Availability and Utilization of Library Information Resources for Teaching and Learning of Sciences in Tertiary Institutions in Nasarawa State, Nigeria: An Institutional Framework Review

This review examines the availability and utilization of library information resources for the teaching and learning of sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics) in tertiary institutions in Nasarawa State, Nigeria, situated within the state's institutional framework comprising state, federal, and private universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. Anchored on Ranganathan's Five Laws of Library Science and the Resource-Based Learning (RBL) theory, the study adopts a systematic narrative-synthesis methodology, screening and thematically analysing 28 peer-reviewed sources, institutional records, and policy documents published predominantly between 2020 and 2026. The synthesis reveals a persistent disjunction between nominal resource availability and actual utilization: while conventional print materials (textbooks, periodicals) are moderately available (mean availability index of 78% and 54% respectively), electronic science databases, e-journals, and ICT-enabled infrastructure remain critically underdeveloped (availability indices below 40%), constraining evidence-based, inquiry-driven science pedagogy. Utilization patterns further indicate that Physics resources record the lowest engagement (22% high utilization) compared with Biology (35%), attributable to inadequate laboratory-linked information resources, epileptic power supply, low information literacy, and weak institutional policy enforcement. The review proposes a conceptual framework linking institutional governance, resource availability, and utilization behaviour to science learning outcomes and alignment with global standards such as UNESCO's Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education). Recommendations are advanced for deliberate budgetary allocation, capacity building in digital information literacy, and strengthened institutional policy frameworks across Nasarawa State's tertiary education sector.