The study investigated university libraries support initiatives for e-learning, technologies involved in e-learning, problems of e-learning, and the strategies to be adopted to enhance e-learning. The design of the study was descriptive survey design. The area of the study covered the north central zone of Nigeria, three universities libraries were selected from the zone to represent other university libraries. The population of the study comprises of one hundred and twenty librarians and para professional librarians from the three selected university libraries. The instruments used for data collection, were questionnaires, checklist and interviews. The questionnaire was titled “University Libraries Support Initiative Questionnaires (ULSIEQ),” which contained six (6) sections, with a total of one hundred and ten (110) items. The questionnaires were administered to the respondents directly. The data collected was analyzed using percentages, frequencies, mean scores and standard deviations. The findings of the study indicate that most of the electronic resources and services required for the development of e-learning exist in university libraries, that the level of information literacy skills of library staff was satisfactory. That online catalogues, abstracts, indexes, institutional repositories, CD-ROMs, library databases, open access initiatives etc, are the university library support initiatives for e-learning. The study also revealed that the problems militating against e-learning includes: low internet bandwidth, high cost of electronic resources, poor or erratic power supply, etc The recommendations raised to solve this problem include: Government should subsidize the prices of electronic devices, provision of steady power supply, improvement of internet service provision, etc.

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the Study

Towards the end of the 21st century, library automation and the internet has revolutionalized access to information resources and library services around the world. The university libraries which are libraries found on the campus of university institutions to support the process of teaching, learning and research taking place in the institution, are able to take advantage of this development in information and communication technology (ICTs) to facilitate the processes of teaching, learning and researching. (ICTs) is the application of computers and other electronic technologies for the purpose of ordering, acquisition, organization, storage, retrieval, and dissemination of information. New methods of accessing information have emerged as a result of the internet and the World Wide Web. Library users are now able to access current and up-to-date international literatures as soon as they are published on the internet. This had been possible most especially in academic libraries, particularly the university libraries. Libraries in this institutions can now provide information access to off-campus students where ever they are located, even to sites hundreds and thousands of miles away. Services in university libraries had evolved from the days of closed stacks, through shelf browsing, card catalogues, punch cards and OPACS, to the concepts of; open access, institutional repositories, online catalogues, abstracting and indexing, electronic reference services etc. This historical migration has brought an increase satisfaction on the changing needs of library users, including ease of access to electronic and digital information resources. This development has posed a new challenge for university libraries, to initiate means by which they will make library resources and services available online to assist electronic and distant users.
The phrase library support initiatives (LSI), means any innovation undertaken by university libraries, to provide e-resources and services available in university libraries, to support the process of teaching, learning and research, taking place in the institution, either electronically or digitally. Modern university libraries are hybrids, which provide both traditional and electronic access to library resources for users. The electronic resources provided by university libraries includes; e-books, e-journals, online catalogues, CD-Rom, open access, institutional repositories, subscription to online databases such as: HINARI, OARE, AGORA, EBSCOHOST, DATAD etc. Similarly the university libraries also digitized information resources found in the libraries and make them available online for users. University libraries have migrated from the use of manual library tools to the use of electronic devices such as; desktop / laptop computers, fax machines, reprographic machines, scanners, photocopiers, surveillance camera, flash drives, servers, and printers etc, to provide library and information services, to cater for the varying interest of their users. Gone were the days when the university libraries merely provide manual access to information resources, this practice was characterized by; time wasting, travel to common sites to access library resources, mutilation of library materials, theft, etc. Nowadays, there is an increase demand for university libraries to provide electronic and digital access to information resources and services.
