Availability, Accessibility and Utilization of Information Resources in School Libraries in Maiduguri and Damaturu Metropolis, Nigeria

This paper examined the availability, accessibility and utilization of information resources in School libraries in Maiduguri and Damaturu Metropolis, Nigeria. The study determined the resources available in all the school libraries in terms of their types and formats that is, print and non- print information resources available in the library. The study adopted survey research design. The entire target population that is, 90 students from school libraries in Maiduguri and Damaturu Metropolis were purposively used. A self-designed questionnaire was used to extract responses from the students of the schools under study. Six objectives were formulated to guide the conduct of the study. Four research questions were generated and answered, and two null hypotheses were tested. Frequency count and percentages were used to answer the research questions and Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance, using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. The findings of the study revealed that, textbooks were the major information resources that were available in the school libraries. More so, the information resources found in the school libraries in Maiduguri and Damaturu metropolis were accessible. The students utilized the information resources on a daily basis but yet not satisfied with the information resources found in the schools libraries in Maiduguri and Damaturu metropolis. It was recommended that the governments should put more priority on adequate provision of fund necessary for the provision of current and up to date information resources and also for the employment of qualified and trained teacher-librarian in all school libraries in Maiduguri and Damaturu Metropolis.