Abstract
Academic libraries have put significant money into digital reference resources and electronic databases. Yet in Nigerian universities the returns remain uneven. Postgraduate students in Benue State use electronic theses, e-books and e-journals at high rates, but specialised databases such as AGORA and JSTOR stay below the accepted mark. At the Federal University of Technology, Minna, basic electronic reference tools; encyclopaedias, dictionaries, handbooks and directories, are missing entirely. Digital reference services are limited to email and text chat. This paper looks at the gap through three linked ideas: library public relations, user education and digital resource utilisation. Public relations work best when it sits inside teaching rather than standing alone as publicity. Orientation sessions, research clinics and database workshops let librarians show their skills, ease library anxiety and appear as research partners instead of book keepers. Web 2.0 tools and fuller digital reference services keep the contact going at low cost. What is needed is clear. Training must focus on the databases students under-use. Missing electronic reference materials must be bought. Digital reference options must expand beyond email and chat. Librarians need support to present themselves as approachable colleagues. Web 2.0 channels should be used systematically. Regular checks on utilisation figures and anxiety levels will show whether the investment is finally producing real research support.
Keywords: Library Public Relations, User Education, Digital Resource Utilization, Information Literacy, Academic Libraries, Digital Reference Services
Publication Date: 2026-10-31