CLOUD COMPUTING APPLICATION AND OFFLINE DATABASE PROVISION AS CORRELATES OF EFFECTIVE SERVICE DELIVERY IN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES IN NORTH-WEST, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

This  study  investigated  the  cloud  computing  technology  application  and  offline database provision as correlate of effective service delivery in three federal university libraries in northwest Nigeria. The study adopted descriptive survey research design with a population of 177 and sampling size of 177 e-librarians and library ICT staffs. Total enumeration sampling technique was adopted considering the population. The research instrument used was questionnaire and observation checklist, the research used SPSS statistical software for the data analysis. Six research question guided the study in three selected federal university libraries. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics of frequency table, percentage and mean scores while correlation analysis was use for the hypotheses. The finding of the study show that all the ICT facilities were available in both the three selected university libraries studied, It has been revealed from the study that despite the availability of ICTs facilities, not all the cloud computing services and offline databases observe by the researcher were available although the availability of offline database is more than that of cloud computing in the selected three university libraries. It has been deduct from the study that the e-resource found on cloud computing and offline database are mostly e-books, e-journals, and e- theses. It has been noted that inadequate funding of library electronic facilities and services, Epileptic power supply, lack of dedicated server in the library, Inadequate security   measures,   Inadequate   computer   to   access   the   e-resources,   Inadequate bandwidth to sustain internet services, limited number of available e-books, limited number of  available  e-journal,  and  Insufficient  number of  cooling systems  are the factors affecting cloud computing application and offline database provision in the library. The study therefor, recommended that the government and university management should implement and make remarkable policies that will lead to the cloud computing application and offline database provision  in the library and the library management should make policies that will ensure the implementation and the use of such gadget for effective library service delivery.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0    INTRODUCTION

1.1    Background to the Study

Academic libraries are libraries established in Polytechnics, Monotechnics, Colleges of Education and Universities, to take care of the information needs of students, lecturers, researchers and other community of scholars. University library services are rendered to support the teaching, learning and research activities of their parent institutions. The university library being an integral part of an academic institution is saddled with the responsibility of providing print and electronic information resources to support the vision and mission of the parent institution. Sobalaje et al, (2011) posit that federal university libraries continues to bring man in contact with the word in the fulfilment of its function as a repository of knowledge in all forms and shapes. According to Yacom (2011) academic libraries are also widely acknowledged as centers to the provision of information  resources  that  empowers the  educational  institutions to  produce highly resourceful people to impact positively on national development and academic excellence among nations, including Nigeria.

Libraries have shifted their attention to developing human capital as a key to addressing the information needs of their clients especially in this era of information overload and technological advancements by enhancing effective library services, (Amoah and Akussah, 2017). Service has been defined differently by various authorities among which are marketing experts in library and information professionals who viewed services as resources, commodity or activity that can be transferred from an individual, cooperate body or an organization to another. Corroboratively, Lovelock and Wirtz (2011) acknowledge services as the economic activities offered by one party to another.

Similarly, Kotler and Armstrong (2012) defined service as an activity, benefit, offered for sale that is essentially intangible and does not result in the ownership of anything. From the definitions above, service is an activity that is being offered by an individual, organization, corporate body to another by giving them the needed sources. So, service should be defined in their own term, not in relation to goods. Effective service as described by Udensi and Akor (2014) is “the standard in the library that can best be determined by looking at library resources capability and utilization, meaning that the effectiveness of the library services can only be judged by its collections, facilities and staff performance”. The authors were of the opinion that the services with high degree information and research needs of faculty, students and other users can contribute to the success of educational and developmental goals of the institution in an effective manner .

