Abstract:
This paper examines the information and communication technology based facilities and services in Nnamdi Azikiwe library for the promotion of scholarly activities in University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities and services in the library provides platforms for teaching, learning and research. A descriptive research design was adopted for the study; the population consists of sixty-two librarians at Nnamdi Azikiwe Library, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Questionnaire was used to collect data, sixty-two questionnaire were distributed and fifty- four of them retrieved indicating 87% returns. The data collected was analyzed using frequencies and percentages and mean scores. The findings of the study revealed the ICT facilities that are very highly and highly available in Nnamdi Azikiwe Library (NAL) such as: computers, internet, and scanners, slide projector, Local Area Network, etc. The ICT based services that are very highly and highly adopted as disclosed by the findings of the study are registration of users, user education/training, IT services, online cataloguing, exhibitions and displays etc. Some challenges involved in promoting scholarly activities through ICT facilities in NAL as revealed by the study are inadequate funds, virus attack on data/information, unreliable power supply, environmental factors while the strategies for promoting scholarly activities through ICT in NAL are adequate funding of libraries, provision of reliable power supply, provision of adequate power voltage, adequate training of staff on the use of ICT at the library among others. Implications: ICT facilities should be provided at first in the libraries while the adoption of ICT services in the libraries is imperative in order to enhance library operations and provide online services to users for teaching, learning and research.
