EVALUATING STUDENTS’ USE OF CAMPUS WIDE NETWORK IN ACCESSING LIBRARY RESOURCES AND SERVICES IN NNAMDI AZIKIWE LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA

This paper investigated students’ use of the campus wide network in accessing library resources and services in Nnamdi Azikiwe Library, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Nnamdi Azikiwe Library was selected because it is a University Library that has adopted wireless connectivity services so as to satisfy the needs of its community. Questionnaire was adopted as an instrument for data collection and was randomly distributed to the students. 1000 students selected using stratified random sampling, constituted the sample size out of a population of 39,000 students. Results revealed that laptop; smart phone and tablet phones were the mostly used wireless connectivity devices. Research, browsing and class assignments accounted for the larger percentage of wireless connectivity usage. Wireless connectivity greatly reduced the number of books borrowed from the library, extent to which students borrow library books and prevents students from consulting library access tools like catalogue cards. Provision of digital library was the most rated strategy for upgrading library resources and services. Poor signal strength and unstable power supply were the most rated problem affecting wireless connectivity while improved service network was the most rated means to enhance wireless connectivity, services and operations in the University