IMPACT OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY ON THE ACQUISITION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS IN THE FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC OKO LIBRARY

Abstract

The objective of the study was to examine the impact of Information Communication 
Technology on the acquisition of library materials in Federal Polytechnic, Oko. Specifically, the 
study identified the impact of ICT on the acquisition of library materials and the challenges of 
employing ICT in the acquisition of library materials. The study was guided by three research 
questions. A descriptive survey research method was used to elicit responses from the entire 
population of 30 library staff of Federal Polytechnic Oko Library. The instrument for data 
collection was a questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean scores 
and frequencies). The findings revealed that cost savings as a result of using ICT for material 
acquisition; positive impact of ICT on the acquisition of library materials and improved 
efficiency of library material acquisition are the impact of ICT on the acquisition of library 
materials. The challenges identified were budget constraints and lack of staff training. The 
recommendations of this study include: the training of staff on ICT applications, the upgrade of 
ICT infrastructure, and addressing the challenges facing ICT implementation, like budget 
constraints and technical issues among others. ICT has greatly impacted the acquisition of library 
materials, and its effect can be seen in the increased efficiency of library acquisition, real-time 
inventory management, and speed or fastness in acquisition procedures, which should 
consistently be maintained by management. This study represents a fresh empirical investigation 
into the impact of Information Communication Technology on the acquisition of library 
materials in the Federal Polytechnic Oko library.