E-learning is a generic term used to describe all electronically supported process of teaching, learning and research. It is the use of electronic resources to facilitate the process of teaching learning and research in the digital environment, e-learning is synonymous with computer based instruction, web based learning, multimedia learning, computer aided instruction etc. E-learning requires the use of both computer hardware and software’s with good internet connectivity. However, these resources and services are not adequately provided in many university institutions, due to varying factors. The national universities commission (NUC), of Nigeria required that university libraries wishing to involve in electronic or digital service provision should provide a minimum of one to ratio twenty-five (1:25) computers for library users. In addition, university libraries are required to have steady sources of power supply with good internet connectivity. Moreover, Staff of university libraries now posses sound knowledge of information literacy skills, which enable them generate e-resources and services on the internet, and guide users to locate, access and retrieve relevant information resources online.
The use of modern information and communication technology in the provision of library services to a wider range of users, have posed new challenges to university libraries. University libraries are mow faced with the daunting task of helping users to access different types of information resources and library services, existing digitally online from any part of the world. In other to cope with these challenges, university libraries have been providing constant training and retraining to the staff to enable them remain relevant in this era of electronic and digital resource sharing.
Reports by various researchers indicated that there are inadequate electronic resources in many university libraries in Nigeria. Generally, many university libraries have limited number of computer hardwares, erratic power supply and poor internet connectivity etc. Library staffs are equally deficient in the knowledge of information literacy skills etc. which led to poor development of e-learning in most university institutions. This scenario requires an investigation into the problem in other to find solution that will facilitate e-learning in university libraries.
The study covered the north central zone of Nigeria, three university libraries from the zone were selected, these included the libraries of; university of Jos, university of Agriculture Makurdi and Nasarawa state university libraries.
The university of Jos library was established in 1972 as a branch library of the university of Ibadan campus in Jos Gangare. The library became a university library in 1975 when the institution was given autonomy to operate as a degree awarding institution. The library has four branches found in the various campus of the institution; these are the main campus library, permanent site campus library, the law library and the medical library at Lamingo JUTH. The library has a sum of one hundred and seventy-two thousand collections with a total of fifty-two professional and paraprofessional staff. The university of Jos library was selected in the year 2002 by the Carnegie and MaCauthur foundations to operate a pilot project in online public access catalogue (OPACs), which was completed and launched in November 2010. The libraries have automated and even digitized some of its information resources. The library has twenty-two thousand library users, according to library statistics across the four branches of the university library. The websites of the university library is (http://www.unijos.ng/lib/index/htm).
Similarly, the library of university of agriculture Makurdi came into existence in the year 1988. The library was established alongside with the institution, by the proclamation of military decree of 1988 which created special universities of agriculture in Nigeria. The library has a sum of sixty eight thousand three hundred and forty seven collections. It has both printed and non-printed information resources, mostly biased towards agricultural science and agric engineering, which is in line with the mandate of the university. The library has a total of forty-five professional and paraprofessional staff, working in the various branches of the university library, with a population of seven thousand users. The library have automated and it is currently digitizing some of its resources. The library website is (http:/www.uniagricmaurdi.ng/lib/index/htm).
While the Nasarawa state university library was established in the 2002, alongside with the institution by the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State. The library is located in Keffi, it has a total of there are both professional and paraprofessional staff, with a sum of one hundred and thirty-eight thousand, six hundred and ninety-four (138,694) collections, as revealed by the library statistical records. The library has large volume of both printed and non-printed sources of information resources. Currently the library has automated some of its resources and has equally digitized some of its services. The Nasarawa state university library has a total of twenty-two thousand users, due to its strategic location near the federal capital territory Abuja, which made it to attract many users. The library is the fastest growing library among the libraries of state university institutions from the zone. The website of the university library is (http:/www.uninasslib/ng.com).
The learning theory used for this study was postulated by an Indian philosopher and reported by (Rahma, 1994). The theory stated that books are for use, every reader his book, every book its reader, save the time of the user and the library is a growing organism. This theory was considered relevant for this study, because electronic resources are equivalent of books which are meant to satisfy the information needs of the library users.

