INFORMATION OVERLOAD AND RESEARCH PRODUCTIVITY OF LIBRARIANS AT UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN LIBRARY

The study investigates information overload and research productivity of Librarians at University of Ilorin Library. A descriptive survey research design was adopted with 24 academic librarians as the population of the study in which a total enumeration sampling technique was used and questionnaire was the major instrument used in collection data. Data collected were analyzed using simple percentage and frequency count. Based on the analysis made, the study found that the majority of academic librarians can identify the need for information, evaluate and access the sources of information. The project reveals the effect of information overload and research productivity of Librarians at University of Ilorin Library in which majority agrees that information overload leads to research difficulty, decreases decision accuracy, leads to research duplication and improves research quality. The study found the major causes of information overload are too much of information and multiple sources of information. The study also found the major challenges of librarians in accessing information at University of Ilorin Library which are: lack of ICT skills, lack of information retrieval skills and insufficient training education. The findings of the study reveal that information overload improves their research literacy, broaden their knowledge, gives them variety of choice and enhances their research output. The study discusses more on the harms of information overload and the need for information literacy skills to evaluate relevant information from irrelevant. The study recommended that effort should made by academic librarians towards acquiring standard information literacy skills, proficiency in ICT and developing a virtual reference search gateway (blog/website) that make available current information materials virtually to researchers