Digital and Reading Skills as Motivators of Digital Reading among Library and Information Science Undergraduates in Kwara State, Nigeria

Abstract

The advent of digital technologies has transformed reading activities and processes, requiring the availability of digital facilities and reading abilities. Unraveling how Library and Information Science (LIS) undergraduates read in the digital-driven world makes this study investigated how digital and reading skills motivate digital reading among LIS undergraduates in Kwara State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was adopted, targeting the entire population of 520 final‑year LIS students across three universities. Using a total enumeration sampling technique, 520 questionnaires were distributed, of which 387 were duly completed, yielding a 73.53% response rate. The data collection instrument, a researcher-developed questionnaire, was validated by two experts and demonstrated acceptable reliability (α = 0.793). Data were analysed using frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. Findings revealed that students predominantly read academically oriented digital resources. The most frequently used resources were digital books, digital journals, digital theses/dissertations, academic databases and OERs. Digital skills were generally high in e-book navigation, digital literacy, and digital research, but moderate in digital reading comprehension, resource evaluation, and text annotation. Reading skills showed strong proficiency in vocabulary recognition and comprehension, moderate ability in fluency/speed and summarisation, and weaker performance in interpretation and inference. Smartphones were the most used digital reading tool. Major challenges included slow Internet connectivity, high data costs, poor electricity supply, gadget costs and eye fatigue. The study concludes that while students possess strong foundational digital and reading skills, significant infrastructural and higher-order skill gaps hinder optimal digital reading engagement.