)
v. that selection is a process of picking material that will serve
the educational, recreational and aesthetic needs of the users
in a community (Aguolu, 1983).
LAW LIBRARY SERVICES IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY
LIBRARIES
Most studies related to the role of library personnel in realizing
user satisfaction have centred on evaluation of a collection through
use and user studies. A survey of the literature on user-oriented
studies in which the units of measure were people was conducted by
Menzdel-John and Wingerd, (1 967); Bonser and Wentworth (1 970);
M. C. (1968); Campell a, (1950); Evans C. (1970) and Gallup
organization Inc. (1 976).
The findings were generally on the quantity of library use and
on the characteristics of the users. None of the studies, however,
centered specifically on the role of library personnel in achieving
user satisfaction.
For the library personnel to satisfy the needs of the users, the
information supply system must be managed in such a way that its
clients' needs can be anticipated as much as possible and the
material made available at the earliest expression of any demand. It
is accepted that the work of a professional in any field IS that he
applied himself to supply what his professional expertise tells h ~ m
the client needs, rather than what the client wants, or says he wants.
There is a difference between these three concepts of need, actual
demand and expressed demand.
It was in trying to find out what tile user wants that Line (1973)
and Urquhart and Schofield, (1971) worked on the availability and
failure theories in their client-centered evaluation method research.
They analyzed the results of real attempts by library users to find
particular- items sought in the library and the reasons why they are.
~ ~ n s ~ ~ c c e s s f u l . The importance of that availability stctdies is ir,
pinpointing not only which items s o ~ ~ g h t by the users nave riot ueerl
servlce, e g catalogue use success unava~labrlity because of loan
~tems mlssrng or mlsshelved, etc
2 4 PROBLEMS IN MANAGING NIGERIAN LAW LIBRARIES TO
ENSURE USER SATISFACTION
The problems of ensurtng user sat~sfact~on In Un~versrty
lrbrarles could be treated urlder tile follovv~r ly Irt.dcilr l y s
(I) SELECTION: Select~orl In ~lntversrty Irbrarres pxh~b~tc 7
number of characte~rst~cs that set ~t apart flonl othel types of
libraries. Since university libraries deal more intensively with
the 'international booktrade, the selection sources must be
representative not only of all subject areas but also of various
regions of the world in order to satisfy the needs of the various
users. hhere a university library cannot, for lack of fund, get
trade publications, national bibliographies, reviewing journals,
scholarly journals, indexing services, etc used in the normal
course of events in the library, the user can hardly be
satisfied.
From my observations in ESUT librarians tend to select
for non-circulating collections (reference works) in place of the
materials specifically recommended by the teaching staff.
Though it is the responsibility of the librarians to bring to the
notice of the academic staff materials considered of value and
interest, the student and the academic staff users usually feel
less satisfied when they do not get what they demanded.
(ii) PERSONNEL: The calibre of the library staff of a university
library contributes to a great measure to the satisfaction of the
users. Good year (1977) held that "staff must be familiar with
the various marketing techniques of publishers and vendors,
gathering information about these firms and developing
expertise in communicating with their sales representatives"
The Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science
(198 1 ) suggested that "the library's collection building staff
should be prudent, learned and versatile. He should carefully
study acquisition lists, be alert and study book reviews,
strengths and gaps in the collect".
Edoka (1 979) posited that "without properly trained staff
libraries cannot satisfy the users needs and therefore cannot
satisfy the users needs and therefore cannot meet the function
expected of them". And for Gelfand (1 968) "the development
of the university libraries requires, above all, the intellectual
and professional services of men and women who have
trained precisely for such purposes - experts librarians".
(iii) COLLECTION - A university library with limited collection of
books, journals, etc cannot hope to satisfy the users. It is
generally accepted that the quality of library services depends
to a large extent on the quantity and quality of its collections
and the staff who provide the services (Aguolu, 1983). Said
(1987) lamented that university libraries which are supposed
to be "store-house" of knowledge are now without up-to-date
books and journals, hence they are no longer able to perform
their prime function of providing materials for teaching and
research.
(iv) USER EDUCATION: The skill needed for effective use of the
library resources is not usually acquired easily by both
students and academic staff. Therefore the librar~es must
ensure that the users are aware of the library resources and
how to use them. Various studies on user education have
been referred to In this chapter.
(v) CIRCULATION: Even when a university library can boast of a
good collection build-up, the circulation method can render the
whole services hopeless. The present manual system of
circulation can hardly cope any longer with an increasing work
load without corresponding growth in circulation staff.
(Soyinka, 1982).
2.5 SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW
The review of literature was based primarily on documentary
sources especially books and journal articles from both overseas
and Nigeria. There were a few paper from conference proceedings
and seminars. There are few thesis and also papers on Nigerian
Law Libraries.
From the review of these sources, the following facts
emerged!.
1. User studies are not in the field of librarianship having existed
before the 1960s.
2. Literature on user satisfaction tend to caution that the attitudes
of users may have little effect on the provision of good library
services since there is no valid quantitative relationship
between user attitudes and the quality of the library (Menzel,
1967; Stecher, 1975; Richard, 1973).
3. However, a contrary view argues that sensitivity to users
attitudes is healthy as it can show good communication
between library management and users.
4. Among factors which ensure user satisfaction are collection
building policies (Edoka, 1983; Gorman 1989, Daton, l967),
and the quality of library personnel (Evans, 1970; Bouser and
Wentworth (1 970); Gallup Organrzation 1976).
5 Problems of ensuring user satisfaction in libraries were also
traced to selection policies in collection building, calibre of
library personnel, user education programmes and outdated
circulation practices.
6. Apparently no known work of same topic has been undertaken
in Nigeria.
7. ' This work therefore fills an important gap in knowledge based
on the dearth of literature on the topic.
