ROLE OF SCHOOL LIBRARY IN PROMOTING READING CULTURE AMONG STUDENTS IN GOVERNMENT COLLEGE BIDA, NIGER STATE

The study assessed the Role of School Library in Promoting Reading Culture among Students in Government College Bida, Niger State, Nigeria. The study was guided by four research objectives, four research questions. Survey research design was adopted for the study. The population for the study was one thousand, five hundred and fifty (1,550) students of government college Bida, Niger state as at 2023/2024 academic session. A sample size of one hundred and fifty-five (155) respondents (students) was adopted based on Babbie (2005). Questionnaire were used as the instruments for data collection; 155 copies of the questionnaire were distributed, out of which one hundred and forty-four (144) were filled, returned and used for the analysis. The analysis was presented using statistical tools such as frequency counts and percentages, mean and standard deviation. The study revealed, among others that the level of reading culture among Government college students is to a low level with total mean score of 2.49, types of library information resources in the study area includes; textbook, novel, dictionaries, map, poetry etc., the extent of school library utilisation is low. The major factors identified as affecting school library in promoting reading culture among students in Government College, Bida were lack of awareness of the importance of library and its resources, enabling IT infrastructure, insufficient library resources, insufficient internet terminals, unavailability of audio-visual materials. The study, therefore, recommended, among others, Students in Government College Bida, Niger State should improve in their reading culture for pleasure, mind shaping, obtaining of the right information and use of school library every day, Niger State Government should provide more information resources such as Novels (fictions), Atlases and maps, Newspapers/Magazine, Poetry and Audio-visuals. Students in Government College Bida, Niger State should improve in the use of school library.