Library services are day to day activities offered by the university libraries to meet the information needs of the users‟. This can be rendered in direct or indirect ways.  Direct services are those offered to users through direct contact while indirect services are the behind the scene activities rendered by the library staff. Example of library services are research support and bibliographic searching, acquisition, information organization, Online Public Access Cataloguing (OPAC) “is an online database containing bibliographical information material held by library or group of libraries for easy searching and retrieval of such information material in library”, Internet, electronic resources, Current Awareness Services, (CAS) “is referred to as dissemination of information that will keep users well informed and up to date in their field of interest as well as their related subjects and disciplines”, binding, training, referencing services, printing, photocopying, recreation, bibliotherapy “refers to the use of literature to help people cope with emotional problems, mental illness or change in their lives”, circulation, audiovisual, Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) “refers to tools and resources used to keep a user informed of new resources on specified topics”, digitization, mobile library, social media, makers spaces, virtual reality, data management, readers services, artificial intelligence chat, cloud computing technology and offline database provision.

Some of the core challenges of libraries in this 21st  century include innovation for effective services delivery that will meet with the users‟ needs. Ward (2015) noted that application  of  cloud  computing  technology  in  academic  library  has  brought  an inevitable change in face of libraries in terms of effective service delivery. This involves data storage, resource sharing and collaboration within the libraries. Cloud computing technology is an Information Technology (IT) based system and it is known to be the third revolution after Personal Computer (PC) and Internet in information technology (Dillon et al, 2010). One of the fundamental ways of enhancing library services in the 21st   century  is  via  cloud  computing  technology.  Sahu  (2015)  opined  that  cloud computing can transform the way systems are built and services are delivered, providing libraries with an opportunity to extend their impact. For decades, libraries have existed exclusively as physical spaces, but with the advent shift from manual to offline and online contents which implies that libraries have to take steps to better meet it community information needs, provide computer access, subscription to academic databases online and offline, trained assistants to help the users navigation in search for qualitative and well researched information. Thus, the importance of cloud computing service delivery cannot be over emphasized. Libraries should therefore make a move from the physical to virtual cloud  computing  works  on  a  principle  of  resource  sharing  and  infrastructure  for effective and efficient service delivery. Such include the provision of software as a service with the essential hardware resources used as a virtualized platform across numerous  number  of  host  computers,  connected  to  the  Internet  or  an  institution‟s internal network, Nie et al (2013) stressed that it has brought a great change in library and information service provision which was badly lacking in last decade so the cloud computing technology has gradually caught the attention of the library world. The United State of America, Department of Commerce‟s National Institute of Standards and Technology (2011). Defined cloud computing as a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction, with web 2.0 enabling services handling the hardware and software needed to support institution accounts ( Huth and Cebula, 2011).  It is the service to be used as privates or public for day-to-day tasks, which simply requires a web browser, a smart device, or any Internet enabled devices, and an access to a registered account.

Cloud computing provides new opportunities for innovation and offers unprecedented new levels of configurability for diverse groups of users of which the library is not left out. It also creates possibilities for services to be dynamically configured to the needs of each user with a single unification service, usually global-scaled architecture. Cloud computing delivers services incorporated in data storage, computation (processing power), and networking. That is, sharing of data storage, computing power, and network infrastructure by multiple user groups. Cloud services can be provided to the clientele at any time, regardless of distance and location, with the cost based only on the resources used. Users or subscribers only need to acquire from the providers the „amount of computing‟ required without needing to invest in the entire computing infrastructure (Kushida, et al., 2011).

Considering inadequate funding facing Nigerian university libraries, there is need for the library to embark on offline databases provision in the library for effective service delivery. In a case where subscription, local area network and wireless network bandwidth may be a challenge, offline database can serves as notable collection of electronic resources that is organized, stored, updated for easy access and retrieval. Usman et al, (2018), opined that Offline information content is recognized as prominent electronic databases  for searching the latest  literature conveniently without internet connectivity.  To  address  the  ever  increasing  demands  of  current  and  relevant information  by 21st  Century library clientele,  academic  and  research  libraries  must embark on the provision of large number of offline databases to suit the interest of new technology library users. Searching information in an offline database is easier, faster, less time consuming, user friendly and above all enable access to information which otherwise would not have been available because of geographical or financial restrictions. The offline database include CD-ROM, CD, DVD, HARD DISC, Computer Server, E-Granary, TEEL, and VHS tapes. They are used to store information share the information, content through intranet connectivity and retrieve the needed information any time within twenty four hours round the clock 24/7.

