CHAPTER ONE

1.1    Introduction

          Successful educational system depends exhaustively on the availability and accessibility of information sources and services. Based on this regard, academic libraries provide information sources for teaching, learning and research activities for their parent institution. The library is an organized collection of published and unpublished books and audio visual resources with the aid of services of staff who are able to provide and interpret such sources as required to meet information, research, educational and recreational needs of users (Ogbebor, 2011).

The library collects information sources in a structural and classified manner to satisfy the need of each member of their parents institution. Information resources can be in printed and electronic formats including textbooks, journals, indexes, abstracts, newspapers, magazines, reports, CD-ROM, databases, internet, email, video, tapes/cassettes, diskettes, computers, and microforms (Adeoye and Popoola, 2011). The core objective of academic library is to support the parent institution to achieve its objectives.

This is vital because academic institutions need information and the library plays such role by providing information resources. This is to enable the users achieve success in their academic careers. For the library to attain this it is essential that libraries recognise the needs of their users and try as much as possible to satisfy them. Satisfying the information needs of the users therefore require the provision of the actual information sources and services that will match up the user’s needs. The satisfaction in this context is the state that results after the library user (students) has favourably or positively experienced a service product.

Some of the services provided by academic libraries to their users to enable them get satisfied with their information needs includes reference services, indexing services, circulation services, serial control services and technical services. All these services are carried out by academic libraries to meet and satisfy the users. Based on the context of this work, reference services is considered. Reference services according to Tagman, Koenig and Greene (2008) is a service provided by libraries to assist users in the location and retrieval of information relevant to their information needs. This services is mostly, very vital to researchers.

The services, maybe direct or indirect reference services. Direct has to do with person to person relationship while indirect service  has to do with those services the librarian renders to the patrons (student) in their absence, otherwise known as behind the scene activities. Based on the above information, this study therefore tries to bring to light information sources and their role in student’s satisfaction with reference services.

1.2    Statement of the Problem

          Every library tries to acquire resources in order to meet and satisfy the needs of their users. They acquire relevant sources both material and human to facilitate teaching learning, research and knowledge dissemination in their parent institution. Because of this the library takes it as important to put in place variety of sources to make sure that they provide adequate and effective services to their users. This underscore the question; Are students who patronize the library (NyongEssien Library) satisfied with the type of sources and reference services provided? It is worth noted that only students that are users of the library can determine how satisfied they are with the services provided by the library. This is supported with Basha and Zuhi-Al (2010) who stated that only the users of a library are the best judge to assess its services. It is against this background that this study is undertaken to examine information sources and the level of students satisfaction with reference services in NyongEssien Library.

1.3    Objectives of the Study

• To examine the information sources and their importance
• To determine the level of students satisfaction
• To identify types of reference sources and services provided

1.4    Significance of the Study

          The study would be of benefit to the University library, library staff and the students. The study would be of significant important to the University library in that it will help them to act with certainty when planning to acquire information sources into the library.

          Also, it would be beneficial to the library staff as it will enable them to ascertain the level of students satisfaction as regards reference services and thereby taking the necessary precaution if need be. Further, the study would be of benefit to the students since it will enhance their knowledge of different types of information sources and services provided them in the library. Generally, the study would serve as a research material for other researchers.

1.5    Delimitation of the Study

          The study is delimited to NyongEssien Library of the University of Uyo. It is further delimited to the following areas; information sources types and importance,students satisfaction and problems militating against it, also reference services sources, and their effectiveness.

1.6    Area of Study

          The area of the study is the NyongEssien Library of the University of Uyo. The library holds enormous volumes of sources including reference sources, journals of various discipline, currently the library has the public division that deals directly with readers and regulates the use of library resources. NyongEssien library is as old as the University of Uyo itself established since 1991. The library serves as a central library that covers all the faculty libraries in the town campus of the University of Uyo located along Ikpa Road, Uyo, AkwaIbom State (University of Uyo, 2017).

1.7    Operational Definition of Terms

Information Sources:  These are materials from which information comes from or knowledge is provided about something.

Student’s Satisfaction:  This is the perception of accomplishment in the learning or educational environment.