Title: An Overview of Digital Library and Institutional Repositories: A Case Study of University of Calabar, Nigeria
Author(s): Joshua, Dauda; David Danladi & Daksiri Michael Yahra
Publication Year: 2023; Volume 18, Issue 2, pages 13-24

This paper examined the various institutional repositories being used in the 21st century. It tried to differentiate between subscribe databases and open access resources such as search engines, theses, dissertations and research papers. Being a case study research, emphasis has been indicated regarding primary sources of information to assist researchers and graduate students of the University of Calabar. Digital content of theses and dissertations occupy a critical space in research literature and are a primary source of research interest. This paper postulates major challenges facing theses and dissertations such as the traditional methods of preservation and dissemination and archiving. This ultimately poses serious challenges to library and information professionals who are saddled with the responsibility of preservation, and dissemination of recorded knowledge. Several electronic resources were available in the University of Calabar Library; postgraduate students were aware and utilized them. The use of electronic resources was slow compared to the investment made in electronic resources. It is hoped that the advent of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT’s) will give librarians and information managers the opportunity of preserving and disseminating theses and dissertations in electronic format through the Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) platform more efficiently. This is the crux of this exploratory scholarly paper.