1.2       Statement of Problems
Observation by the researcher indicated that there are inadequate provision of e-resources and services in many university libraries in Nigeria. Presently, university libraries are increasing being challenged by users, to provide e-resources and services that will enhance e-learning in the institution. Moreover, the basic minimum standard required by the Nigerian national university commissions (NUC) in terms of provision of one to ratio twenty-five computer (1:25), for use per every cluster of twenty-five students in many university libraries is not met. Many university libraries in Nigeria are suffering from; poor subscriptions to online database, dearth of quality e-learning content, erratic power supply, poor internet connectivity and low level of information literacy skills possess by library staff etc, which are required to migrate and provide access to library resources online. This scenario if not investigated with a view of finding solution to the problem can lead to poor development of e-learning, poor web visibility of many Nigerian university libraries from the north central zone of the country, low web metric ranking of Nigerian university institutions, raising fall in the standard of education, and poor development of teaching, learning and research activities.
The study was intended to fill the gaps in literature on the state of university libraries support initiative for e-learning, gaps in available of e-resources and services, gaps in online knowledge generation, gaps in level of information literacy skills posses by library staff etc. The study shall add to existing literature, by identifying ways in which university libraries can support e-learning, identify the challenges of e-learning and give useful recommendations and strategies to be adopted in other find solution to the identified challenges.

1.3       Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of this study was to identify the following:
i.    Identify electronic resources available in university libraries.
ii.   Identify the level of information literacy skills posses by library staff.
iii.  Identify the university library support initiatives for e-learning.
iv.  Establish the extent by which university (LSI) enhances e-learning.
v.   Identify the factors hindering the successful implementation of e-learning.
vi.  Identify the strategies to be adopted to enhance e-learning.

1.4       Research Questions
The following research questions were raised to guide the study.
i.    What are the electronic resources available in university libraries which will enhance e-learning?
ii.   What is the level of information literacy skills posses by university library staff?
iii.  What are the university libraries support initiatives for e-learning?
iv.  To what extent does the university (LSI) enhances e-learning?
v.   What are the factors that hinder the success of e-learning?
vi.  What are the strategies which shall be adopted to enhance the success of e-learning?

1.5       Significance of the Study
The study when completed shall be useful to the following: library users, library staff, library administrators, university management, researchers, other libraries, institutions and organizations etc.
Library users shall enjoy increase provision of electronic resources and services from university libraries, which they may find it very useful to complement their teaching, learning and research activities; this shall reduce the cost of travel expenses and time wasting associated with the manual process of accessing library resources and services. Users can easily access library resources remotely from any geographical location, once they are connected to the internet through any electronic device. Library staff shall enjoy increase training and re-training to enable them to become more capable and efficient in providing electronic services for the library users, they shall be exposed to new innovations and strategies of enhancing e-leaning. Similarly, university library administrators shall use electronic resources and services provided to address some of the challenges facing Nigerian university libraries, as library resources and services are provided electronically, problems associated with inadequate provision of library resources in terms of quantity of those resources can be addressed, as a single electronic learning resource available in digital format can be remotely accessed by many users simultaneously at the same time which is not possible using printed resources. The study shall also solve the problems of space congestion and over utilization of library resources, as many users may prefer to access library resources remotely from any geographical location of their choice, this shall equally reduce the cost of purchasing or repairing damaged library facilities and infrastructures e.t.c. University administrators shall benefit from an enhanced web visibility of the university library resources and services, this will promote the citation impact of the institution and enhance its web metric ranking. Researchers may enjoy increase citation of their publication both within and outside the university campuses, which will promote the usage of their scholarly research findings. Other libraries and organizations can easily access the databases of Nigerian university libraries to enrich their own resources and enhance their services.

1.6       Scope of the Study
The scope of this study covered university libraries in the north central zone of Nigeria. Three university libraries from the zone were selected to represent other university libraries. These are the libraries of university of Jos, University of Agriculture Makurdi and Nasarawa State University. The university of Jos library was representing libraries of conventional universities. The library of university of Agriculture Makurdi was representing specialized university libraries. While the library of the Nasarawa state university was representing the libraries of state universities.