GASPRO International Journal of Eminent Scholars

ABSTRACT

This study was to examine library signage and students’ utilisation of information services in the University of California library. The study was conducted at the University of California library. An analytical survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study was 4220 registered undergraduate students in the faculty of education at the University of California library. The sample of the study was 422 registered undergraduate students in the faculty of education at the University of California library, made up of 260 females and 162 males. The researcher developed instruments entitled "Library Signage Questionnaire" (LSQ) and "Students' Utilization of Information Services Questionnaire" (SUISQ) that were used in collecting data for the study. The instrument was given to three research experts for face validation. Two assessors were from the Department of Education Foundations, Guidance, and Counselling and one from the Library Science Unit of the Department of Educational Technology and Library Science, all at the University of California. A trial testing of the instrument was carried out using 30 registered students who did not take part in the actual study. Thereafter, the internal consistency of the instrument was determined using Cronbach’s Alpha method. The reliability coefficient obtained was 0.86, and this was high enough to justify the use of the instrument. Regression analysis was used to answer the research questions, while the F-value of the Simple Linear Regression Analysis was used to test null hypotheses at a 0.05 alpha level. Conclusions were drawn from the study that regulatory signage and information guides foster independent and critical thinking. It solves wayfinding problems in an unfamiliar environment, and it helps library users use the appropriate data, tools, and facilities of the library, bringing about coordination in academic libraries and aiding students in wayfinding and effective retrieval of the needed information. Hence, library signage has great influence on students’ utilization of information services in the University of California library. One of the recommendations made was that librarians should ensure that signs contain clear and precise information and that instructional signs should conform to the arrangement of materials on the shelf units to avoid confusion and frustration in accessing information and other library services.