ACCESS AND UTILIZATION OF INFORMATION RESOURCES BY DISTANCE LEARNERS IN NORTH-WESTERN STUDY CENTRE LIBRARIES OF NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA.

Globally, higher institutions of learning are embracing information resources because of its support for teaching and learning in the new e-learning academic environment. National Open Universities have also embraced digital library through various national and international initiatives. This study examined access and utilization of information resources by distance learners in North-West Study Centers' libraries of National Open University of Nigeria. The study was guided by five research questions. A Survey research design was adopted for the study with a target population of 12,614 and representative sample size of 936 using purposive sampling technique in the three Study Centres with functional library facilities namely: Kaduna, Kano, and Katsina. Questionnaire was the main instrument used in collecting data for this research. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency counts and percentages scores. Among the findings of the study it was revealed that: the major types of information resources available to distance learners were: past students projects, thesis/dissertations, course materials, past question papers, text books, eresources among others, that information resources were accessible mostly by visiting the libraries. There was a strong correlation between accessibility and utilization among the three centers under study (r = 0.858 at 0.001<0.05). There was a significant correlation between accessibility and utilization among the programme level in the study centers. The result shows that r = 0.856 at 0.001<0.024. It was recommended that library should focus on providing adequate resources to make regular library users access more current and relevant information resources and services across all the regional study Centres to meet the information needs of DLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]