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Purpose: This paper aims to study the perceived usefulness and adoption of Koha Integrated Library System (ILS) by librarians in universities in Southern Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopted a survey method. The researchers designed a structured questionnaire using Google form and shared it online. Data were gathered from respondents whose libraries had adopted Koha. Findings: Koha was highly perceived useful in acquisition, cataloguing, circulation and serials operations. There was moderate adoption of Koha generally. However, it was rarely adopted for making payment and placing of orders for book purchases and serial subscriptions. Perceived usefulness had positive influence on Koha's adoption. Inadequate training of library staff on Koha use was a major challenge to Koha adoption. Hence, it was recommended that there should be regular training on the use of Koha and strategic decisions that would enhance the useful objectives behind the gunning for Koha, should be taken and implemented by the management of libraries. Originality/value: The study highlighted the perceived usefulness of Koha and the extent to which it has been adopted by librarians in the university libraries under study. It will avail the management of these libraries the opportunity to re-evaluate if the ILS is well maximized in terms of adoption and usefulness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Mentorship is crucial to the success and accomplishment of librarianship in the contemporary era. This paper aims to investigate the need for mentorship and challenges besetting mentorship in librarianship with specific focus on academic libraries. Design/methodology/approach: Descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The population of the study was 1,214 librarians in 102 academic libraries in Southern Nigeria. Total enumeration sampling technique was adopted for the study. Findings: It was reflected that mentorship, though beset by a number of challenges, is a necessity in librarianship. The hypotheses tested revealed that there is significant relationship between the need for mentorship and the types of mentorship adopted in academic libraries, and that there is no significant difference between the need for mentorship by male and female librarians. Practical implications: This study affirmed that it is through mentorship that librarians can meet their job demands. Mentorship should therefore be stimulated to bolster the professional and intellectual development of the librarians. The mentees should be carried along in mentorship partnership selection process, and training should be organized for mentors and mentees on mentorship. Social implications: The interaction of librarians in the course of mentoring can facilitate work cohesion and enhanced job performance. Originality/value: The needs for and challenges besetting mentorship in librarianship have been explored by collecting data directly from the librarians. The cloistered nature of librarianship, given the changing nature of the profession owing to massive deployment of Information and Communication Technology in the performance of library operations, means that mentorship should be encouraged in the profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze the growth of academic librarians' research output in Nigeria; it examined their research productivity and determined the authorship pattern and degree of collaboration. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 1,106 articles were retrieved from Current index to Journals in Education and Library, Information Science and Technology Abstract databases for the period 2000-March 2018. Findings: The study revealed that only few authors are productive in the field of Library and Information Science in Nigeria during the period under study. The author productivity pattern is, therefore, in agreement with Lotka's Law of inverse square. Top journals in which the academic librarians in Nigeria publish their works were identified. Of the 153 recognized universities in Nigeria, the study revealed that only few universities are productive. The years 2011 and 2012 recorded the highest contributions by the academic librarians. The findings also showed a high level of teamwork with most publications being produced jointly. Research limitations/implications: The limitation of this study is that it only retrieved articles that were indexed by Current index to Journals in Education and Library, Information Science and Technology Abstract. Secondly, articles published by the academic librarians in local journals in Nigeria that are not indexed and not visible are not included in the study. Originality/value: The findings call for researchers in developing countries to recognize that it is important to publish a substantial number of papers in journals that are indexed and are widely visible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Since 2004 the Niger Delta University Library has adopted a job rotation program to help solve manpower and skills acquisition problems. The study reported in this paper aimed to evaluate the Niger Delta University Library job rotation program, including the impact of the program on newly employed librarians and their job performance, and the university library. Design/methodology/approach – The study has two parts. Firstly, the paper reports results from focus group interviews with Niger Delta University librarians who participated in the job rotation program. Secondly, an interview was conducted with the Niger Delta University librarian who adopted the job rotation program to elicit insights into the impact and challenges of the library job rotation program. The Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick four-level evaluation framework was chosen to use as a framework for the evaluation of the responses. Findings – The study revealed that the job rotation program is an important program for allowing librarians to acquire new skills, enhance staff productivity, develop new relationships across the university library and gain skills needed for future career advancement. The participants in the job rotation program who were interviewed showed a high level of satisfaction with the program. Practical implications – The findings of this study will inform library administrators or management about the adoption of job rotation programs in their libraries. Many university libraries have problems with a lack of skills experienced by new librarians and also as a staff development tool in the workplace. Originality/value – The paper calls for proactive effort by university libraries to adopt new strategies to enhance skills development for efficient productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]