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
The design and methodology adopted for data collection
and interpretation are presented in this chapter under the
following headings:
i. The research design
. . 1 1 . Area of study
iii. Population of Study
iv. Sample and Sampling technique
v. Instrument for data collection
vi. Validation of instrument
vii. Method of data collection
viii. Method of data analysis
3.1 THE RESEARCH DESIGN
A research design is a plan, structure and strategy of
investigation used for obtaining answers to the researcher's
questions. Since the purpose of a field study is to gather information
from the respondents, as opposed to trying to change or ~nfluence I
,them in any way, the researcher considered the Descriptive
Research Design most appropriate for the study.
A descriptive survey research is a past - oriented research
whose purpose have been given by Isaac, (1972), drawing from Van
Dalen and Meyer (1 966) as:
(a) to collect detailed factual information that describes the
existing phenomena:
(b) to identify problems or justify current conditions and practices;
(c) to make comparisons and evaluations;
(d) to determine what others are doing with similar problems or
situations and benefit from their experience in making future
plans and decisions.
By this design the researcher tried to utilize the information
collected from respondents using a questionnaire for analyzing and
assessing the effects of library, collections, calibre of library staff and
general library management in the overall satisfaction of the library
users
The variables involved in the study are library staff: facilities
and services (resources) and satisfaction. While resources are
measurable, the measurement of satisfaction raises the problem of
*exactitude which authors have argued can be overcome through the
use of indicators.
In considering user satisfaction in the university law library, the
following types of indicators enabled progress to be compared for
university law libraries under different management within the same
locality in a state.
(a) total number of vital books stocked in each law library;
(b) total number of law students using the library for the
I996197 and 1997198 sessions;
(c) the availability or otherwise and the condition of certain
standard library facilities and services in each of the two
libraries under study.
The numerical values of the different variables in this study will
be correlated with one another to find out if there are s~gnificant
occurrences andlor relationship between the I13VERsm OF NCERII gm.w
3.2 AREA OF THE STUDY
The sample for th~s s t ~ ~ d y was drawn from the followmg
The University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus Law Faculty and
Law Library and the Enugu State University of Science and
Technology Law Faculty and Law Library, Enugu.
3.3 POPULATION OF THE STUDY
Table 1
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
( Part-Time Law Students
1 Professional Librarians
1 Non-Professional Library Staff , 10 I
/ ~ a w lecturers 1 2 I
No from UNEC - - - . - - .
74
48
4
I Total 148
-- - - -
No from ESUT
Table 1 above shows the distribution pattern of the population
of study. It consists of one hundred and twenty-eight students, five
professional librarians, twenty non-professional library staff and
twenty-four law lecturers.
3.4 SAMPLE AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUE
Simple random sampling was used to draw sample from the
population having decided to limit the study to the two universities
In each of the two universities, all the 5 professional librarians were
used as sample size. The sample for law lecturers was drawn by
requesting three library attendants in each of the universities to write
down the names of five law lecturers who use the law library most.
From the list, the names of the 10 most frequent users of the
library were picked as samples. The same technique was used in
picking the law student samples. The library officers were asked to
write the names of 20 law students from each university who used
the library most often. From the list submitted, it was easy to
compile the names of 55 persons that make up the sample size.
3.5 INSTRUMENT FOR DATA COLLECTION
Questionnaire were designed and sent to the UNEC and
ESUT law library users because of the need to cover a reasonable
number of the library users. This was in line with Hallers (1979)
position that questionnaires are perhaps best suited for measuring
attitudes, opinions . . . . For collecting demographic information and
for gathering simple facts about a social system quickly and cheaply.
The instrument: The User Satisfaction Descriptive
Questionnaire (USDQ) was designed for two categories of
respondents - librariansllibrary staff and library users (law students
and law lecturers). The questionnaire for librarians comprised of
(41) items made up of three sections A, 6, and C. section A was an
general information about the library and student size, section B
sought to provide information on factors determining user
satisfaction (services and resources) in law libraries.
The questions is section C were focused on steps be~ng taken
to enhance user sat~sfact~on.
The questionna~re designed for library users comprised of (8)
Items for the law students and (6) items for the law lecturers as
contained in sections D and E respectively.
3.6 VALIDATION OF INSTRUMENT
The test-retest method was used to ascertain the consistency
of the respondents responses as evidence that the items were clear
and understandable to the respondents. The consistency was
determined through the consistent manner the respondents twice
supplied the answer at an rnterval of four weeks the questronnarre
were administered.
After the pre-testing, the researcher modified the instrument in
the light of the errors that were detected. The questionnaires were
in seven sections and presented in the following order.
Section A- Background information
Section B - Factors determining user satisfaction
Section C - Steps for enhancing user satisfaction
Section D - Law students perceptions of the law l~brary
adequacy
Section E - Law lecturers perception of the law l~brary
adequacy.
Section F - Problems of ensuring user satlsfaction.
Section G - Strategies to be adopted to enhance user
sat~sfaction.
3.7 METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION
The researcher visited all the institutions involved in the study
and distributed the questionnaires to the respondents through the
law librarians. Further vlsits were made to ensure that the
questionnaires were attended to by the respondents.
The researcher personally collected the questionnaires from
the law librarians after the response. Interviews were conducted by
the researcher at the convenience of the interviewed where the use
of questionnaire could not satisfy the researcher.
A total of 225 questionnaires were distributed to both
practicing librariansllibrary officers (25) and library users (200). I 8 2
questionnaires were correctly filled and returned. This represents
82.5%. The distribution pattern is shown below.
Table 2
Questionnaire Distribution Pattern ,~ - .- ~ ~ .~
C ~. . . . .~
i UNEC ESUT F p - . - . . - - . - - - - - -- - ---, I Categories of No in No in class / No of I No of
question i respondents 1 questionnaires respondents aL!?*stered ; p a administered - . i' C i
) respondents - ( (a) 10% Full
T ~ m e Students C --- - - - - - -- Year 2
1 student 1 (b) 10% Part 1 t ~ m e students p e a r 2 j Year 3 I Year 4 I , Year 5 t - -- i Total Part- / time students 1 .- -.
