INFORMATION NEEDS AND SEEKING BEHAVIOUR OF POLYTECHNIC SECONDARY SCHOOL AND SAINT PETERS COLLEGE STUDENTS, IDAH KOGI STATE

The study investigates information needs and seeking behaviour of Polytechnic Secondary School and Saint Peter Secondary School students in Idah. Five (5) objectives guided the study and research questions were formulated based on these objectives. The population of this study comprises 126 student’s users from both secondary school. The instrument for data collection is questionnaire. The study was carried out in Idah, Stratified Random techniques was used and the instrument for data collection was questionnaire and the data were analysed using the mean. Findings shows that personal books, school library, personal computers, teachers, parents, school counselor, head teachers, magazines, other school resources, television, radio, GSM are sources consulted by secondary school students in Idah for information. Also revealed in the study is the purpose for which secondary school students seeks information which are; for learning, games, recreation, entertainment, leisure, academic growth, societal values, career choice and culture, personal development and to be up-to-date with current and relevant information. Constraints militating against information needs of secondary school students are; library anxiety, poor information literacy, poor retrieval skills, poor library skills, and others. It is recommended that; it is important that secondary school students are provided with information resources that are relevant to their peculiar information needs, libraries and information centre that students can easily have their information needs met should be established in secondary schools, information resources in adaptive formats and assistive technology should be made available in all secondary schools.