1. Introduction

The key functions of universities are teaching, research and community services. The university libraries are all-important resource centers in the life of universities. [1] posited that the university libraries play very active roles in order to help the universities perform the above-stated functions. [2] noted that university libraries, being integral academic parts of the universities generally emerged simultaneously with their parent institutions. Therefore, there are as many university libraries as there are universities.

These include federal university libraries owned by the federal government, state university libraries established and funded by some state governments. There are also some private university libraries owned by individuals. University libraries are libraries attached to universities to serve teaching and research needs of students and staff.

Acquisition according to [3] involves all procedures employed to bring to the library all needed print and non-print resources to satisfy the broad purpose of the university. That is, these libraries are meant to satisfy the professional requirements of their users. According to [4], a library has achieved its mandate when its users are satisfied with the services offered them. The quality of a library's information sources has been identified as one of the yardsticks for measuring the library users' satisfaction of library services [5]. [6] stated that for users’ satisfaction with information resources to be achieved, there should be a sustained process of collection evaluation and such quality assurance can be attained through content analysis of information resources in university libraries.

Based on the above premise therefore, there is the need for a periodic evaluation of the university libraries so as to determine how well they are meeting the objectives for which they were established. [7] posited that library evaluation can be carried out through internal inspection and external inspection. He stated that internal inspections are carried out by librarians for evaluation but noted that "it is much harder for the person who has developed and operated the system to stand back and evaluate it objectively." External inspections solve the objectivity problem associated with internal inspection. Users are in the best position to evaluate the effectiveness of any library. Such an evaluation should determine how well the acquired information resources satisfy the needs of its users. The present study is therefore an attempt to ascertain the influence of authors’ reputation on users’ satisfaction with the acquired information resources in the university libraries in the South-South zone of Nigeria. Users’ satisfaction is the dependent variable in this study while authors’ reputation of the information resources is the independent variable.

Nigerian University libraries (those in the South-South zone inclusive) are established to provide information resources to meet users’ information needs. The purpose of these libraries therefore will be defeated if their users are not satisfied with the information resources they provide. What is the level of users’ satisfaction with the acquired information resources when the books or articles are not written in the authors’ areas of expertise? Data from research also show library users’ frustration, low patronage of university library information resources as some of the factors that affect information service delivery in Nigeria (university libraries in the South-South inclusive) and as a consequent user satisfaction [8, 9]. The question arising from these is how can university libraries’ information resources yield satisfaction to library patrons? Based on the above premise, this study investigated the influence of collection development criteria in form of authors’ reputations on users’ satisfaction with information resources in university libraries in the South-South zone, Nigeria.

Research Objective

The specific objective of the study is to determine the influence of authors’ reputation on users’ satisfaction with the information resources in university libraries in the South-South zone of Nigeria.

Research Question

To guide this study, the following research question was posed:

What is the influence of authors’ reputation on users’ satisfaction with the information resources in university libraries in the South-South zone of Nigeria?

Hypothesis

The following hypothesis was tested in this study:

Mean response score on authors’ reputation does not significantly influence users’ satisfaction with the information resources in university libraries in the South-South zone of Nigeria (P < 0.05).

2. Review of Related Literature

[10] listed the scientific principles in the selection process as follows: author’s reputation; aims; relevance; accuracy; currency and recency; scope and depth of coverage; style of writing; special features; format; and cost. [11] enumerated the selection criteria as follows public demand and interest, authority and competence of the author and price in relation to total budget. Authors’ (inventors’) credibility is one of the factors that influence the acquisition of information resources [12].

The first step in evaluating a source is determining the authority of the author who produced the material. To determine authority, one will want to evaluate the trustworthiness (credentials, education, experience, etc.) of an author.

To determine credibility, these questions should be posed:

Ÿ Is the author formally educated in the subject under consideration?

Ÿ Does the author work for a university or research center?

Ÿ Is the author a recognized intellectual in the subject?

Ÿ Does the author have a proven record of research and publications on the subject?

Author is the entity primarily responsible for the intellectual content of information resources. Author consists of either a person or a corporate body. There are some authors who command high respect in their areas of specialization. In fact their works are a must-buy for their specific disciplines. As per the authors that are not well known, before selecting any of their works, their academic and professional qualifications have to be ascertained from some sources like the biographical dictionary in their fields and/or colleagues. These bibliographies or lists usually report prize winners, notable authors/titles and best sellers [13]. The reputation of the author is derived from the names of the contributors; the academic and professional qualifications of the author who must be in the area where the article is written.

