Socio-demographic variables as correlates of digital literacy and information access among library and information science educators in universities in South-South, Nigeria

The relationship between socio-demographic variables and digital literacy and information access among library and information science (LIS) educators in universities in South-South, Nigeria was studied in this work. The correlational research design was adopted in this study. The population was 181 LIS educators from federal, state, and private universities in South-South, Nigeria. A census approach was used since the study population was manageable. Data were collected using a structured instrument comprising a questionnaire and a cognitive digital literacy test. The instrument was validated by six experts, and its reliability was confirmed through a 20 LIS educators pilot test in Southeast Nigeria, which gave a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.931 for the cognitive test and 0.826 for the questionnaire. The data were collected through personal administration and were analysed with Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation and t-test correlation with the aid of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Findings revealed a minimal but significant correlation existed between the selected socio-demographic variables (age and gender) and their level of digital literacy and access to information. The study recommends that universities should invest in modern technological infrastructure, including reliable internet connectivity, digital learning platforms, and up-to-date software. Given that demographic factors had minimal influence on digital literacy, these investments will create an enabling environment for all educators to improve their digital competencies.