IMPACT OF FEE-BASED LIBRARY SERVICES ON SERVICE DELIVERY IN PRIVATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES IN EDE, OSUN STATE

Abstract

Libraries are under pressure to think out of the box by looking at the possibilities of fee based, cost recovery and profit potentials for their perpetual survival. Therefore, this study examined the impact of fee-based library services on services delivery using two private universities in Osun State, as a case study. Descriptive survey was adopted for the study. The population of the study consisted of the 42-library staff in the two private universities in Osun State while questionnaire was used for data collection. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that fee-based library services available in the two private universities library were computer typesetting, consultancy services, online searching, internet browsing and fines for overdue items. Also, Fee-based library services have meaningful impact on service delivery. Fee-based services were hindered by absence of quality services in the library, gross resistance to the concept of fee-based services, inadequate expertise and skills for marketing library products and services, negative user’s perceptions of fee-based services and user dissatisfaction. The concluded that, the need for the incorporation of the fee-based library services for service delivery in academic libraries is long overdue in view of the paucity of funds and low budgetary allocation to the libraries by the government and the parent institution and therefore recommended incorporation of an effective fee-based library services such as registration services, translation services, issuing non-book materials, indexing and abstracting, membership fees among others