[14] appraised the status of library information resources in Nigerian university libraries (those in the South-South University libraries inclusive) based on the assessment of the National Universities Commission (NUC) and revealed that most universities missed the accreditation because of poor quality information resources. The role of library during accreditation cannot be overemphasized. The National Universities Commission (NUC) team considers the quality of the holdings and currency of the information materials in stock in the library [15]. During the accreditation exercise, if the university library is scored less than 70%, but all other components are scored 100%; those programmes will not get full accreditation. Consequently, the university library is used in evaluating and scoring academic programmes. The library should acquire the latest locally published journals of the association or professional body. From the writer’s personal observation, during the accreditation of programmes in Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria members of the accreditation team were always looking for books authored by local renowned academicians in the subject to be accredited. However, in a situation where the authors’ reputation is not known, the quality of the content will be the determinant for the acquisition of the information resource.

[12] undertook a study on collection development activities in selected academic libraries in Imo state. Six academic libraries in Imo State, Nigeria were surveyed and the target population was collection development/acquisition librarians using questionnaire as instrument for data collection. Six out of ten copies of the questionnaires given to the respondents were completed and returned in usable form for analysis. One of the objectives of the study was to identify the factors that influence acquisition of materials in academic libraries. The interpretation was presented in frequencies and percentages. The score chart was as follows: affordability, (2) 33.33%, authors’ (inventors’) credibility, (3) 50%, publishers’ competence, (3)50%, currency of materials, (3)50% and desire to stock materials in school subjects, (2)33.33%. This means that half of the sampled population of the academic libraries in Imo State, Nigeria considers the factor, authors’ reputation/qualification/experience during the acquisition process of information resources.

Users’ satisfaction is defined as a user’s level of satisfaction with the system in terms of individual outcomes on a pleasant-unpleasant continuum [16]. [6] had earlier posited that for users’ satisfaction with information resources to be achieved, there should be a continuous process of collection evaluation. Questions about how far the totality of library resources and services meet users' needs are answered during library evaluation. [17] defined library evaluation as the quantification and comparison with laid down standards of library provisions and services. This helps to see how the library is meeting its users' needs and also what decision to take and those to be revised. This is the reason why library evaluation has been referred to by some scholars as a management activity. In this paper users’ satisfaction refer to the extent to which the users of the information resources in university libraries in the South-South zone of Nigeria are satisfied with such resources in terms of authors’ reputation.

The findings may provide a basis for university library management to ascertain the strength of their library collections by identifying the missing gaps with regards to the variable of authorship, in the acquisition process of information resources and then promote the development of quality collection, thereby satisfying the library users. This is the gap in knowledge of collection development this study intends to fill.

3. Research Design and Procedure

The study was a descriptive design survey. Data were collected from librarians and library officers who work or had worked in the acquisition sections of the university libraries under study. Data were also collected from lecturers who are the users of the university libraries under study. This design is appropriate because the variables are not subjected to manipulation by the researcher.

Lastly, the study was delimited to the library staff of the cadre of librarians and library officers of the university libraries named above who were involved in selection and acquisition of information resources. The study also was delimited to the lecturers of these universities who make use of information resources in the university libraries.

The area of study was the university libraries located in the South-South zone of Nigeria. The six states in the zone are namely; Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers. The study involved Federal and State-owned university libraries. The private university libraries found in the zone were outside the scope of this study. There are four federal universities namely; Universities of Benin, Calabar, Port Harcourt and Uyo. Each of the universities has its own university library. The fifth, Federal university at Otuoke in Bayelsa state is one of the newly established universities and is also outside the scope of this study. Three of the federal universities were selected for the study by the researchers. These are universities of Calabar (UNICAL), Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) and Uyo (UNIUYO) libraries, representing 75%. It should be noted that the zone is characterized with state university established in each of the states found in the zone. The state universities are Akwa Ibom State University of Technology (AKSUT), Uyo; Niger Delta University (NDU), Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State; Cross River State University of Technology (CRUTECH), Calabar; Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka; Ambrose Ali University (AAU), Ekpoma, Edo State; Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), Port Harcourt and Ignatius Ajulu University of Education (IAUOE), Rivers State, Port Harcourt. The state university libraries that were used for the study are NDU, CRUTECH and RSUST; representing 42.85%. The university libraries mentioned above are a fair representation of other libraries in the South-South zone, Nigeria since sources of funds for Nigerian university libraries are the same [18].

