Abstract:
Libraries are sources of information and knowledge; improving utilization of libraries gives
academic institutions to influence learning, research, and teaching. This study assesses the
factors that affect the utilization of library and information services in higher public learning
institutions. More specifically, the study was meant: to determine the level of awareness and
availability of users on the library resources and information service utilization, to assess the
effects of users library/information literacy skill and information communication technologies on
the use of resource and services and to identify factors that affect library service and resources
utilization to achieve quality education. The study employed survey design undertake this study
with 384 respondents taken as sample size; the respondents were drawn from Haramaya and
Diredawa universities, which consist of undergraduate graduating class, postgraduate students
and librarian. The simple random and purposive sampling the technique was used to select
study samples and study areas respectively.The data collections tools used were questioners,
interview and observation while data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential
statistics.The results of the study states that library resources and information service were not
well used by users, and majority of the respondents used the resources rarely which show that
utilization of library resources by users was very low. Also, it was found by the study that, most
common problems facing users when using library resources were lack of information literacy
skill, difficulty to use ICT facilities, lack of awareness of the available resource and service and
insufficient of the resources were major problems. The correlation between awareness and
service quality was 0.416, availability and service quality was 0.355 and awareness and
availability 0.281 at DDU whereas at HU on the same variable obtained 0.716, 0.475 and 0.838.
This shows awareness of users and availability of resource had low contribution to service
quality utilization at DDUrelative toHU and the dependent variable accounted by the
independent variable with 22.6% at HU whereas at DDU 53.9%.Thus it is recommended the
concerned stockholder should use the results of this study to overcome some challenges raised.
This could be done by providing enough awareness of the available resource, providing
information literacy the program, give training about ICT facilities in universities and make
stable the environmental factor in order to ensure optimal use of library resource and service.
