Students’ skills, system accessibility, operability and use of Koha-based online public access catalogue in federal university libraries in South-East, Nigeria

The study examined the influence of students’ skills, system accessibility, and operability on the use of Koha-based online public access catalogue (OPAC) in federal university libraries in South-East, Nigeria. The study was guided by three research questions. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population consisted of 122,682 student users of the five federal university libraries in South-East, Nigeria, while a sample size of 388 students was selected using Taro Yamane’s formula and proportionate sampling technique. Data were collected using a researcher-developed instrument entitled “Students’ Skills, Accessibility and Operability Questionnaire (SSAOQ).” The instrument was validated by experts in library and information science and measurement and evaluation, while the reliability test using Cronbach’s alpha yielded a coefficient of 0.85. Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation with the aid of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0. The findings revealed that students’ skills had influence on the use of Koha-based OPAC, although some students lacked adequate competencies in searching and navigating OPAC features. The study also found that accessibility of Koha-based OPAC significantly influences its use; students experienced limited access to some OPAC functionalities, including advanced search options, reservation services, and other interactive features. Furthermore, the findings revealed that the operability of Koha-based OPAC had significant influence on its utilization among students, particularly due to its user-friendly nature, adaptability, ease of data management, and support features. The research concluded that Koha-based OPAC has the potential to enhance students’ access to library resources when supported by adequate user skills, improved accessibility, and continuous technical maintenance. It was recommended regular user education programmes, improved accessibility to OPAC services, and sustained technical support for Koha management software in university libraries.