Offline database is conceived as electronic platform that is searchable without internet connectivity,  they  provide  effective  service  to  the  user  community,  such  offline database  contain  electronic  resources  (e-resources)  that  comprises  of  e-books,  e- journals, e-articles, e-theses and dissertation, e-conference paper and lecture notes. Offline databases contain the collections of electronic information resources by publishers from various fields and disciplines which can be accessed offline (Kwadzo, 2015). Such as e-books and e-journal that can be access with or without network. The databases  collection  are categorized into textual, numerical, bibliographic and non- bibliographic, offline (Hendeson, 2010). The information resources found in offline database can be inform of text, number, character, diagram or picture.

The need for cloud computing and offline database emerged due to the information explosion problems in accessing the information, saving the time of the users and staff, resource sharing problems in the library. According to Mavodza (2013), libraries are using cloud computing technology for putting together library resources, that is, by using Software as a Service (SaaS) in library catalogues, WorldCat, Googledocs, and the aggregated subject gateways, the web platform as a service (PaaS) as in the use of google appengine, or infrastructure as a service (IaaS) as in the use of D-space, green stone and FEDORA. The cloud is confirmed as a facilitator in storing, accessing and retrieval of information. While offline database is recognized as prominent electronic databases for searching the electronic collection conveniently without internet connectivity (Usman,  2018).  In  addition  to  providing a unified  web  presence with reduced local storage capacity challenges. The storage-as-a-service: (also known as disk space on demand), is the ability to leverage storage that physically exists at a remote site but is logically a local storage resource to any application that requires storage (Ganore, 2013), the database-as-a-service: (DaaS) provides the ability to leverage the services of a remotely hosted database, sharing it with other users and having it logically function as if the database were local. Different models are offered by different providers, but the power is to leverage database technology that would typically cost thousands of dollars in hardware and software licenses (Ganore, 2013).The software as a service (SaaS) offers finished applications that end users can access through a thin client (typically, but not necessarily, a web browser).

The applications are released for use, consumers do not have control over the service which employs a multi-tenancy system architecture, applications are organized into a single logical environment on the software as a service (SaaS) to achieve economies of scale and optimization in terms of speed, security, availability, disaster recovery, and maintenance (Dillon, et al, 2010).

Some of known providers include Gmail, and Google Docs. Other examples of SaaS include Google Apps, Microsoft Office and also platform as a Service (PaaS) which offers an operating system as well as suites of programming languages and software development tools that customers can use to develop their own applications, PaaS offers a development platform that hosts both completed and in-progress applications (Dillon, et al, 2010). The major prominent providers of platform as a service (PaaS include: Amazon Elastic Beanstalk, Cloud Foundry, Force.com, Google App Engine, Windows Azure Compute and Orange Scape. The infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) offers end users direct access to processing, storage and other computing resources and allows them to configure those resources and run operating systems and software on them as they fit to serve as either online database or offline database.

Historically from the beginning, computer technology and networking have brought an abundance of new technology invention to libraries, and have made a significant impact on education, training, and human resources management (Enis, 2015). Academic libraries‟ associate  with  cloud  computing  can  be  seen  as  the  nascent  relationship between the hosted services with commercial library vendors, those vendors started to make resources available, over the web (cloud) in the 1990‟s, those services included full text library databases mostly comprised of books, articles and journal e-resource materials.

Following the current trend, technology have changed services to cloud based ones, whereby libraries  subscribe  to  the  cloud  databases,  however,  this  is  starting  to  be expanded into library catalogues, discovery tools, and multimedia (Preedip and Krishnamurthy, 2013). The discovery tools such as ExLibris‟s Primo can be purchased either as a cloud service or locally hosted, the main advantage of the cloud version is the cost saving in terms of computer hardware. The cloud version comes in two varieties, first one is just hosted and the client does maintenance, customization, and install the software updates, the other option is fully maintained and updated by ExLibris but is a lot less customizable (http://www.exlibris.com). Online Computer Library Centre (OCLC) has brought out a multi-tenant Library System called World Share which is cloud based. This brings together a few of the already successful tools for libraries such as World Share Interlibrary Loan and wrapped them into a unified environment based around the features of a traditional library system such as cataloguing, acquisitions, and Online  Public  Access  Catalogue,  (Bowers  and  Polak,  2014).  See  appendix  A,  for Sample Library System Vendors with Cloud Services.

