Social Media Use, Critical Thinking Skills, and Digital Reference Service Delivery of Librarians in Tertiary Institutions in Ekiti State, Nigeria.
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Date
2024-12
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Lead City University, Ibadan
Abstract
The transformative power of contemporary digital technologies has transformed how librarians in tertiary institutions interact and communicate with their users. However, despite the benefits of technology, librarians face challenges in delivering digital reference services through social media platforms and developing critical thinking skills to meet users' information needs. Therefore, the study investigated the influence of social media use and critical thinking skills on the digital reference services delivery of librarians in tertiary institutions in Ekiti State, Nigeria. A mixed-method approach was employed, combining a questionnaire and structured interviews for data collection from 145 librarians across five tertiary institutions in Ekiti State, utilising a total enumeration sampling technique. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied for quantitative data analysis, while content analysis was used to interpret the qualitative results. The results of the hypothesis indicated that both social media use (β=0.397, t=4.389, P<0.05) and critical thinking skills (β=0.288, t=3.058, P<0.05) significantly influence digital reference service delivery. Librarians use synchronous and asynchronous communication modes to provide these services, making library resources readily accessible to their users. However, challenges such as insufficient digital information literacy skills, inadequate infrastructure, poor internet connectivity, and limited development of social media use and critical thinking remain. In conclusion, digital reference service delivery and social media usage in tertiary institutions in Ekiti State are still in their early stages. The study recommends enhancing infrastructure and integrating social media to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of digital reference services delivery and implementing information literacy programs to foster
critical thinking skills.
Keywords: Digital Reference Service Delivery, Social Media Use, Critical Thinking Skills, Librarians, Tertiary Institutions, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
Word Count: 250
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Keywords
Digital Reference Service Delivery, Social Media Use, Critical Thinking Skills, Librarians, Tertiary Institutions, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
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Kate Turabia