Information Needs and Information-Seeking Behaviour of Engineering and Medicine & Health Sciences Students of Afe Babalola University, Nigeria

Abstract

The primary concern of an ideal academic library and its librarians is to provide effective services to the predominantly student clientele. However, achieving this goal requires a deep understanding of the information needs and seeking behavior of different user groups within the institution. To address this, a study was conducted to investigate the information and information-seeking behavior of Engineering and Medicine & Health Science (MHS) students at Afe Babalola University in Ado Ekiti, Nigeria. The study utilized a descriptive survey design and selected a sample size of 200 students through simple random sampling. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire. The findings revealed that the information needs of both MHS and Engineering students are mainly academic-oriented, focusing on enriching knowledge (84.4%) and preparing for examinations (83.8%). A significant majority of respondents (91%) prefer to consult the Internet for information, while only a small percentage (6.5% and 4.4%) rely on the university library and librarians, respectively. The study identified procrastination (67.9%) and time constraints (62.2%) as the major challenges encountered by the students. In conclusion, the study emphasizes that students' information needs predominantly revolve around academic pursuits. However, it highlights a concerning trend where traditional library services are being overshadowed by the prevalence of online resources. The study recommends that Afe Babalola University should implement programmes aimed at educating and enlightening students about the consequences of procrastination and strategies to combat it effectively.