The population of the study consisted of 7509 lecturers and library staff (librarians and library officers) involved in the selection and acquisition of information resources) in the four (4) federal and seven (7) state university libraries found in the South-South zone of Nigeria The breakdown is made up of 7426 lecturers and 83 library staff.

A sample size of 4663 lecturers and 36 library staff (librarians and library officers involved in the selection and acquisition of information resources) in the university libraries of University of Calabar, Port Harcourt, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State University of Technology, Niger Delta University, Bayelsa and Rivers State University of Science & Technology. The breakdown is made up of 4627 lecturers teaching in the universities named above as the users of the university libraries and 36 library staff working in the acquisition departments of the university libraries.

The sample was selected using purposive sampling technique from the universities under study. This is the type of sampling which ensures that only subjects that satisfy the specific need of the researcher are included in the sample [19]. The sample for Section A concerning Authors’ reputation of information resources consisted of all librarians and library officers who had worked and also those presently working in the Acquisition units of the universities under study. The entire sample of thirty-six (36) library staff was used as the sample size. The target respondents for Section B on users’ satisfaction were the lecturers of the universities under study with a sample of 4627. As for the lecturers, the numerical quota sampling method was adopted and a sample size of three hundred and sixty-eight (368) was obtained. This size was obtained from an arithmetic mean of the result of Yaro Yameni’s formula [20] for sample size determination. The detailed computation yielded an approximate value of 368. Therefore, a sample size of 368 lecturers was used for the study.

The instrument used in this study was Likert-scale type of questionnaire. Likert scales, called summated-rating or additive scales are widely used and very common because of easy construction, high reliability, and successful adaptation to measure many types of affirmative characteristics [21]. The instrument for data collection in this study was a researcher designed questionnaire titled, ‘‘Authors’ Reputation and Users’ Satisfaction with the Information Resources Questionnaire (ARUSIRQ)”’ that was divided into two sections A and B. Section A presented items statements of Authors’ Reputation considered by librarians in the acquisition of information resources. There were 7 item statements (for library staff). Section B was related to A and focused on users’ satisfaction with 6 item statements (for lecturers). These are the same factors listed under Section A. The subjects (library staff and lecturers) responded to each item on the following response mode: where 5 represented Very High; 4, High; 3, Average; 2, Low; and 1, Very Low.

Face validation of the instrument named Authors’ Reputation and Users’ Satisfaction with Information Resources Questionnaire (ARUSIRQ) was done by first giving the instrument to the supervisors of this study for his assessment before giving it to two senior professional colleagues, thirdly a former Head of Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures and lastly a Professor of Sociology of Education. These four experts were requested to evaluate the instrument with respect to its relevance to the study objectives, research questions and hypotheses. The feedbacks received from the aforementioned sources were incorporated by the researcher into the final research instrument before administration to sampled subjects.

In order to determine the reliability of the instrument, the instrument was trial-tested by the researcher in four university libraries. These were Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State University; both in Owerri, University of Port Harcourt and Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt. The respondents were library staff and lecturers of the above-named universities. The data collected formed the basis of analysis using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient formula to determine the reliability coefficient the instrument [19], [22] and [23]. The reliability coefficient of 0.88 was obtained; indicating that the instrument is reliable and can be used for further study.

Copies of the instrument were distributed to library staff and lecturers personally by the researcher and with the assistance of colleagues working in the six university libraries under study during the 2014/2015 academic session. Survey was conducted during Academic Staff of Nigerian Universities congresses in the chapters under study. Some respondents had the questionnaire administered to them in their offices. It should be noted that every questionnaire was personally handed over and instructions were given to each respondent before completing the questionnaire. Most respondents complied with the request for immediate completion and return of the research instrument. The completed copies of the questionnaire were collected and formed the basis for data analysis.

The data that were collected from the field were analysed. Firstly, the research questions were answered and secondly hypotheses were tested. Analysis based on research questions was done using mean and standard deviation statistics. Data analysis based on hypotheses was done using t-Test statistics in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). This is an already prepared programme in the computer for data analysis used by social and behavioural scientists [24]. This package enables the user to perform many different types of statistical analysis. The t-Test statistics is a statistical application which permits the researcher to measure the differences between samples and to make an inference about the population from which they were drawn [25].

Data obtained from the field work were structurally arranged in Microsoft excel and exported to SPSS [26] for Window version 20 at p = 0.05 level of significance. This is the level of significance usually preferred by researchers in the fields of education and social studies because; their researches involve human beings who can be influenced by several factors within and outside the research structure [27].

