This study investigated the perceived impact of automation on these processes in federal university libraries in South- East, Nigeria. It identified the automation technologies and systems currently being used in cataloging and classification of information resources, to investigate the perceived impact of automation on the practices of cataloging and classification of information resources, to identify the challenges militating against automation in cataloguing and classification of information resources and to determine strategies for ameliorating the challenges associated with automation in the cataloguing and classification of information resources in selected federal universities in the South- East of Nigeria. Adopting a descriptive survey research design, the study encompassed the entire population of 50 professional and para-professional staff from the cataloging and classification units of two selected federal university libraries from South-East, Nigeria. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed with descriptive statistics. Findings indicated that systems like Koha and tools such as classification Web and OCLC are widely used. Staff agreed that automation significantly enhances productivity, reduces human errors, improves adherence to international standards (RDA, MARC21), and facilitates user access via the OPAC. However, they perceived that automation did not substantially minimize cataloging time or improve job satisfaction. The most severe barriers were identified as unreliable power supply (M=3.06), poor internet connectivity (M=3.02), insufficient funding, and a shortage of IT-skilled staff. The study concluded that while automation's benefits are clear, its full potential remains hampered by critical infrastructural and financial deficits.
Umeji et al. (Thu,) studied this question.