Library Herald Year : 2016, Volume : 54, Issue : 2 First page : ( 131) Last page : ( 142) Print ISSN : 0024-2292. Online ISSN : 0976-2469. Article DOI : 10.5958/0976-2469.2016.00010.5
Busayo Isaac Oluwadare1, Elaturoti David Folorunso2
1Principal Librarian, FUOYE Library, Federal University, OyeEkiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria, E-mails: Isaac.busayo@fuoye.edu.ng, iobusayo@yahoo.com
2Centre for Educational Media Resource Studies, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, E-mail: davidelaturoti@yahoo.com
Abstract
This study takes a cursory look at prison inmates’ utilisation of library media resources in preparation for Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination in Nigeria from 2009 to 2013. Three of the prisons that prepare and register inmates for these Examinations were randomly selected for the study. These are Abakaliki prisons in the South-East, Ikoyi prisons in South-West and Kuje prisons in North-Central Nigeria. A total of five hundred questionnaires were administered on the inmates registered for SSSCE in the various prisons sampled, namely: Abakaliki 160 inmates with a response rate of 142, Ikoyi 240 inmates with a response rate of 209 and Kuje 100 inmates with a response rate of 87. However, 438 questionnaires were duly completed and returned, and found useable for the study, representing a response rate of 87.6%. The study revealed that 353 inmates(80.6%) utilise photocopying services, 322 inmates(73.5%) utilise journals, 311 inmates(71.0%) utilise Book loan services, 237 inmates (54.1%) utilise past examination questions, 211 inmates(50.5%) utilise West African Examinations Council curricula and syllabi, while 320 inmates(73.1%) claimed that staff attitude was not a hindrance to their utilisation of the library resources. Also, 79.0% claimed that weekend opening was not a challenge to their utilisation of library media resources, 83.6% do not see non-book loan as a challenge and 90.4% equally do not see library opening hours as a hindrance. However, 268 inmates (61.2%) claimed that they do not utilise the general reading materials and 312 inmates(71.2%) do not utilise the prescribed (recommended) textbooks. Recommendations were made accordingly as deduced from the findings.