I L~brary staff ! 28 I
. / . _ .
1 ~ a w I I
1 facu!ty. . ..I I i
I t -
I
/ Non 1 professional
1 Total library , staff I . . - - - - -- -_ --
Law lecturers I (50%) -- - P - -- . - --
3.8 METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS
b The response to each item in each cluster were summed up
and the mean (x) obtained The means were used to answer the
research questions. The mean of 2.5 or above was regarded as
criterion for agreement while 2.5 was regarded as disagreement as
explained in details below.
In other to rate respondents responses as agree andlor
disagree, all the value items in the instrument were ass~gned values
and their means and standard deviation worked out. Thus rn
establishing the decision rule, any statement or item in the
instrument with mean (x) of 2.5 and/or above is regarded as
agreeable value (positive) whereas any statement which has a mean
of below 2 5 is taken to have disagreeable value (negative).
Therefore, the criterion of agreement of positive value is a
mean of 2.5 or above, and that of disagreement for negative value a
mean of below 2.5. Items with mean 3.5 and above are considered
to have been highly rated for the present study.
The criterion mean was found by dividing the sum of the
weighted response by the member of response categories. For
example: SA = 4.A = 3:D=2 and SD=1.
Therefore the sum of weighted responses = 4+3+ = 10 and
number of response categories = 4; the criterion mean = 10 = 2.5. 4
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS
The results of this study will be presented here under the following
headings:
1. What factors determine user satisfaction in Nigerian University Law
Libraries?
2. The steps for enhancing user satisfaction
3. Law students' perception of library adequacy and
4 . Law lecturers perception of library adequacy weighted frequencies
and means were used to answer the research questions that were
posed for the study
RESEARCH QUESTION I
What factors determine user satisfaction in Nigerian University Law
Libraries?
Table 3
USERS' ASSESSMENT OF LAW LIBRARY FACILITIES AND SERVICES
A. UNEC LAW LIBRARY r--.----p..-p.-. ~- 7 - . . .. ~ - -. . - . -
/ Facilities and Services ' Ratings of the facilities and services , - . . . . . . - . .-- - .- -- - . . 4. -. . - - . . . . . . .. . ,
--Not 1 Good I Poor Available ' I 1 % / %
! ! (NA) i C/o
.. -. .. .. ' Bulletin Board ' Suggestion Box 5 Toilet, Facilities 2 9 Bibliography Services Bindery Services
/ Reference services
9 2 8 80 2 0 8 5 15
1 Photocopying services i 71 I 29 I -
i Computer services 1 78 1 22 1
-. 84 .-I -83.: 5. . . -~ ---- . . .. - . . -. - 1
B. ESUT LAW LIBRARY r - . - ' - ..
! Bulletin Board 1 96 i
1
Suggestion Box I 96 1 I -
I Toilet Facilities 11 70 I - I
I Bibliography Services 1 94 i Bindery Services 1 96 I - I i -
1 95 15 I Reference services I - 1
I Photocopying services , 87 113 I -
I 86 I Computer services 1 r Readers services - - -.- .
1 -.- A~erage= . __ 8.78 . . - . .- . . . . . . . i
Table 3A shows that the UNEC law library has all the necessary
facilities and services although, about 16.5% of the facilities appeared not
to be functioning properly. There is great strain on the properly functioning
facilities due to the large number of students using them. Since the
properly functioning facilities constitute about 83.5% of the available
facilities, the users expressed satisfaction with the law library
TABLE 3B shows that the ESUT law library facilities are also
generally in good condition. This is quite understandable as ESUT is a
relatively new university.
Table 4
USERS' ASSESSMENT OF LAW LIBRARY COLLECTIONS
A. UNEC LIBRARY
Rating of Collect~ons / Poor - 1 Not Avarlable
I COLLECTIONS I I
. - -- - - -- - ----.-Ir.. --- 1 Law Reports 22.8 1
1 Law Journals I 72.5 / Law Books / 72 1 Law Dictionary r - --- - - - - - -
1 90 I Average 177.9
B. ESUT LAW LIBRARY
14 13 Law Journals
I
!
12 1
-
9.75 r 12.9
Table 4A shows that the UNEC Law Library has available in reasonable
quantity law reports, although about 22.8% of the law reports are in poor
condition, while 77.2% are in good condition.
The table also shows that about 16.5% of the law books and 15 5%
of law journal that the co~tncll of legal education would like to be In a well
stocked law library are not available on the shelves. 12% of those
available are in poor conditlon, while about 72.5% of jo~~rna ls and 72% of
books are in good condition.
Table 40 also shows that In the ESUT Law Library, about 10.7% of
the necessary law books and journals that were not on the shelves are
being expected from various book vendors who have been requested to
supply them. About 12% of the books and journals on display are in poor
state whlle about 77.3% of the books and journals are in good conditlon
. The law reports are available in good condition, but about 14% of
the available law reports are in poor state while 75% are in quite a good
state. The remaining 11 % are bemg expected from the book vendors.
RESEARCH QUESTION 2:
What steps are being taken at UNEC and ESUT law libraries to
ensure that these factors (facilities and services) are addressed to
enhance user satisfaction?
Table 5
ltem mean scores for cluster C on steps beinq taken to ensure that these
factors (facilities and services) are addressed to enhance user satisfaction
in UNEC and ESUT.
41 I 1 Law library holding increases every academic I
I I year as the library fees are paid
Good and comfortable reading furniture are constantly being supplied to the law library as the number of law students increase.
