The Awareness And Uses Of Library Electronic Databases By Lecturers In University Libraries

 Over the years, the introduction of modern electronic databases to library management, especially the university libraries has precariosly stir away the traditional library operation of acquisition, storage, cataloguing, dissemination etc.     According to Ukachi (2008), the application of electronic resources to library services has generally been accepted by academic libraries as the most effective means of providing timely, accurate and efficient information services. The application of electronic resources in library services has made provision for the expansion of the scope of information and services available to university library users irrespective of their location; thus ensuring effectiveness and efficiency in services provided. Given the centrality of computers to information flow, the use electronic information resources to facilitate  research has become indispensable. ICTs are the use of computer and   telecommunications for the processing and distribution of information in digital, video and other forms (Morris, 1992).The present electronic information resources have introduced an epoch of change, revolutionilizing the way we acquire, process, access, preserve and disseminate information. It is concerned with generation and dissemination of information using computers and electronic resources. It is synonymously used with computer applications.                       
Aina (2005) posits that there is now a paradigm shift among university libraries all over the world from the traditional ownership of information materials system to that of access to electronic information regardless of its location. This new paradigm has opened up a very new perspective in the library and information environment; paving way for greater and remote access to information. It has opened the opportunity for increased speed, greater connectivity, and collaboration, interoperability, greater storage capacity, improved preservation and overall effectiveness and efficiency in information management. In addition, this has arisen because of shrinkage in library budgets, growing demands of users and the escalating cost of journals, which is the major component in any university library collection.                
    According to Cochrane (1992), some of the advantages offered to libraries by electronic databases including the following: It allows easy integration of various activities, It facilitates cooperation and the formation of library networks, It helps to avoid duplication of efforts within a library and between libraries in a network, It eliminates some uninteresting and repetitive work, It helps to increase the range of services offered, It provides marketing opportunity of its services offered; It ultimately may save and or generate money, and It increases efficiency.
Promotional Strategies Adopted for E-Resource Utilization in the Academic Libraries
    One solution that was recommended by Pejova (2006) is launching and carrying out collaborative joint projects between professionals from developed countries and those from less developed countries as a way of developing illiteracy skills which will enable students to acquire information retrieval skills that will enable them to exploit the massive e-databases that are in existence today. According to Katundu (2002), information literacy in the curriculum has not received much attention due to the factor that only librarians are engaged in the teaching of the library discipline. Many authors such as Heseltine (2000) and Rader (2000) agree that a successful information literacy programme can be well delivered when it is integrated within curriculum. This is the only way that can be made to relate information sources to various courses, thus rendering it functional and more meaningful to students