ASSESSMENT OF UNDERGRADUATES’ AWARENESS, KNOWLEDGE AND USE OF THE LIBRARY ELECTRONIC RESOURCES IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN BENUE STATE

Abstract

This study assessed undergraduates’ awareness, knowledge, and use of library electronic resources, including platforms such as TERAS and the library portal. The study was guided by four objectives.

The study area was Benue State, and the population comprised undergraduate students in selected public universities in the state. A survey research design was adopted, and purposive sampling was used to select respondents. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Jupyter Notebook. Results were presented in figures and tables. The findings revealed that 53% of the respondents were not aware of TERAS and the library portal, while 47% were aware. Knowledge of e-resources was highest for Academic Support (M = 2.41) and the Institutional Repository (M = 2.38).The study further revealed a significant disconnect between basic portal accessibility and practical academic engagement. Although students frequently logged in for general purposes, the use of e-resources for specialized tasks such as assignment writing, final-year research, and plagiarism checks remained critically low. This underutilization was primarily attributed to infrastructural and economic barriers, particularly unstable campus internet connectivity and the high cost of data bundles. These challenges were compounded by secondary factors including low digital literacy, frequent power outages, and limited access to personal devices and computer laboratories.

The study concluded that maximizing the institutional value of digital resources requires a multi-faceted intervention strategy that stabilizes technical infrastructure, reduces economic burdens, and enhances students’ digital competencies. Therefore, it was recommended that university management should prioritize the expansion and stabilization of campus-wide internet bandwidth, while library management should intensify digital literacy training on the use of TERAS and the library portal.