1 Donations of law books received are stocked 1 in the library shelves.
1 Visible effort is being made to constantly up I 1 date the law library holdings.
1 Cluster mean ........ . . . . . . . . 1.. .. - - ~
Mean (xJ -- -A
ltems 43 and 44 were positively rated with mean of 2.75 and 2.5
respectively, while items 41 and 42 were negatively rated with mean of b
1.75 and 1.50 respectively. This means that the law facilities do not
'increase their library resources annually as the number of students intake
increases. ltems 43 and 44, which were positive rated indicate that though
k the faculties do not increase their library facilities annually, books donated
to the law library are promptly put in shelves and constant effort made to
secure fund for the purchase of more facilities and services.
RESEARCH QUESTION 3
In what areas do law students perceive their law library services and
resources as satisfactory?
Table 6
ITEM MEAN SCORES FOR CLUSTER D ON WHAT AREAS DO LAW
STUDENTS PERCEIVE THEIR LAW LIBRARY SERVICES AND
RESOURCES AS SATISFACTORY. -. . -- -- - -- - -- - -
- I I tem I I
- - - --
Materials in the law library are easily located.
Most of the law students have been taught
1 Students do not have problems in borrowing ) 1
how to use the library catalogue.
The books and Law Reports in the Library are sufficient and up to date.
The library staff are always ready to assist the law students.
books in the library. 1 3.00
2.79
I
1.96
2.80 I
I
The tight security measures in the law library disturbfthe students a lot. / 1.90
I Law library facilities do not match the library , 1 fees paid by the students. t
2.57 Cluster mean 1 4
. -. - - - -- -. - - . . - - -. -- - 1 )L
The majority of the law students are happy with what is provided for them in the library. 2.30
Table 6 above shows that items 45, 46, 48, 49 and 52 were
positively rated whereas items 47, 50 and 51 were negatively rated. The
cluster mean was however positive. Item 49 was significantly rated with a
mean of 3.0.
Areas in which the law students perceive their law library as satisfactory
include.
(i) placement of books on the library shelves;
(ii) teaching of library courses to law students
(iii) behaviour of library staff to law students
(IV) lending of books to students
(v) occasional stocking of the law library with new books and current
journals.
The law students however perceive their library facilities and services as
unsatisfactory in the area of stocking current books and law reports They
also view the tight security mounted in the law library as unsatisfactory
On the whole the general perception of the students in both
universities is that the facil~ties and services provided in the law librar~es
are falrly alright for them.
RESEARCH QUESTION 4
In what areas do law lecturers perceive their law library services anc
resources as satisfactory?
Table 7
ITEM MEAN SCORES FOR CLUSTER E ON WHAT AREAS LAM
LECTURERS PERCEIVE THEIR LAW LIBRARY SERVICES ANC
RESOURCES AS SATISFACTORY . - .. -
NO 53 Recommended law books and journals are
normally purchased and stocked in the law
54
Table 7 shows that none of the items 53, 54 and 55 was rated
The facilities provided in the law l~brary are quite up-to date and fairly sufficient.
55 I The law faculty has a committee on book
positive. The negative rating of the items shows very clearly that the
lecturers perception of the law library services and resources generally is
low. Item 55 was rated lower than items 53 and 54. The implication of this
rating appears to be that the lecturers might not have been fully mvolved in
.the selection of the library books and journals.
---- acquisition. -. - --
I Cluster mean - -A- . -- -- - -- - - - -- .- -
RESEARCH QUESTIONS 5
What problems, according to the management of these libraries are
encountered in trying to ensure user satisfaction?
What strategies can be adopted to enhance user satisfaction based on the
perceptions of the users?
TABLE 8
ITEM MEAN FOR CLUSTER ON PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN
TRYING TO ENSURE USER SATISFACTION
ITEM - .-
The library building cannot accommodate more than 1000 law students comfortably.
Cost of law books account for the poor stocking of law library.
The library staff do not attend library conferences and workshops - --- reqularly. -- Cluster mean
MEAN - (x)
All the items on table 8 are rated positively and that means that most
lecturers are in agreement that
(i) the high cost of books and l~brary equipment is the major problems
of the law library
(ii) the student population IS high and many of the students cannot be
'accommodated in the law l~brary during pressure periods (exam
a periods)
(iii) the law librarians do not attend necessary workshops and
conferences that will enable them update their knowledge of library
management.
RESEARCH QUESTION 6
What strategies can be adopted to enhance user satisfaction based on the
perceptions of the user?
Table 9
ITEM MEAN FOR CLUSTER G ON STRATEGIES TO BE ADOPTED TO
ENHANCE USER SATISFACTION.
- - - -- - - -- --- Law libraries ihould be expanded to accommodate up to 1000 users at a time.
Law libraries should be equipped with modern furniture and other facilities.
Law librarians should be encouraged to attend law
MEAN (X) 1
conferences and workshops regularly. 1 3.20
of books,Journals, etc for law librarians ::: : I . . . -.- - - - -. --- -- -. - - , Cluster mean
Law lecturers should be involved in the selection
- -- - - - - - ._ ---- I
ive rating of the items on table 9 shows that the university
I
management should adopt the following strategies to enhance user
satisfaction in the law libraries:
. (i) expand the law library to accommodate up to 500 students at a time;
(ii) equip the library with furn~ture and other facilities that would enhance
user satisfaction;
(iii) utilize fully the library fees paid by the students for the improvement
of the law library;
(iv) encourage law librarians to attend law conference and workshops
regularly;
(v) involve law lecturers in the selection of books, journals etc for the
law library.
Insight gained from the analysis reveal that factors that would enhance
user satisfaction in the Nigerian law libraries include:
( i ) increased facilities and services provision
(ii) involvement of the law lect~trers in book acquisition;
(iii) encouragement of the law students to use the facilities provided with
greater care, and
- (iv) involvement of the university authorities in the development of the
law library.
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION OF RESULTS, CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS,
RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUMMARY
The result of the findings of this study is presented in this chapter
together with the educational ~mplications of the finding, the
recommendations, the suggestions for further research, the limitations and
the summary of the entire work.
