Application and use of Social Media Platforms as Predictors of Knowledge Sharing in Federal University Libraries in Nigeria

 
Abstract 
This study examined the use of social media 
platforms as a predictor of knowledge sharing 
among librarians in Nigerian academic 
libraries. The study was guided by objectives 
to identify the social media platforms used by 
librarians, determine the extent of their use for 
knowledge sharing, and examine the 
predictive influence of social media platform 
use on enhanced knowledge sharing for 
service delivery. The study adopted a survey 
research design. The population comprised 
601 librarians from 12 selected federal 
university libraries in Nigeria, and a sample of 
240 librarians was determined using the Taro 
Yamane sample size determination table. 
Stratified random sampling was used to ensure 
proportional representation of librarians. Data 
were collected using a structured questionnaire 
and analyzed using descriptive statistics and 
regression. The findings revealed that 
librarians frequently used social networking 
platforms such as Facebook (71.8%), 
WhatsApp (67.0%), Pinterest (70.5%), and 
LinkedIn (48.5%), as well as content-sharing 
platforms such as YouTube (48.9%), for 
knowledge sharing. The study also found that 
social media platforms facilitated the sharing 
of tacit and explicit knowledge. The regression 
analysis showed that social media platform 
types and utilization significantly predicted 
increased knowledge sharing among librarians 
for service delivery (F (3, 117) = 134.998, p = 
.000, R2 = 0.776). The study concluded that 
social media platforms are significant 
predictors of knowledge sharing in academic 
libraries in Nigeria. It is recommended that 
academic libraries implement social media 

policies and provide technological support to 
enhance knowledge sharing.