Aesthetics and Functionality of University Libraries in Southwest Nigeria

While the function of university libraries is central to teaching, learning and research, they are often hindered in their function by a lack of integration of aesthetic quality and functional efficiency. Several papers have researched aesthetics and functionality separately but rarely together; hence the need for this research. This paper looks at the connection between aesthetics and functionality in some University libraries in Southwest Nigeria. The mixed-methods approach used was a combination of a structured questionnaire that was completed by 644 library users (students and staff) from six universities, direct observation and semi-structured interviews. Descriptive statistics, a composite perception index and inferential analysis (correlation, independent-samples t-test, one-way ANOVA and regression analysis) were used for data analysis. The Cronbach's Alpha value of the perception scale (0.902) was used to validate the reliability of the scale. The regression analysis showed that academic achievement, well-being, and library learning engagement were significantly predicted by the perception of the library (p < 0.01), and there was a strong relationship between the library features and academic achievement, well-being, and learning engagement (β = 0.684, R² = 0.468, p < 0.01). The study concludes that a university library in Southwest Nigeria is functional but has been underutilised in terms of its aesthetic and experiential potentials and suggests design considerations such as flexible spatial planning, ergonomic furniture, better lighting, good ICT infrastructure, and culturally responsive detailing towards designing comparable library projects.