The major findings of the study will be discussed under the following
main headings corresponding with the study findings.
(i) Factors which determine user satisfaction in the Nigeria University
Law Library.
( ~ i ) The steps for enhancing user satisfaction.
(iii) Law students perception of the Law Library adequacy.
(iv) Law lecturer's perception of the Law library adequacy.
(v) Strategies to be adopted to improve user satisfaction.
5.1 DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS
FACTORS WHICH DETERMINE USER SATISFACTION IN NIGERIAN
UNIVERSITY LAW LIBRARIES.
The analysis of the result in items 9 to 40 shows that the Nigerian
University Law Libraries under study have the minimum facilities and
services required for the training of law graduates and for research work.
In the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus law library virtually all the
books sought for are available. That should be expected as the law faculty
has existed for over thirty years. The few books that were not in the
shelves were said to have been borrowed.
The respondents were in agreement as to the urgent need for
university to increase the budgetary allocation to the law library so that
recently published books, journals and law Reports could be purchased.
Students and lecturers alike are likely to visit the law library more often
once they discover that newly acquired stock are available.
Accommodation is a vital facility in the law library. As the population
of the students increase at an alarming rate it is proper that the University
provides a bigger library. Toilet facilities ought to be provided within the
law library complex to enable the large number of library users ease
themselves. Law library users appear to be interested in using the law
library on Saturdays when lectures are not held. Even the law lecturers
who attend court sessions during the week days would love to have the
law library open on Saturdays UNEC part-time law students are very
much in need of the weekend opening of the law library.
Staff members of the law library appear to know their job and the
users acknowledge this fact in their responses.
STEPS BEING TAKEN AT UNEC AND ESUT LAW LIBRARIES TO
ENSURE THAT THESE FACTORS (FACILITIES AND SERVICES) ARE
ADDRESSED TO ENHANCE USER SATISFACTION.
Research question 2 sought to know what steps are being taken at
both the UNEC and ESUT law libraries to ensure that facilities and
services are reasonably provided to enhance user satisfaction. Table 5
was used in the analysis and the results show that items 41 and 42 were
rated negatively. Item 34 was positively rated while item 44 was on the
balance. The analysis provided us with a clear picture of the state of
affairs in the law faculty libraries.
Though the law books donated to the law libraries are on the
shelves, the students and law lecturers appear not to notice any visible
effort being made by the faculty of law to improve the library holdings.
They expected the faculty to purchase more books.
More law students are admitted each academic year without
corresponding increase in the law library facilities and services. A law
library user normally would like to have adequate space in which to consult
several large volumes of books and reports simultaneously. Every law
libr&y user needs the space of two students, that is to say that it is
necessary to provide a minimum of two seats to one potential law library
user to enable him do his research with ease.
The use of computer for easy access to information is the practice In
most countries of the world and the law students in UNEC and ESUT
University, Law libraries under study agreed that the time is ripe for them
to be provided with computers Apart from being a means of sortmg
current and out-of-print materials, a lot of space is also saved by using the
computer, microfiche, microf~lms and slides.
AREAS LAW STUDENTS PERCEIVE THEIR LAW LIBRARY SERVICES
AND RESOURCES AS SATISFACTORY:
ltems 45, 46, 47, 50, 51 and 52 were designed to answer Research
Question 3
ltems 45, 46, 48, 49 and 52 were positively rated whereas items 47, 50
and 51 were negatively rated
The positively rated items indicate that:
(i) The materials in the law libraries are easily located by the students
because the law librarian has taught them how to use the library
effectively. The teaching of the use of library courses in the law
faculty appears to enjoy the support of the law students
(ii) The law library staff members are always ready and willing to assist
the law students in their search for information in the library. The
students borrow books without hindrance and return them when due.
Books that are not on the shelves but kept in the librarian's office are
always accessible to students.
However the law students feel that the library facilities
provided for their use do not really match the amount of library fees
they pay annually. Since the students do not know the cost of most
of these library facilities their observations could be understood.
The negatively rated items on the other hand indicate that
(i) The law books and law reports available for the students'
consultations are not sufficient and up to date. Since an
academic library serves people who learn, those who teach
and those who do research in an institution of higher learning,
the students expect that the law library should have most of
the books and journals and law reports for that purpose
Current law reports and newly published books ought to be
purchased at regular intervals.
(ii) The tight security measures mounted within the law library
appears to bother the students a bit. The attempt of a few bad
library users who remove books from the shelves and carry
them out of the library the students claimed, would not cause
the library staff to mount strict security measures that could
hinder their access to the books.
AREAS LAW LECTURERS PERCEIVE THEIR LAW LIBRARY
SERVICES AND RESOURCES AS SATISFACTORY
Items 53, 54 and 55 were designed to answer Research
Question 4. All the items were negatively rated. The ~mp l~ca t~on of
this analysis is that the law lecturers are not fully involved In the
acquisition of the library facilities.
Books and journals recommended by the law lecturers are not
always purchased and stocked by the faculty librar~an. T h ~ s could be
responsible for the poor perception of the law library resources and
services by the law lecturers. The absence of an acquisition
committee in the faculty makes it impossible for the recommendation
of the law lecturers to be coordinated and properly taken care of.
However, the law lecturers were in agreement as to the
impossibility of a law library providing all the books and journals
required by the users. They agreed that the rapid increase in the
body of knowledge due to new discoveries, researches, court
decisions, rulings and new legislations make it impossible for a law
library to keep abreast of these publications at a time of great
economic difficulties.
PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY THE MANAGEMENT OF THESE
LIBRARIES IN TRYING TO ENSURE USER SATISFACTION.
Items 57, 58 and 59 were designed to answer Research
Question 5. Before 1962 there was no Faculty of Law in the only
university we have in the country. Within 30 years from then we
have over twenty law faculties through out the country. Both the
students, lecturers and other members of staff look for books The
training of enough library staff to man the rapidly increasing law
libraries was not an easy task within the 30 years. The problems of
the unlversitles become more compounded by the scarcity of law
books due to different government policies. States were being
created almost every f ~ v e years and law books have to be regularly
revised.
