Abstract:
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the availability and use of big data in federal University libraries in South East Nigeria. Analysis of big data in libraries will help in decision making for effective information service delivery. The design of this paper is survey. Purposive sampling was used to select librarians and system analysts that oversee sections that deal with various data sets. Questionnaire, observation checklist and interview were used for data gathering. The data collected were analyzed using frequency and percentages. The findings of this paper revealed that Big Data sets exist in university libraries in South Eastern Nigeria in both analogue and digital forms. Various methods were employed in capturing the data. However, none of the Big Data software was available in any of the libraries studied. The major challenges of managing big data in libraries are inadequate funding, lack of infrastructure and software tools for managing big data. The paper recommended ways in which Big Data management can be improved for effective service delivery in university libraries. Creating awareness and training of librarians are major ways of improving management of Big Data in the libraries.
