Creating universal resource locator links on library computers desktop: A panacea for students’ underutilization of subscribed electronic databases in academic institutions in Nigeria

Abstract

This study is a 3-week experiment using Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike (MOUAU) Digital Library and clients as study area and population respectively. Having observed the problem of students and researchers underutilization of electronic databases subscribed by academic institutions in Nigeria, the research was aimed at testing students and researchers approach to a new method that may enhance usage of subscribed electronic databases and recommend it if positive. Dummy links, representing some of the Universal Resource Locators (URLs) of the databases subscribed by MOUAU were created as the desktop page of ten computers in the digital library. Designed purposively, a click on the dummy links referred clients to the librarian. The record of clients who reported to the Digital Librarian as a result of the dummy upload request was collated. Apart from finding that, gender, level of study and purpose of visit are electronic database utilization variables, the study reveals that creating URL links on desktop pages would effectively sensitize and increase students’ utilisation of the various electronic databases subscribed by individual Nigerian academic institutions. The experiment’s result show that URL links would effectively introduce subscribed electronic databases to students and researchers much better than any other means.