Before the sudden increase in the number of universities
offermg law courses, only direct entry students who spend three
years in the university were admitted apart from a few that gain
admission through JAMB. Today some universities run programme
of LL.B for six to ten years. The staying of law students for a longer
period pose serious problems for the law librarians as the number of
students using the available books increase annually.
The scope of clientele now served by law libraries are
becoming wider and more complex. The mature students who are
increasing in large numbers troop to the law libraries to consult
books just as the Insurance Executive wants to know about legal
opinion on an aspect of insurance law.
Tra~ning of law l~brarians has not been an easy assignment
because library job does not attract enough students In a country
where money seems to be the deciding factor in choosrng a
profession.
Item 57 shows that law library collections, even if available
cannot be easily accommodated in a library that can hardly seat half
of the law students in year one comfortably The responses to item
58 show that the h ~ g h cost of books could be responsible for the
poor stocking of the law libraries.
Because the demands are so high when the number of users
are compared with the available copies of books and because the
law books are too expensive for the students to buy, they dev~se
unwholesome means to get them out of the shelves by stealing
them, or by cutting parts of them off, for their own exclusrve use As
some resort to photocopying of several pages of the books and the
problem of book damage, comes in
To ensure that the books are not stolen or dismembered by
desperate users, the law librarian has to take extra secur~ty
measures (such as the ~nstallation of a close-circuit televrsion set) at
some costs to the already insufficient law library vote.
STRATEGIES ADOPTED BY THE UNIVERSITY LAW LIBRARY
MANAGEMENT TO ENHANCE USER SATISFACTION
The strategies adopted by the management of the law libraries
under study depend on the law faculty rather than on the university
library system. This is in accordance with the standards set by the
Association of American Law Schools (AALS). This practice has
given the law library the autonomy it requires to enable it function
properly. As the law library policy is now determined by the dean,
the law librarian and the faculty is determined as part of and
administered in the same manner as the law faculty budget. It IS
now possible for the needs of the law library users to be closely
monitored and met since the users and the staff of the law library are
within the same environment
Whereas the British University law libraries are urged to
provide one set for every two students, and the Association of
American law schools demand that seating accommodation with
.generous table or desk space should be available at any given time
for 65 percent of the student body, the National Universities
Commission (NUC) standards provide that at any point in time the
space and facilities available 25% - 30% of the law students. The
findings show that both law libraries under study have met the NUC
standards and are actually making meaningful effort to provide more
than what the NUC recommends, (Jegede 0, 1994).
The findings of the study show that in both university law
libraries, the law librarians are professional librarians with law
degrees. They are however assisted by library officers who do not
hold law degrees. Because of their legal education background, the
law librarians relate very easily with the law students and other law
faculty members who use the law library
Item 59 however showed that the law librarians do not attend
law conferences and workshops as regularly as they should.
Valuable ideas and contacts are lost as a resc~lt of limited exposure
to new development in the legal world. The weekly law reports cost a
lot of money and the law librarians find it difficult to keep pace with
their rate of production. However, the ESUT University authorities
have recognized the importance of allocating more funds to the law
library and have promised that the library fees paid by students will
now be wholly invested in the purchase of law books.
The UNEC and ESUT university law libraries have been b
subjected to increasing degree of stealing as a result of the high cost
of law books. The costly law books are never available in large
qcrantities in the UNEC and ESUT law libraries and whosoever
manages to steal any of them finds it very easy to resell it at a good
rate. The law librarians in both universities have adopted various
means of checking the menace of the rogues who cause the library
users a lot of headache. The law students are now very conscious
of the damage being done by any attempt to steal their books. They
have been trained to be watchful and co-operate to check the
r menace of the dogues.
The law library of the two universities under study have
acquired some computers and the management of both libraries are
making commendable efforts to increase the number of the
computers in their holdings in compliance with the NUC advice that
federal universities should use up to 20% of their Teaching and
Research Equipment grants for the improvement of their
communication system, the two universities under study are making
efforts to join the global information village through the Nationwide
area complete Network - (NUNNET) (National University Network).
Both the law students and the law lecturers will benefit a lot
whenever this arrangement is completed.
5.2 CONCLUSION
The following conclusions are drawn from the major findings of
the study.
3
1 Factors which determine user satisfaction in Nigerian
University Law Libraries have been identified as follows:
Provision of comfortable accommodation in the law
library with enough chairs and reading tables to
accommodate at least 25% of the students at a time;
Availability of recently published books, journals, law
reports and dictionaries that will enable the users keep
abreast with the recent development in the legal world.
Provision of toilet facilities and other conveniences that
would add to the comfort of the library users;
Opening of the law libraries on Saturdays to enable
users especially part-time students who could not afford
to use the library during the week day to ava~l
themselves of the opportunity.
2. Suggestions given at UNEC and ESUT Law Libraries to
ensure that facilities and service are provided to enhance user
satisfaction include:
(a) Provision of computers for easy access to information
as practiced in most countries of the world.
(b) Increasing of the number of reading tables as the
number of law students increase every year.
Stocking of newly acquired law books, law reports and
law journals In the shelves and ensuring that law books
donated by donors are quickly catalogued and stocked
in the shelves.
Exposing the law librarians to modern library
management techniques through their participat~on in
library workshops and seminars.
3 The areas law students perceive their law library services and
facilities as satisfactory include:
The relatively easy location of library materials (books
law reports, journals) in the law library.
The giving of library users instructions in the law faculty
thereby ensuring that the student use the law library
effectively.
The friendliness and cooperation of the law library staff
with the library users.
