Abstract
Electronic resources Utilisation (URU) offer cadets convenient and cost-effective access to information through military and paramilitary libraries; however, their utilization remains low. While prior studies show that information literacy skills (ILS) enhance electronic resource use in academic settings, limited empirical evidence exists for cadets in military and paramilitary institutions, particularly in North-West Nigeria. A survey research design was adopted, using proportionate stratified sampling to select 364 respondents from a population of 4,027 cadets. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire with reliability coefficients ranging from 0.91 to 0.96, and a 99.18% response rate was achieved. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics at a 5% significance level. Findings revealed that information literacy skills significantly influenced electronic resource utilization (Adj. R² = 0.24, F(1, 360) = 115.57, p < 0.05). For ILS components: identify (β = 0.52, t(356) = 2.41, p < 0.05), locate (β = 0.55, t(356) = 2.61, p < 0.05), access (β = 0.78, t(356) = 3.55, p < 0.05) and evaluate (β = 0.41, t(356) = 3.48, p < 0.05) had positive significant influence on ERU of cadets. However, the use of ILS (β = -0.40, t(356) = -2.83, p > 0.05) had negative significant influence on ERU of cadets in military and para-military libraries in North-West, Nigeria. The study concludes that strengthening information literacy skills is critical to improving electronic resource utilization among cadets. It recommends targeted training programmes and structured skill development initiatives to enhance effective access and use of digital library resources.
Keywords: Electronic resources utilization, Information literacy skills, Military and Para-military libraries.
Publication Date: 2026-05-03