User’s Utilization of Newspaper Media in a Nigerian University Library

Abstract

This study was designed to assess user’s utilization of newspaper media in Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun libraries. The design adopted for the study was a survey design. The total population of the study was 1,816 library users of Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE). A total of 816 of respondents were selected out of the total population. The stratified random sampling technique was used to select respondents across the central and the two colleges libraries in the University. These colleges are college of technology and college of science. Questionnaire was used for data collection. 816 questionnaires were distributed to library users, with multiple responses from figure 2 to 5 respectively. The Questionnaire were correctly filled and returned. In analyzing the data obtained, percentage, frequency, and graphs were used. The results obtained from the findings revealed that library users of FUPRE consult 1 to 2, 3 to 4, and more than 5 different types of newspapers daily in order to solve their information needs, the newspapers includes Vanguard, Guardian, Punch, Pointer, Complete Sport, and the Nation respectively. The different purpose of reading newspapers in the library was to provides them with information, others are to broaden the horizon of general knowledge, from searching new jobs, for educational purpose, for entertainment, to know the sport news, as usual task of the day, to pass the time, it improves status in the society, to keep abreast with present happenings of all over the world, for getting various scholarship, to improve the health consciousness and other reasons known to them. In another development, library users’ focus strictly on the following information in a newspaper media, they are sensational new, advertisement, editorial page, international news, politics, sports, entertainment, business news, educational news, agriculture, health issues and letters. Different challenges confronting user’s utilization of newspaper media was also revealed, they are lack of reading space, high cost of newspapers, limited copies of newspapers in the library, lack of qualify personnel to man the library, excessive heat or cold in the library and interruption of electricity.

Keywords: Users, Utilization, Newspaper Media, Nigerian University Library.