The provision of tight security measures to ensure that
rogues do not take - away valuable law materials from
the library.
areas law lecturers perceive their law libraries as
unsatisfactory include:
(a) The absence of an acquisition committee to handle the
purchase of recommended law books.
(b) Non-provision of current law books and law journals that
will help in research and teaching.
5. The problems encountered by the management of these law
libraries in trying to ensure user satisfaction include:
Scarcity of fund for the purchase of law books and law
journals.
Ever increasing number of law students without
corresponding increase in facilities and services.
Lack of tramed professional law librarians due to the
large number of universities offering law courses,
Scarcity of locally published law books and the high cost
of purchasing foreign published ones,
Longer period of study of law because of the admission
of school certificate holders in the law faculty,
Lack of accommodation and computerized system of
operating the library.
Pilfering of rare books and journals by rogues among
the users.
(6 ) Strategies adopted by the university law library management
to enhance user satisfaction rest on the present practice of
making the law library an integral part of the law faculty. By
this practice it becomes possible for the library fee to be used
for the purchase of law books and equipment and for the
professional law librarian to interact much more freely with the
law lecturers.
IMPLICATION OF THE STUDY
The findings of this study have implications for university
administrators, law faculty deans, law librarians, law lecturers, law
st~ldents and the Nigerian society at large. This section highlights
these implications as they relate to Education in general and legal
education in particular.
(i) The result of the study on the available or otherwise of current
law books and law journals in the law library showed that most
of the books and journals stocked in the law library are old and
their revised editions are costly and not easily purchased. By
implication, the library users are denied the opport~mity of
consulting the latest edition of valuable law books. Acquisition
of the latest edition of these books will boost the quality of
. teaching and learning.
(ii) It was also found from the study that the apparent lack of
imput from the law lecturers in the selection of books and
journals for purchase appeared to be responsible for the
lopsided nature of book stocking. UNEC Law library appeared
more favoured in the stocking of vital books than ESUT law
library.
(iii) Another significant finding of the study is the inability of the
law faculties to increase their library facilities and services as
the number of law students increase. Because of the rapid
expansion of the university faculties and departments, there is
the tendency to use fund meant for the law library for the
provision of other departmental needs.
5.4 RECOMMENDATIONS
The following recommendations are being made in the light of
the findings, the discussions that followed and the various
implications that were highlighted.
(i) University administrators s h o ~ ~ l d continue to ensure that the
law library remains an integral part of the law faculty so that
the .law librarians will liaise fully with other faculty members in
the selection and acquisition of the services. This semi-
autonomous status of the law library will minimize the
necessary delays caused by bureaucratic processes in the b
university library system.
(ii) University law faculties should strive to increase the number of
reading tables and chairs in the existing law libraries so that
the increased users of the library could feel comfortable.
Acquisition of more computers and other devices such as
micro-fiche and micro film for storage and retrieval is highly
recommended.
(iii) The NUC standards for the Nigerian University law libraries
need to be updated to address issues such as autonomy,
funding and law library policies. All the institutions and
organizations responsible for the education and training of
lawyers should ass~st the universities in equippmg the law
libraries with the necessary facilities and services.
(iv) The Federal Government should consider the desirability of
making a certa~n percentage of the Education Trust Fund
specifically available for acquisition of law books and current
journals for the law libraries. An informed public is always
easier to govern than one that lives on hear-say.
The University law libraries should seek ways and means of
raising fund from external sources to enable them survive. A
small-customized gift shop for lawyers including a bookshop
and an internet services for literature search could be
established within the law faculty premises for the generation
of funds. A law faculty with a population of over one thousand
students can easily make a profit of one thousand naira daily
from such ventures.
The Bindery department of the law libraries should seek
patronage from people outside the university campus to
enable it increase its revenue base. Nothing stops the library
section from producing exercise books used by students in
large numbers.
(vi) It is quite imperative that donations from private collect~ons
should be encouraged. Prominent legal professionals will be
willing to assist the law libraries with money, books, and other
materials provided a State University like ESUT helps them to
get one of their children trained in the legal profession.
& 5.5 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
The findings of this study may be limited In the~r
generalizability as a result of the following factors:
(a) It was not possible for the researcher to study all the
University law libraries in Nigeria. A more comprehens~ve
enquiry involving all the Nigeria law libraries could have
yielded a slightly different outcome. Such an exercise will,
however, involve huge resources and time which th~s
researcher can hardly afford.
(b) The researcher could not possibly reach all the law lecturers,
the law students and the librar~ans who made up the target
population of th~s study. Apart from the usual general apathy
and uncooperative attitude of Nigerians in completing
questionnaires, the on and off academic work occasioned by
the non-payment of the un~versity staff salaries and
allowances clearly affected the study as shown on table 1 (A)
5 6 SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER RESEARCH W S ~ 6 N~~~ I~RRE~R?
The present s t ~ ~ d y has focused on the problems that impinge
on the effective satisfaction of the library users in the Nigerian
University law libraries. This work could be replicated using other
un~verslty law l~brar~es In N ~ g e r ~ a such as the law l~brar les ol pi (vdte
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APPENDIX I: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR LIBRARY STAFF
Department of Library Science University of Nigeria Nsukka.
Date:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SirIMadam,
USER SATISFACTION DESCRIPTIVE QUESTIONNAIRE I, II
I am a Masters Degree student of the above department and institution carrying out a research on the user satisfaction of University of Law ~ ~ b r a r i e s in Nigeria. My institutions of study are UNN (Enugu Campus) and ESUT Law Libraries.
This work which is in partial fulfillment for the award of a higher degree by the department is a basic requirement for the successful completion of the programme. To therefore, elicit vital information from you on the above topic, this questionnaire is directed to you as staff of the UNN and ESUT Law Libraries.
Please, accept my gratitude as you answer the questions below. Thank you for your usual cooperation.
s
Yours sincerely,
Mbaekwe, Joan N. Esq.
