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This study investigated the availability and use of electronic databases by scientists in agricultural research institutes in North Central Nigeria. The study was guided by four research questions and one hypothesis tested at 0.05 level of significance using Pearson Product Moment Correlation. The study adopted descriptive survey design. The instruments used were a self-designed closed ended structured questionnaire and an observation checklist. The population of the study was 430, the whole of which was adopted. Findings from the study revealed that there were electronic databases with adequate resources, which were moderately used with positive effect on the research scientists of the agricultural research institutes in terms of research productivity. The findings show that there is significant relationship between availability of electronic databases and their use by scientists in agricultural research Institutes at 0.05 level of significance (r =0.644; p > 0.05). Low power supply and lack of subscription were some of the constraints in the use of the electronic databases. Based on the findings the study recommended that management of agricultural research institutes should make efforts to provide adequate agricultural Electronic databases, should organise sensitisation programmes on the availability of agricultural database, provision of adequate internet bandwidth, alternative power supply and agricultural research institute should as a matter of necessity constantly subscribe to relevant databases.

The study investigated influence of preservation techniques and access to digital resources on the research output of Liberians and lecturers in Federal university libraries in Northern Nigeria. Three research questions and research objectives respectively guide the study to capture types of digital resources and preservation techniques utilized as well as access tools that facilitated the use of digital resources to enhance research output of librarians and lecturers. Descriptive survey research design was used and the target population consisted of 12,691 academic staff with breakdown of 161 librarians working in ICT unit of university libraries as well as 12,539 lecturers in various faculties in the 22 universities in Northern Nigerians. Multi-stage sampling techniques viz-a-viz proportionate stratifies sampling techniques was used to select 377 lecturers and 79 Liberians in nine universities. Two set of four point rating scale questionnaire was design and administered on 386 respondents. Mean and standard deviation was used to analysed data. Result showed that e-journal article, digitization and library catalogue top the list in terms of digital resource, preservation techniques and access tools used in research output of academic staff in federal university libraries in Northern Nigeria. Digital resources were used to disseminate research output. The conclusion was that e-journal article serve as plat form for convening current research findings and that digitization is the modern method of preserving paper- based materials in libraries. Easy access to information resources is made possible through library catalogue. The study recommended that management to universities in northern Nigeria should motivate academic staff to make scholarly contribution to other resources (text book, technical report etc) were among others.

Universities in Nigeria and the world over are engines of growth and development. They are increasingly recognised to have a broader role in the social, economic, technological and manpower development of a nation. In fact, the universities serve as the main source of supply of skilled manpower needed in the various sectors of the nation. The National Policy on Education (2004) acknowledges that university education shall make optimum contribution to national development by intensifying and diversifying its programme for the development of high level manpower within the context of the needs of the nation. The library has a great role to play in the provision of the right information in the right format to the right user and at the right time. Haruna and Mabawonku (2001), while stressing the importance of information for every profession, affirm that legal practitioners depend fully on a nugget of relevant, precise and timely information for success in their profession. This is why faculties and departments offering professional programmes in the university usually require well equipped departmental libraries. In fact, knowledge of the various programmes in the university and information needs of both students and faculty members are vital to library effectiveness. The central library of a university initially had the sole responsibility of providing needed services to the few members of staff and students in the few established departments. However, with time, more departments were created and resulting in increase in the population of users attended to by the main library. Bozimo (1992) describes libraries in tertiary institutions as the nerve/centre of activities that hold the key resources for departments in the teaching and learning process. Since the academic departments will have to patronize the main library for needed information, there is a tendency towards failing to satisfy users, thus the need for departmental or faculty libraries.