Title: A Survey of Reading Culture and Library Orientation of Primary School Pupils in Public Primary Schools in Oju Lga, Benue State, Nigeria
Author(s): Ode, Moses Ijoko & Odeh, Alice Ogwo
Publication Year: 2023; Volume 18, Issue 2, pages 25-37

This study investigates to ascertain the reading culture and library orientation of public primary schools in Oju Local Government Area, Benue State. The objectives of the study are to determine the reading culture of primary school pupils, the materials that are available to them to read and the factors that hinder them from reading regularly and measures to improve reading culture of primary school pupils. The research design adopted was survey method. The population of the study consisted of public primary schools in Oju Local Government Area. There are thirty eight (38) public primary schools in Oju Local Government Area with a total population of twenty four thousand five hundred and fourteen pupils (24,514). Purposive sampling technique was used to select ten (10) primary schools. A purposive random sampling technique was used to select primary six (6) with a population of two hundred (200) pupils to respond to the researcher’s inquiries. 20 pupils from each sampled school were randomly selected as respondents. Instrument for data collection was questionnaire designed to cover items on reading culture of children, hours spent on reading, availability of reading materials and libraries, sources of reading materials, factors hindering children from reading and measures to improve reading culture of children. Two hundred (200) copies questionnaire were distributed and only one hundred and ninety (190) were returned. Data collected were analyzed using frequency tables, mean and percentages. The findings of the study reveals that there was poor reading culture among primary school pupils, reading materials and libraries were absent among others. It was recommended that government should establish functional libraries with enough reading materials. Reading programmes and activities should be integrated into their timetable among other things for the children to develop flair for reading among public primary schools in Oju Local Government Area