CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
The term, “use of library” is DEFINED AS PERSUING THE STOCK (BROWSING), ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE FROM LIBRARY STAFF, ACTUALLY FINDING INFORMATION OF VALUE, TAKING OUT a book in the library, studying one’s own material in the library, coming into the library and so on. But using library resources is not restricted in the above listed actives, rather it is likely to be a combination of any or all of these and perhaps several others.
However, using library means the holding of library borrower’s cards and using or not using them. It also includes library attendance.
Historically, the use of the collections of the library was restricted to the library building and it otherwise guarantee deposited by the users involved. Besides, as the number of books increased from a few hundred to a few thousands. The book chests gave way to book closets and then to small library rooms. Later on the medieval era, the book was simply for safekeeping because few copies were available.
The role of the training library could be described as that of acquiring materials, processing them and making them available for use rather than preservation. As the library attached to an academic department, it is of necessity educational in purpose. It constitutes an indispensable intellectual store/repository in an academic community and form the never centred around which academic work revolves.
The factor of availability is often talked about than recognised. Ease of use and ready accessibility, as countless studies have found, are the two major factors in determing which information is used. Information being the life wire of any society whether complex, industrial or simple, can be retrieved from the wealth of resources housed in the library.
The essential logical problem of making library books physically available when needed by the library users is central to librarianship. Intellectual access to recorded information has quite properly been a major preoccupation of librarians. Its importance has been reflected in the effort devoted to the design and creation of bibliographies, catalogues, classification scheme and other devices that help establish the existence of individual documents and their relevance to specific enquires. However, intellectual access needs to be accomplished by physical access if the documents are to be used. The essential logical of making books available to library users has received far less attention in the literature of librarianship that has the discussions of intellectual access.
Unfortunately, current library practice has paid little attention to the definition of “availability” let alone “use”. Also the number of books acquired tends to have little relevance in the objective assessment of readers requirement. The effective regulation of not borrowing out books is quiet understood, in the departmental library presently, not many copies of materials are acquired, and they are not loaned out to users, though the materials may be lent for photocopying. In photocopying the books, the students have to submit their ID and, school fees receipts or mobile telephone sets.
Unfortunately no survey has been made prior to the present study. This present study therefore is to carry out an investigation on the “Availability and use of library resources in training library by students’. This is with a view to determining the extent to which the resources in the library are able to meet the needs and at the same time find out how the students make use of the resources.
Resources in the library can be both books and non-book materials. The users are mostly students in the library and information science department, the use of library depends on the services provided by the students.
It should be appreciated that the use and non-use of training library resources make a very important difference to a person’s attainment of his / her ultimate educational objectives. If then a library primary objective is to encourage optimal use of the service which it provide and it is true the successful use breed more intensive use.