An Assessment of Librarians’ Awareness of Cloud Computing Technologies for Enhanced Service Delivery in University Libraries in North-East Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the level of awareness of Cloud Computing Technologies (CCT) among librarians in university libraries in North-East Nigeria and compared differences across Federal, State, and Private institutions. An evaluative survey research design was adopted, and the population comprised 369 professional and para-professional librarians from six university libraries. A structured questionnaire was
administered to all respondents, with 273 valid copies retrieved for analysis. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, and mean), while One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was employed to test for differences in awareness across institutional types at a 0.05 level of significance. A post-hoc analysis using Hochberg’s GT2 test was conducted to assess specific group differences. The findings revealed moderate awareness of CCT among librarians, with an overall mean score of 2.82 on a five-point scale. Social networking applications and online databases showed high awareness, whereas institutional repositories, discovery tools, and information collection services showed relatively low awareness. The ANOVA results indicated a statistically significant difference in librarians’ awareness across institutional types (p < 0.05). Post-hoc analysis showed no significant difference between Federal and State university libraries; however, Private university libraries exhibited significantly higher awareness levels than their Federal and State counterparts. The study concludes that although librarians in the region demonstrate moderate awareness of cloud computing technologies, notable disparities exist across institutional ownership. The study recommends sustained professional development programmes, institutional ICT investment, and inter-library collaboration to enhance librarians’ awareness and readiness for effective deployment of cloud-based library services.