THE INFLUENCE OF LIBRARY DESIGN AND PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT ON USERS' SATISFACTION IN ACADEMIC LIBRARIES IN DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

The academic library is no longer only a store of books; it is a place where students read, think, collaborate and use technology. How that place is designed and maintained shapes whether users come, stay and return satisfied. This study examined the influence of library design and physical environment on users' satisfaction in academic libraries in Delta State, Nigeria. It determined users' level of satisfaction with the physical environment, tested the joint and relative influence of spatial layout, ambient conditions and furniture and facilities on satisfaction, and identified the environmental problems users face. The study adopted a descriptive correlational survey design anchored on Bitner's Servicescape model and the Stimulus–Organism–Response framework. A structured questionnaire (Cronbach's α = 0.82–0.89) was administered to a sample of 384 library users determined with the Krejcie and Morgan table, and 362 valid responses (94.3%) from undergraduates, postgraduates and academic staff were analysed. Analysis covered descriptive statistics, Shapiro–Wilk and Kolmogorov–Smirnov normality tests, Pearson correlation, collinearity diagnostics, multiple regression, Breusch–Pagan and White tests, the Durbin– Watson statistic, Ramsey's RESET, Cook's distance and 95% confidence intervals. Users' overall satisfaction with the physical environment was marginally low (M = 2.48, SD = 0.58, against a criterion mean of 2.50). Users were satisfied with cleanliness, natural lighting, wayfinding and the comfort of furniture, but dissatisfied with power outlets, ventilation, seat availability and ICT access. Spatial layout, ambient conditions and furniture and facilities jointly explained 39.4% of the variance in satisfaction (R² = 0.394, adjusted R² = 0.389; F(3, 358) = 77.55, p < .001). Furniture and facilities had the strongest influence (β = 0.322), followed by ambient conditions (β = 0.283) and spatial layout (β = 0.267), all p < .001. All regression assumptions were met. Erratic power supply, inadequate seating during examinations and heat from poor ventilation were the leading problems. The study recommends investment in alternative power, ventilation, power outlets and flexible seating, and regular user-centred evaluation of library space