4. Data Analysis and Results

The Research Question posed was:

What is the influence of authors’ reputation on users’ satisfaction with the information resources in university libraries in the South-South zone of Nigeria? The answer to the research question is presented on Tables 1, 2 and 3.

Table 1. Means and Standard Deviations of Responses by the Library Staff on Authors’ Reputation of the Information Resources in University Libraries under Study

Table 2. Means and Standard Deviations of Responses by the Lecturers on Users’ Satisfaction Based on Authors’ Reputation of the Information Resources in Universities under Study

Table 3. Descriptive Statistics of Mean Scores and Standard Deviations of Respondents Concerning the Influence of Authors’ Reputation on Users’ Satisfaction with Information Resources

Table 1 presents data from responses by library staff on authors’ reputation of information resources. Items 1-7 are the different statements pertaining to the variable; authors’ reputation under the five categories of Very High, High, Average, Low and Very Low. Table 1 further shows the respondents mean scores for the items 1-7 statements are consistent ranging from 3.33, SD 0.48 (the library acquires reprints of older titles by renowned authors) to 4.44, SD 1.29 (the library acquires books written by reputable authors). The mean scores of 4.17 (SD 0.95, 0.89); 3.94 (SD 0.76); 3.75 (SD 0.67) and 3.56 (SD 0.56) for the rest of the items are as shown in the table. The mean score for each of the seven item statements is higher than the criterion score of 3.00; an indication that the information resources in the South-South university libraries are built taking cognizance of the variable, authors’ reputation of information resources. The overall mean score for the seven item statements is 3.91 with a standard deviation of 0.39 as shown in Table 3.

Table 2 shows data from responses by lecturers on users’ satisfaction with information resources based on authors’ reputation. Items 1-6 are the different statement pertaining to the variable; users’ satisfaction based on authors’ reputation under the five categories of Very High, High, Average, Low and Very Low. Table 2 further shows that the respondents (users) are however divided in their opinion about the information resources stocked by the university libraries based on authors’ reputation with mean scores between 3.4 and less than 3.0. Specifically the lecturers are satisfied with the available information resources written by qualified authors in their area (mean score 3.24, SD 0.43) and information resources written by well-known authors in their subject areas (mean score 3.02, SD 0.50 ) but are not satisfied with the rest of the item statements of; reprints of older titles by renowned authors in my subject area are available in the library, mean score 2.49, SD 0.42; relevant titles by new authors in my field are available in the library, 2.68, SD 0.38; the library added new titles by established authors in my subject area, 2.61 (SD 0.42); and best selling author’s books in my area are available in the library, 2.27 (SD 0.32). The overall mean score for the six item statements is 2.72 with a standard deviation of 0.35 as shown in Table 3. This is an indication that the users of the information resources in the South-South university libraries are unsatisfied with those resources based on the variable, authors’ reputation of information resources.

In Table 3, the overall mean score for authors’ reputation is 3.91 (SD 0.39) which is greater than the criterion score of 3.00. This indicates high level of authors’ reputation of the information resources in the university libraries in the South-South zone, Nigeria. The inference is that university libraries in the South-South zone, Nigeria highly consider the criterion, authors’ reputation while acquiring information resources for the libraries. The same Table 3 shows that the overall mean score for users’ satisfaction with information resources based on authors’ reputation is 2.72 (SD 0.35) which is lower than the criterion score of 3.00. This infers low level of users’ satisfaction with information resources in university libraries in the South-South zone of Nigeria based on authors’ reputation. The deduction is that the users of the university libraries in the South-South zone, Nigeria are not satisfied with the information resources in those libraries in term of the qualification of the authors to write on the subjects. The overall mean score of 3.92 for authors’ reputation is higher than the overall mean score of 2.72 for users’ satisfaction with information resources. Therefore the mean score for the authors’ reputation and users’ satisfaction with the information resources in university libraries in the South-South zone of Nigeria are different.

The Hypothesis tested was:

Mean response score on authors’ reputation does not significantly influence users’ satisfaction with the information resources in university libraries in the South-South zone of Nigeria (P < 0.05). The test of the hypothesis is presented in Table 4.

