Investigating the Effectiveness of a University’s Library Website in Supporting Scholarly Pursuits

Abstract

This study looked into how well postgraduate students in Zaria could use the library websites at Ahmadu Bello University for their academic work. To direct the study, the following five research questions were created: (1) How much access to the Ahmadu Bello University Library website do postgraduate students have for academic work? (2) What is the effectiveness of postgraduate students’ use of the Ahmadu Bello University Library website for academic tasks? (3) To what extent do postgraduate students use the Ahmadu Bello University Library website for scholarly purposes? (4) Which kinds of online information sources do postgraduate students employ for their academic work? (5) How happy are postgraduate students with using the website of the Ahmadu Bello University Library for academic purposes? The study utilized Mullin B, Hardy S, and William S’s framework as determinants for assessing academic library websites, explicitly focusing on the Ahmadu Bello University Library website. A survey research design was utilized, and the target population included all postgraduate students enrolled at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, during a specific academic session, with a total of 7,240 students. The study areas (faculties) and respondents were chosen through the use of a straightforward random sampling procedure. 221 people made up the study’s sample size. Mean and standard deviation were used to assess the data that had been obtained. The research found that most respondents concurred that the website of the Ahmadu Bello University library gave them useful material for their scholarly responsibilities. Additionally, the study indicated that the website facilitated simple and fast access to other information sources and services. Finally, the Ahmadu Bello University Library website was found to support and assist postgraduate students in effectively interacting with the website systematically.