Sources of Knowledge and Perceptions of the Involvement of Librarians in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS by Nigerian University Students

Abstract

As at present, there is no cure for HIV/AIDS and the provision of accurate and timely information to increase knowledge remains the most realistic intervention to curtail further spread of the virus.  Librarians as experts in handling information are in a unique position to be actively involved in this information dissemination role. This study determined the sources from which Nigerian university students gained their knowledge about HIV/AIDS and their perception of the role of librarians as providers of information about HIV/AIDS. The survey research design was adopted and data was collected with a structured questionnaire. The sample comprised 500 undergraduates drawn from two universities in Ogun State: Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye and Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta of which the response rate was 87%. Findings showed the frequently used sources for knowledge of HIV with their mean ratings out of a maximum of 5 were television (4.35), bill boards/posters (mean=3.92), handbills/pamphlets (mean=3.69), radio (3.63), and internet/ICT centres (3.54), while the library (mean=2.18) was among the least utilized. Overall, the students held a positive perception that librarians could be involved in the dissemination of information on HIV/AIDS. It was recommended that the university libraries in Nigeria should be actively involved in the dissemination of HIV/AIDS information through provision of access to print and digital resources in designated sections in the library and by imparting information literacy skills of how to locate credible information from the floods of information on the internet.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, librarians, perception, sources of knowledge, university students, Nigeria