INFORMATION NEEDS AND INFORMATION SEEKING BEHAVIOUR OF USERS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Background of the study: The researcher would want to begin this work with a survey of the importance of information in daily living. Since the down of history, man had generally requires information for his day to living information is required in decision and in other aspects of life. To function and be relevant, every society needs information. According to bent and melacklam, information is the life-blood of modern organization. Owing to the pervasiveness of information in the life of organization some writers have tried to analysis organizational function in term of receiving, recording, arranging and giving information. At the top management levels, it is vital in planning and strategies decision making.  Hence information is said to be data of value in decision making. It is critical resources that enable an organization to function and flourish. It is first among the other corporate resources because decisions relating to others depend on it. But the collection processing and dissemination of information are not trouble free. This is basically due to the nature of information. Information is indispensable to all processes and is essential to natural development. It is both a national and international resource for social political, religious, economic, cultural as well as technological development. Information is important as the three basic necessities of life which are water, food and shelter and so should be given enough priority in order to achieve what is meant for. It is significant to note that information is useless unless it is used however, before information can be made use of, it has to be provided and the user of it has to be aware of it. In other words, the use of information depends on its availability and accessibility to users.  INFORMATION DEFINED. Information is the act of informing or the condition of being informed or the communication of knowledge. The American library association glossary of library and information science (ALA) define information as all ideas, great and imaginative works of mind which have been communicated, recorded, published and distributed formally or in formally in any format. The new webster’s dictionary defines information as, the communication of news, knowledge obtained by search, study etc. it can also be considered as knowledge communicated concerning some particular facts, subjects or events. Information reduces uncertainty and adds to human knowledge. Information can be in two forms. Those that are pointers to other information and their sources which it provides substantive information which is information itself. Information is regarded as resources for use, and its generation and use for efficiency and effectiveness is a very demanding and stressful task because any information that lies not organized for future use may be wasted. Also, the relevance attached to information makes people to seek it in diverse ways and for diverse needs. (hanson 1978) writes: information is normally intended for use rather than interest. It is sought by their final users for particular purpose in particular circumstances. It is of maximum potential use to person who wants it when it meets his need not only in terms of general, subjects too. Needs can be seen as a requirement from subsistence or for carrying out some function or activities. Thus, information needs refer to information demands, requirements, wants or de sires for some general and specific purpose. Kadiri describes need in relation to information as: a state of lack of desirable requisition or commodity i.e. information necessary to deal with a situation as an individual deems fit. 

 INFORMATION AND CHILDREN  Information needs and information seeking behaviour of children is defined as the provision of desirable, up to data factual knowledge to the children at the appropriate time to enhance their welfare and ways or patterns pursued by them in an attempt to resolve an information need or needs. Access to information is one of the human rights and each user of it should be able to get the right information he desires at the right time and place in the way he needs it. Information as a valuable commodity can be got from the library among other places and it is necessary that librarians satisfy user’s needs. In public libraries, the notion of book acquisition or children literature is important. Of greater value is how the books and other materials are presented to children from effective use. As a result, there is need for public libraries to meet with the information needs nd information seeking behaviour of children. This would not only enhance performance of the children, use of libraries but would go an long way in improving the services rendered to children in public libraries. In addition, it would make for easy storage, processing, retrieval of information, dissemination and use. As information literacy becomes vital to functioning effectively in todays would, the public library has a responsibility in ensuring that the specific information and reference needs of children are adequately addressed. Children as reference client require skilled and considered assistance to locate information relevant to both their perceived and real needs. The public libraries meet those needs through the children section of the public library. A children section is an important resource to which children have easy access to information and utilization. It provides information in various formats. The children section provides pre-school programmes, storytelling, reading competitive, riddles and joke among others. The library facilities education of children. It also performs vital function such as informational, educational, cultural and recreational services. Public libraries can play a major role in fostering in children the desire for education and helping them develop the skills for obtaining the kind of ever changing knowledge necessary to survive and prosper. Children by all means need information knowledge sake, self development, skill acquisition and to carry out a given assignment.