Abstract:
Public Libraries are organizations established by governments to acquire, organize, store and disseminate information and knowledge to all people in the areas they are located. They are provided with book and non-book materials to meet information needs of the people. The purpose of the study was to determine the information needs of adult users of the public libraries located in Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States: South-East, Nigeria. The study was also aimed at finding out the extent to which the information needs were met, problems and to provide strategies for enhanced information delivery to the adults. Five research questions and two hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The descriptive survey design was used in carrying out the study. The population of the adult users was 8347, while that of the professional/para professional librarians was 76. Random sampling procedure was used to sample 835 adult users, while 76 professional/ para-profressional librarians were used because the figure was not enough to require sampling. A questionnaire was used in collecting the data. Frequencies, percentages, means scores, and standard deviations were used to analyze responses based on the research questions. Interview method was also used in collecting more relevant data for the thesis. Thus, fifteen randomly selected adult users of the public libraries in each of the States were interviewed. T-test method was used in testing the two hypotheses. Major findings of the study in relation to the characteristics of adult users showed that most of them were students, who were followed by civil servants and teachers. Areas of information needs of adult users of the public libraries were the following: current affairs, social activities, economic/business activities, subjects registered for ordinary level of education, creative works, health, computer skills, teaching/research data, political and administrative matters, cultural issues and subjects registered for higher education. Areas of information needs of the adult users not met were the following: computer skills, cultural issues, legal issues, religious activities, and subjects registered for higher education. All factors considered as problems to the public libraries, and the strategies for enhancing information delivery to meet adult needs were accepted as valid responses. It was recommended that the public libraries should be adequately provided with information communication technologies for them to be able to offer computer skills. They should also be provided with constant electricity, new books and journals on different subjects. The State and Local governments, including non-governmental organizations in the area should participate in funding the public libraries. Information needs of the people should be studied and the available services advertised in the media. While the accommodation should be expanded, staff should be motivated and retrained to acquire knowledge of computer operations and Internet services.
