The Impact of Library Maker Spaces on Entrepreneurial Studies among Stem Students in Selected Academic Libraries in Southwestern Nigeria.

Abstract:

As global demand for innovative and entrepreneurial people grows, established educational institutions are under pressure to provide practical and experiential learning environment and opportunities. Library maker spaces, which are outfitted with cutting-edge tools and technologies, have the potential to provide a solution by encouraging practical learning and innovation. However, previous study has primarily focused on librarians' opinions, ignoring the important perspectives of the students who are the main patrons of these spaces. This study investigates the impact of library maker spaces on entrepreneurial studies among science, engineering and mathematics students in Southwest Nigeria. The study employed a descriptive survey design, while a multistage sampling combining random, stratified and purposive sampling techniques was used to select 400 STEM students across the selected tertiary institutions. The questionnaire was chosen as the instrument for data collection. 400 copies of the questionnaire were distributed, out of which 360 were duly filled, yielding a return rate of 90%. The results of this study revealed that the use of maker spaces in the selected library was fairly high, while awareness level was also fairly high. The study also found that the use of maker spaces positively influence the development of entrepreneurial activities among the students, despite the various challenges facing the adoption of maker spaces identified in the study. The study hereby concluded that the use of maker spaces has to be encouraged by proffering solutions to identified obstacles, in order to enhance creativity and innovation among university students, thereby fostering entrepreneurial development.