The provision of robust wireless networks in academic libraries has been essential to help provide cloud based tools such as Google Docs, Dropbox, as well as access to library services that are cloud based, (Lagarde and Johnson, 2014). There is need for current library services to be system friendly for users of library tools such as the offline database provision. Offline database were in existence in libraries for a very long period of time, computerized database started early 1960s, in CD-ROM format, since then there has been a tremendous growth in the number and scope of databases, Worldwide, there  are  no  accurate  statistics  for  the  total  number  of  databases  in  existence (Muhammad and Binta, 2017).   Electronic databases are valuable tools for study, learning and research for economic development. It provide many advantages  over traditional  print-based  resources,  they contain  current  information  because they are updated frequently, they offer advanced search capabilities, they offer flexibility in the storage of the results, and they enable access to information without the restrictions of time.

With growth in technology, libraries are using cloud computing technology and offline databases for enhancing library services by adding more values, attracting the clienteles, the new concept of cloud and libraries has generated a new model called cloud libraries (Abidi and Abidi, 2012). Though the usages of cloud computing and offline databases may vary with the library‟s nature, but most common usages are for the effective library service delivery.

1.2       Statement of the Research Problem

The   advent   of   Information   and   Communication   Technology   has   significantly transformed the nature of service delivery in various sectors including the library systems. With the modern technology, many information resources are now published, acquired, processed, organised, accessed and disseminated electronically thus, the need for cloud computing application (Comfort, 2018). Also, the interest and preference of modern library users for electronic information resources over the printed materials is a challenge to university libraries toward providing the right information in a right format to the right user at the right time using internet connectivity.

In addition the provision of offline databases which do not require Internet connectivity has been adopted by many university libraries in order to achieve effective service delivery. Most electronic sections of the university libraries provide offline databases which  provided  opportunity  to  the  clientele  to  access  and  retrieve  the  needed information at ease thereby enhancing the service delivery of such library.

However, it has been observed that many university libraries in Nigeria have not been able  to  provide  effective  services  due  to  underfunding  which  has  been  adversely affecting the maintenance or sustainability of cloud computing application. With this development, many university libraries have not been able to subscribe to current and relevant information resources and the hosting of the cloud computing. Similarly, the offline databases provision which should be supplementing the cloud computing application is also affected by lack of updating the available resource due to poor finance.

In view of the foregoing, it is certain that effective service delivery in the university libraries will be difficult to provide in a situation where the application of cloud computing and offline databases provision cannot be adequately sustained. Therefore, this study investigated cloud computing application and offline database provision as correlates of effective service delivery in university libraries in North-West, Nigeria.

1.3             Aim and Objectives of the Study

This   research   investigated  cloud   computing   technology  application   and   offline databases provision as correlates of effective service delivery in federal university libraries in North West, Nigeria. Specifically the study was designed to:

1.   identify  the  ICT  infrastructure  facilities  available  in  federal  university libraries in North West, Nigeria for effective service delivery,

2.   determine the cloud computing technology service use in federal university libraries in North West, Nigeria, for effective service delivery

3.   identify the types of offline databases provided by the federal university libraries in North West, Nigeria, for effective service delivery

4.   find  out  the  type  of  electronic  information  resources  found  on  cloud computing technology and offline database provided in federal university libraries in North West, Nigeria, for effective service delivery

5.   identify  the  factors  affecting  cloud  computing  application  in  federal university libraries in North West, Nigeria, for effective service delivery

6.   identify the challenges facing offline databases provision for effective library service delivery in federal university in North West, Nigeria for effective service delivery.

1.4       Research Questions

This study answer the following questions:

1. What are the available ICT infrastructure/facilities in federal university libraries in North West, Nigeria for effective service delivery?

2.   What are the cloud computing technology service use for effective service delivery in federal university libraries in North West, Nigeria for effective service delivery?