APPENDIX II: Interview Schedule for Law Librarians
Department of Library Science University of Nigeria Nsukka.
Dear Sir,
USER SATISFACTION IN NIGERIA LAW LIBRARIES: A CASE STUDY OF UNN LAW LIBRARY AND ESUT LAW LIBRARY
I am a post graduate student of the above named Department of the University of Nigeria and I am carrying out a research study on the above topic with particular reference to UNN (Enugu Campus) Law Library and ESUT Law Library.
This study is a basic requirement and in partial fulfillment of the post graduate programme for the award of a Masters Degree in Library Science. In order to elicit information from you on the above topic, this interview is humbly and most respectfully directed to you as the pioneer Law Librarian of UNN Law Library.
I am not ungrateful for the time spent in going through the questions and even jotting down most of the answers.
Thanks for your usual cooperation and understanding.
Yours faithfully,
Mbaekwe, Joan N. Esq.
APPENDIX Ill
THE USER SATISFACTION DESCRIPTIVE QUESTIONNAIRE (USDQ) SECTION A
BACKGROUND INFORMATION Please answer the following questions by ticking ( ) in the appropriate box: 1 . Your Sex: Male Female )I 2. Your Status: n
L---J
Law ~ i b r a r i a n m
Law Student r] Law Library staff L - A
Law Lecturer
3. My law library is in
UNEC ESUT ri For the law librarian, please answer the following questions about
your law library;
4 . The law library was established in
5. The population of law students was.. in '96197 session and . . . . . . .in
1997198 session
6 . The number of law books in the law library was . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . in
. . . 1996197 and .in I997198 session.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7. The number of library staff was in 1996197 session and C
. . . . . . ..in I997198 session.
8. The number of staff with the basic professional library training was
. . . ..in 1996197 and . . . . . . ..in 1997198 session
SECTION B
FACTORS DETERMINING USER SATISFACTION I
lSERVICES AND RESOURCES) I
Please indicate by ticking ( d ) in the appropriate column the availability or I
1
otherwise, and the condition of the following facilities and services in your law I
library I
American Bar Ass. Journal Jurisprudence by Dias, R.W. Commercial Law in Nigeria - Achike 0. The Law of Torth Nigerian Landuse Act: Policy & Principles - James, RW Administrative Law - Garner, J. F. NBA Quarterly News Bulletin The short Oxford English Dictionaries in 12 volumes with current supplement Blacks' Law Dictionary The Nigerian Legal Systems - Obilade, A. 0. Federalism in Nigeria under the Presidential Constitution - Nwabueze The Law of Evidence - Aguda, T A Principles of Equity - Jegede, M. Family Law in Nigeria - Nwogugu 3irectors iandbooks Zurrent NewspaperlMagazine danuals and Abstracts -egal problem of foreign Investment - dwogugu ntroduction . - - .- - . . - to .- Equity .. - -. - in Nlgeria ~ ~ .. . - . Kodilinye -
1 ITEM
I 9 / Bindery services 10 Reference services
I 1 1 / Photocopy services 12 1 Blbhography 13 , Bulletin Board
I 14 ' Suggest~on Box
GOOD P O ~ T E ~ T ---7 1 .
1 AVAILABLB - - '
1 15 1 16
Computer Services Readers' services
: 17 All England Law Reports 1 18 1 All Nigeria Law Reports ' 19 , Weekly law Report
SECTION C
STEPS FOR ENHANCING USER SATISFACTION Please indicate by ticking (4 ) in the appropriate column the availability or
F otherwise, and the condition of the following facilities and services in your law I -
r 40
4 1 I
I
( 42 I L-
KEY:
Law library holding increases every year as library fees are paid. Good and comfortable reading chairs are constantly being supplied to the law library as the number of law students increases. Donations of law books received are stocked in the library-shelves. I ----- I
SA = Strongly Agree, A = Agree, D = Disagree, SO = Strongly Disagree
Visible effort is being made to constantly up date the law library holding - - --
SECTION D
I assist the law students
48 / Students do not have problems in 1
LAW - - -- STUDENTS - - - - PERCEPTION - -- OF . - LIBRARY ADEQUACY *
- --.-.
I 44 ( Materials in the law library are easily located
I 45 Most of the law students have been
I ! taught how to use the library
borrowing books in the library. The tight security measures in the
I 1 library disturbs the students a lot. 1 The majoiity of the law student are 1 I happy with what is provided for them (
1 46 I
I in the law library. I I
51 ' Law library facilities do not match the I I library fees paid by students. 1 1 I
L--- ---I- 1 - - - - -- .
catalogue. The books and law reports in the
I library are sufficient and up to date. I 47 ( The library staff are always ready to 1
SECTION E
LAW LECTURERS PERCEPTION ON THE LIBRARY ADEQUACY
SECTION F
,-.. - .. -. -..... -- .... . .- . - . . . . . . . . ....... .... I 1.-'- I ........... ..A,. -. -- - .. -- - ......... - -- 52 / Recommended law books are
1 normally purchased and stocked in I the law library.
53 1 The facilities provided in the library
PROBLEM OF ENSURING USER SATISFACTION
I
1 I
The library building cannot accommodate more than 1000 law students comfortably. Cost of law books account for the poor stocking of law library The library staff do not attend library
are quite up-to-date and fairly sufficient.
SECTION G STRATEGIES TO BE ADOPTED TO ENHANCE USER SA'
The law faculty has a committee on .. .
SFACTION -- - - I S ~ D . 4-. - - - - +
i I I
L-- 1 _______CSA(S~- , 58 , Law libraries should be expanded to I accommodate up to 1000 students at I 1 a time. I
I 59 1 Law libraries should be equipped / with modern furniture and other I facilities.
b I
I 60 1 Law librarians should be encouraged I to attend law conferences and
t / workshops regularly. I I
61 j Law lecturers should be involved in I 1 the selection of books, journals, etc 1 1 for the law library. . L I . .
