ABSTRACT
This study was carried out to investigate Multimedia Technology Application to Information Service Delivery in the university libraries in the Northern states of Nigeria. Five research questions and 3 hypotheses were formulated and tested with respect to the types of multimedia technology application available and used; types of information services provided using multimedia technology applications and effect of multimedia technology on information service delivery in the university libraries in the northern states of Nigeria. Survey research design was used for this study. A total of four hundred and seven(407) librarians from ten (10) target university libraries were drawn as the population while the sampled number was eighty one(81) from six selected libraries. The six selected university libraries were those of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Bayero University, Kano, Federal University of Technology, Minna, University of Jos and University of Maiduguri respectively. Questionnaire was used to collect data for this study. The data collected were presented and analyzed using frequency distribution tables and percentages .Chi Square ( procedure was used to test hypothesis three while hypothesis one and two were tested with Pearson Product Moment correlation procedure. The null hypothesis that multimedia technologies available and used in the university libraries in the northern states in Nigeria had no significant effect on information service was rejected as the observed significant level was 0.000(P<0.05) The research discovered that there are different types of multimedia technologies applied for information services in the university libraries. These include text, audio, video, sound recordings and animations along with their streaming mode of presentation either live or stored audio and video; and that the application of multimedia technologies available in the university libraries has significant effect on information service delivery. The findings indicated that none of the libraries studied applied live interactive audio and live interactive video for information service delivery. The research recommends that a periodic in-house training for all library staff on the application of multimedia technologies be the starting point for their deployment. It also recommends acquisition of up-to-date hardware and software that are necessary for effective application of multimedia technologies to information service delivery.