Assessment of Library Resources in Theological Institutions in North Central States of Nigeria

ABSTRACT
This study was designed to assess library resources in theological institutions in North Central States of Nigeria. The main problem of the study is that literature shows that no study has been done in this field and materials are few and scanty, therefore, a study conducted will stimulate further research in this field. To achieve this, six purposes were formulated and also six research questions were asked. The population of the study is the 22 theological libraries in the north central states with a total of 5760 people (students, faculty members and non- teaching staff). Sample size of 15 librarians and 360 library users (staff and students) were used. Fifteen institutions were visited for the purpose of observation and interview of those in charge of the libraries, institutions covered came from four states namely: Benue, Kogi, Kwara, and Plateau. The instruments for data collection were a questionnaire for library users titled, Assessment of library resources in theological institutions in North Central States of Nigeria (ALRTINCSN), check-list for observation of library resources and interview schedule for those in charge of the institution’s libraries. The data collected were analyzed using frequency counts and percentages. The findings of the study showed that majority of the libraries in theological institutions are without professional library staff (librarians). The findings further revealed that almost all the theological institutions in North Central States of Nigeria depend mainly on printed materials in their libraries and are lacking in electronic resources. The study also revealed that funding is a major problem in theological libraries which affects every fabric of its development. The researcher postulated eight recommendations based on the findings of the study