Predictors of Students’ Use of School Library in Private Secondary Schools in Afijio Local Government Area, Oyo State

Abstract

This study explored the predictors of the use of library by private secondary school students in Afijio Local Government Area, Oyo State, focusing on purposes of library use, information needs, and library anxiety.  A survey design was employed, selecting 11 private secondary schools in Afijio Local Government Area, Oyo State, with a total of 520 SS2 students through purposive sampling. The Probability Proportionate to Size (PPS) was applied to select 224 participants, representing 43% of the population. The study used questionnaire for data collection.  Data was analyzed using frequency counts, mean, standard deviation, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation and multiple regression at 0.05 level of significance.  The findings reveal that library usage among private secondary school students in Afijio Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria, was low, with most students using the library only once a week, primarily for academic purposes. Notably, library anxiety exhibited a significant negative relationship with library use, indicating that it serves as a key determinant of library utilisation. However, while information needs alone did not significantly related with library use, the combined effect of information needs and library anxiety played a role in determining students' usage of library resources.  Based on these findings, the study recommends that librarians create a supportive and student-friendly library environment, implement orientation and training programmes, improve resource availability and accessibility, and address library anxiety through awareness campaigns.