The Nexus Between Information Audit in Collection Development and User Satisfaction for Societal Development: A Meta-Analytical Review

Abstract

Libraries and information providing centers are the nerve center of academic and research activities and must help the organization realize its objectives, through provision of adequate and relevant information. The library's pivotal place is in the basic mandate of having information materials that satisfy the needs of the users. The increase in published literature in several fields in both academic and co- curriculum activities has enhanced the role and importance of libraries in selecting, acquiring, organizing and communicating the relevant, accurate and precise information to the clientele including researchers, academicians to achieve the institutional objectives and for self-societal empowerment. Information audit is the systematic process through which an organization will effectively determine the current information environment by identifying what information is required to meet the needs of the institution, society and its users. Libraries and information centers needs to adopt new methods to manage the large quantity of available information materials. Libraries thus play a crucial role in informing, educating and empowering nations and states through developing adequate library collection for information provision. However, the ever changing and growing demands for information and poorly equipped libraries; have led to library user dissatisfaction. To solve this problem, the information audit process is significant as it establishes the contact within the user’s needs and information available. To establish the nexus between the two variables, the paper will be based on three specific objectives namely to analyze the effect of information audit process on collection development, assess the effect of collection development policy to user satisfaction and to explore challenges affecting collection development to user satisfaction. Ameta-analytical approach will be adopted to review scientific publications and papers published in journals to develop a clear insightful argument on the stated concept. The paper will identify several themes to show the relevance of information audit in collection development as a determinant for library user satisfaction for societal development.