Gender Differences in Use of Electronic Resources in University Libraries of Adamawa State, Nigeria‪.‬

Introduction Gender differences are being discussed in academia, economy, politics, science and technology, and even religious circles. According to McGinty and Moore (2008), gender issues have been in the forefront of impassioned public discussion regarding higher education. Similarly, according to Waldman (2003), gender is a relevant factor in use of electronic databases. A study by Sacks, Bellissimo, and Mergendoller (1994) of higher school students found that their attitudes to computer and use tended to vary by gender. Utulu (2006) observes that the issue of the gender gap in the digital divide and the impact of new technologies on gender in particular on the economic and political spheres of women lives are of major importance. This is because gender influences factors such as income, time constraints, literacy, education, language, and cultural context that affect access to facilities, training, and employment in information Technology. In order to facilitate access to information by all users within the university, Federal Ministry of Education in Nigeria (2000) introduced the virtual library project, which pulled together resources electronically, connecting all academic libraries in Nigeria with the hub at National University Commission. Consequently, university libraries in Adamawa state were not left behind in their efforts in providing electronic resources to their users. A survey by Bassi (2010) on attitudes of students towards use of e-resources shows that students form the major users of these libraries and they are heterogeneous in nature. This posed a point of concern to the researchers to investigate gender difference in attitudes among students in these libraries towards the use of electronic resources. This is important because electronic information resources open opportunities for both male and female students for their information needs in the pursuit of their educational career and future endeavors.