FEE-BASED SERVICES AS A CATALYST FOR ENHANCED SERVICE DELIVERY IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Abstract

The study examined fee-based services as a catalyst for enhanced service delivery in Nigerian
university libraries through the lens of the Resource-Based View (RBV) theory. The survey design
was descriptive, and the study population comprises all the librarians working in university
libraries in Nigeria. The census sampling technique was adopted, and an online questionnaire was
used to collect data. The online questionnaire was administered to the librarians, and 202
completed it, and with that, the analysis was made. Findings revealed that Nigerian university
libraries offer a range of fee-based services, including binding, photocopying, and user
registration, while other more specific services, such as data analysis and laptop lending, are less
offered. Fee-based services have a positive influence on the quality and the efficiency of the
delivery of library service, and the number of fee-based services provided will influence the
perceived quality of library service delivery in Nigerian university libraries to a very high extent.
However, obstacles, such as funding constraints and logistical challenges, price policy uncertainty,
accountability and remittance, poor planning, low user awareness, and lack of staff training, impact
the effective execution of fee-based services in Nigerian university libraries. The hypothesis test
revealed a very strong and significant relationship between the number of fee-based services
provided and the quality of library service delivery in Nigerian university libraries. The authors
recommended that university libraries in Nigeria should diversify into providing specialized feebased services, such as data analysis and lending of laptops, with investment in staff training and
the provision of ICT infrastructure. Transparency and user confidence will increase as a result of
clear policies and pricing structures.