Assessment of Information Literacy Programs in Academic Libraries and Their Effect on Research Productivity

Abstract

This study assesses the information literacy (IL) programs offered by academic libraries and examines their effect on the research productivity of academic library users. Information literacy has become a foundational competency for scholarly work in an environment of rapidly expanding digital information, yet empirical evidence linking library IL programs to measurable research outcomes remains limited in many higher-education contexts. Adopting a quantitative, survey-based design, the study collected data from 400 respondents comprising faculty members, research scholars, and postgraduate students across a range of academic disciplines and institutional types. A structured questionnaire measured five constructs — awareness of IL programs, participation in IL programs, information literacy competencies, perceived effectiveness of IL programs, and research productivity — each on a five-point Likert scale. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential techniques including Pearson correlation, simple and multiple linear regression, one-way and two-way analysis of variance, and reliability analysis. The findings reveal that participation in IL programs is strongly and positively associated with research productivity, that IL competencies significantly predict productivity with searching and retrieval skills exerting the strongest influence, and that research productivity differs significantly and progressively across levels of participation. Awareness of IL services was found to significantly enhance the utilization of scholarly resources, and the perceived effectiveness of IL programs varied significantly across disciplines and user categories, with a significant interaction effect. The study concludes that library IL programs make a meaningful contribution to research productivity and recommends sustained participation, skills-based content, improved outreach, and discipline- and role-specific tailoring of programs.