ACCESS AND UTILIZATION OF SERIALS COLLECTION AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE, UMARU MUSA YAR'ADUA UNIVERSITY KATSINA

This study investigated the awareness, access and utilization of serials collections among undergraduate students at Library and Information Science, Umaru Musa Yar'adua University Katsina. The study had three objectives: to determine the level of awareness of serials collections, to examine the extent of utilization, and to identify the challenges faced by students in accessing serials collections. The study adopted a survey research design, using a questionnaire to collect data from 196 undergraduate students. The findings revealed that the majority of students (62.2%) were aware of serials collections, but only 37.2% had used them. The most commonly used serials were journals (73.5%), followed by magazines (25.5%), and newspapers (14.8%). The study identified lack of awareness, limited access, and difficulty in finding relevant materials as the major challenges faced by students. The study concludes that while there is a significant level of awareness of serials collections among undergraduate students, the utilization is low. The study recommends that the library should increase awareness and promotion of serials collections, enhance online access, and provide training sessions to improve utilization.