Title: Indexing and Abstracting Practices for Effective Service Delivery in Academic Libraries in Rivers State, Nigeria
Author(s): Comfort N. Owate; Boma Torukwein David-West
Publication Year: 2021; Volume 16, Issue 4, pages 41-49

This study investigated indexing and abstracting practices for effective service delivery in academic libraries in Rivers State. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. The population consists of 49 information professionals in the three universities in Rivers State. University of Port Harcourt (20), Rivers State University (19) and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (11) respectively. A sample size of 49 information professionals in the three Universities representing 100% of the population served as respondents. Census sampling technique was used for the study. In doing this, all the information professionals that made up the population were used. . The mean scores and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while the z-test statistics was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The result amongst others revealed that, University of Port Harcourt library does not fully practice indexing and abstracting due to lack of ICT tools, lack of training and lack of technical expertise. Further findings revealed that Ignatius Ajuru University and Rivers State University practice indexing and abstracting for effective service delivery. It was recommended among others that information professionals should be trained on indexing and abstracting to acquire the necessary skills for effective service delivery to users.