A Critical Examination of Barriers Affecting the Utilization of Government Documents in University Libraries in Kaduna State

Abstract

This study critically examined the barriers affecting the utilization of government documents in university libraries in Kaduna State. A descriptive survey research design was employed using a population of 153 undergraduates; comprising 102 from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and 51 from Kaduna State University who used the government document section. A sample of 133 undergraduates were selected using systematic random sampling. Data collection was facilitated through a structured questionnaire and an observation checklist. Descriptive statistics (percentage, mean and standard deviation) were used for data analysis. The findings
indicate that a significant proportion of government documents were acquired for use in the university libraries studied. It also revealed that the majority of the undergraduates agreed that they accessed government documents through librarians’ assistance. Additionally, the findings also show that students agreed that there were barriers encountered in their use of government documents in their libraries. These include lack of current awareness services, poor online access, and poor organization of government documents among others. Based on the findings, the study recommends the following; creation of awareness service programmes,
creation of online access, proper classification, and cataloguing of government documents, among others.