3.   What type of offline database provided by the federal university libraries in

North West, Nigeria for effective service delivery?

4.   What types of electronic information resources found on cloud computing technology and offline database provided by the federal university libraries in North West, Nigeria for effective service delivery?

5.   What are the factors  affecting cloud  computing application for effective service delivery in federal university libraries in North West, Nigeria for effective service delivery?

6.   What  are  the  challenges  facing  offline  databases  provision  for  effective service delivery in federal university libraries in North West, Nigeria for effective service delivery?

1.5             Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were formulated and subjected to statistical test at 0.05 level of significance:

HO1:     There is no significant relationship between the cloud computing technology service and effective library service delivery in federal university libraries in North West, Nigeria.

HO2:     There is no significant relationship between offline database provided and effective library service delivery in federal university libraries in North West, Nigeria.

HO3:    There is no significant influence on effective library service delivery in federal university library in North West, Nigeria.

HO4:   There is no significant difference between application of cloud computing and offline databases provision for effective service delivery in federal university libraries in North West Nigeria.

1.6      Significance of the Study

The finding of this study will be of benefit to the Federal government of Nigeria, States government, University management, library management, researchers, writers, postgraduate and undergraduate students. As it provide concrete knowledge on the application of cloud computing technology and offline databases provision in federal university libraries. Showing to them the level at which the federal university libraries are using cloud computing and offline databases for effective service delivery, which will encourage government to venture or sustain the provision of cloud computing and offline  database  resources  and  services  to  the  university  libraries  in  Nigeria.  The outcome of the study will  also  provide information  to the government  and  library management in a way that it will reveal to them, the benefit and effectiveness of the service provided by using cloud computing technology and offline database, in meeting the  information  needs  of  the  users,  and  consequently  encouraging  them  towards working out necessary method to improve the functionality of cloud computing technology and offline databases provision in the library management system.

The research will also help to reveal the extent to which cloud computing technology and offline databases provision is to be applied in federal university libraries in Nigeria as it will highlight the stage of application of cloud computing technology and offline database provision in the federal university library in North West, Nigeria. The finding will lead to a better library services for the fulfilment of the objectives and goals in providing easy access to information and utilization. The finding of this study will be useful to academics and management of academic institutions in their research. The finding will also serve as important tool for knowledge improvement and contribution to knowledge on application of cloud computing technology and offline database provision. The study will help in bridging the gap where such services have been provided but are not effective by enabling the provisions of the necessary policies so as to improve the functionality of the system. The finding of this study can be used as reference by the government, researchers, and writers and thus contribute significantly to the literature of library and information technology/library and information science as it highlight the level of cloud computing application and offline database provision in three selected federal university in north west Nigeria studied.

1.7       Scope of the study

This research work, focused on application of cloud computing technology and offline databases provision in relation to effective library service delivery. The study also cover e-librarians and library ICT staff in federal university libraries in North-West, Nigeria, including:  Kashim  Ibrahim  Library  Ahmadu  Bello  University  Zaria  Kaduna  State, Bayero University Kano library Kano State and Abdullahi Fodiyo Library Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto Sokoto State in North west of Nigeria.

1.8       Operational Definition of Terms

The following terms have been defined according to their usage in this study.

Academic  libraries:  Libraries  operated  in  polytechnics,  mono-technics,  college  of educations and universities in Nigeria.

Cloud computing: Integrated networks of computing that offers cloud based networking environment, for processing, storage of shared networks, and other fundamental computing resources.

Effective service: physical attractiveness, relevance of available resources, adequacy, accuracy, timeliness, remote access and friendliness of the available electronic resources, hours of operation, reliability, responsiveness, assurances and ease of accessing library electronic resources used by the federal university libraries in North-West, Nigeria

Offline database: Collection of electronic resources that are organised, stored, updated, for easy accessed and retrieval, without internet connectivity

Services: Cloud, offline database subscription, provision of electronic resources, bibliographic  searching,  OPAC,  e-library,  digitization,  maker  space  and reference activities rendered by the library for effective service delivery.

Staff: Personnel, people or librarians working in federal universities library in North- West, Nigeria.

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