PATRONAGE

This study assesses the library instructions and services innovation as tools for boosting patronage of library e-resources in academic library. Five research questions were raised to guide this study. The survey research design was adopted for this study; this is because the data was collected from a sample population with specific characteristics. The population of the study comprised 43,679 undergraduates from the University of Benin. Out of this population, 450 students were selected as the sample, representing those who completed and returned the questionnaire. The instrument used to collect data for the study was a 15-item self-structured questionnaire. The instrument for the data collection was personally administered by the researcher to the respondents. The findings of this study concluded that library instruction and innovative services play a significant role in enhancing students’ engagement with e-resources, but the impact is moderate. Students demonstrate awareness and willingness to use digital resources;
however, infrastructural and technical challenges limit full utilization. The study recommends that academic libraries should organize more frequent and structured library instruction sessions to improve students’ ability to locate, access, and use e-resources effectively. The study also recommends that universities should improve infrastructural and technical support, including reliable internet connectivity, sufficient computer access, and user assistance services.