Table 4. t-Test Analysis of the Influence of Authors’ Reputation on Users’ Satisfaction with Information Resources. (Level of significance set for this study is 0.05 alpha)

In Table 4, the t-test was run to determine the influence of authors’ reputation on users’ satisfaction with information resources in university libraries in the South-South zone, Nigeria. The Table 4 shows the influence of authors’ reputation of information resources on users’ satisfaction. The mean and standard deviation scores of the respondents’ responses with regards to the influence of authors’ reputation on users’ satisfaction with information resources in the university libraries in the university libraries in South-South zone, Nigeria are presented in Table 4. The table shows that the mean score for the authors’ reputation is 3.91, which is greater than the criterion score of 3.00. This shows that librarians in the zone build their library collection taking cognizance of the variable, authors’ reputation. The table also provides that the mean score for users’ satisfaction is 2.72, which is less than the criterion score of 3.00. This reveals that users of the university libraries in the South-South zone of Nigeria are unsatisfied with the libraries’ information resources based on authors’ reputation.

From the above table the p (sig, 2-tailed) value is 0.00 and is less than the pre-specified alpha level of 0.05. The indication is that there is significant influence of mean response score of authors’ reputation on users’ satisfaction with the information resources in university libraries in the South-South zone of Nigeria. According to this, results indicate that there was a glaring influence of authors’ reputation on users’ satisfaction which was statistically significant {t (402) = 5.735, p= 0.00 < 0.05}. The t-statistics (calculated) is 5.735 with 402 degrees of freedom. The corresponding two-tailed p-value is 0.00, which is less than 0.05, the pre-set alpha level. Therefore, the null hypothesis is rejected and the conclusion is that there is a significant influence of mean response score of authors’ reputation on users’ satisfaction with the information resources in university libraries in the South-South zone of Nigeria.

In addition to using a Sig (2-tailed) value to determine whether to reject or retain the null hypothesis, in Table 4, the t-calculated for authors’ reputation and users’ satisfaction with information resources is 5.735, while the r-critical value at 0.05 level of significance is 1.960 at 402 degrees of freedom (df). The t-calculated was found to be greater than the t- critical. The calculated t is statistically significant at alpha (α) = 0.05 level of significance, since it is greater than the critical value of t. This infers that there is a significant influence of mean response score of authors’ reputation on users’ satisfaction with information resources in university libraries in the South-South zone of Nigeria. It therefore follows that the hypothesis that mean response score on authors’ reputation does not significantly influence users’ satisfaction with the information resources in university libraries in the South-South zone of Nigeria is rejected.

In summary therefore, mean response score on authors’ reputation significantly influences users’ satisfaction with the information resources in university libraries in the South-South zone of Nigeria (P < 0.05).

5. Interpretation and Discussion of Results

There is a significant influence of authors’ reputation on users’ satisfaction with information resources. This result therefore means that there is significant influence of authors’ reputation on users’ satisfaction with information resources in university libraries in the South-South zone of Nigeria. Users’ satisfaction is influenced by authors’ reputation of the information resources. This result is in agreement with [12] who stated that qualification, competence of the authors, creators were considered and influential in 50% of the academic libraries studied. Acquisition of information resources can be based on the author’s expertise to write on the subject. It is necessary that the academic and professional qualifications of the author must be in the area where the information resource is written before the information resource can be procured for the university library. However, in a situation where the author’s reputation is not known, the quality of the content will be the determinant for the acquisition of the information resource; so as to strengthen users’ satisfaction.

6. Conclusions, Recommendations and Suggestions

It can be concluded from the findings of this study that the procurement of balanced information resources for university libraries will help the universities achieve their basic functions of teaching, research and community service. The results of the study revealed that there is significant influence of the collection development criteria of authors’ reputation and users’ participation in the acquisition process on users’ satisfaction with information resources in the university libraries in the South-South zone of Nigeria. The implication of these findings is that users of university libraries in the zone will get satisfaction from the use of information resources that are balanced in terms of authors’ reputation. Since the study showed that there is significant influence of authors’ reputation on users’ satisfaction with information resources in university libraries in the South-South zone of Nigeria, it is recommended that librarians should take cognizance of authors’ qualification to write on the subject when acquiring information resources for the libraries. If the following recommendations of this study are carried out in the procurement of information resources, the users of the university libraries will derive satisfaction from their use. It is suggested that the same study should be carried in other 5 geopolitical zones of the country, Nigeria. In order to have a well-rounded perception of users’ satisfaction with information resources in university libraries in the South-South zone of Nigeria similar research should also be conducted using students as users. Both students and lecturers use the library, although students constitute the majority of the users [28].