The Relationship between Cataloguing Policy and Service Delivery in Federal University Libraries in South-South Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between cataloguing policy and service delivery in federal university libraries in South-South Nigeria. A correlational research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised 115 professional librarians across eight federal universities, which are the University of Benin, University of Calabar, University of Uyo, University of Port Harcourt, Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun, Federal University Otuoke, Nigeria Maritime University Okerenkoko, and Federal University of Technology Akwa Ibom. The census sampling technique was used, and data were collected using a structured four-point Likert scale questionnaire. Data were analysed using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation. The findings revealed a strong, positive, and significant relationship between cataloguing policy and service delivery. Respondents affirmed the adoption of cataloguing policies and the provision of cataloguing services. The study concludes that effective implementation of cataloguing policy enhances access and retrieval of library resources, and recommends that library management should provide up-to-date cataloguing and classification tools, while government and university authorities should employ qualified professional librarians and ensure continuous training and retraining. The study provides empirical evidence across all federal universities in South-South Nigeria, thereby filling a gap left by previous descriptive studies limited to one or two libraries in a single state.

Keywords: Cataloguing Policy, Service Delivery, Academic Libraries, Federal Universities.