IMPACT OF LAW LIBRARY SUPPORT SERVICES ON PERCEIVED STRESS AND ACADEMIC WORKLOAD MANAGEMENT AMONG BAR II STUDENTS IN NIGERIA
IMPACT OF LAW LIBRARY SUPPORT SERVICES ON PERCEIVED STRESS AND ACADEMIC WORKLOAD MANAGEMENT AMONG BAR II STUDENTS IN NIGERIA
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Date
2026
Authors
MOHAMMED, Nuhu
MOHAMMED, Shehu
KORSHIMA, Elijah Gbishe
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Library and Information Management Forum Vol. 28. No. 1 2026
Abstract
For Bar II students in Nigerian law schools and similar bar training institutions in sub-Saharan
Africa, the academic trajectory is an intensely packed and demanding journey. Within a single
academic calendar, the student is expected to cover a wide range of academic legal subjects and
training for vocational exams, while also dealing with the psychological stress of the possibility of
failure and the consequent delay or even halt in professional trajectory. This study examines the
academic workload and psychological stress that affect Bar II students and the support that law
libraries can offer in this context. Drawing on literature from library science research, legal
education, and psychological studies on student mental health, the study finds that Bar II students
experience disproportionately high stress levels driven by workload intensity, professional stakes,
financial pressures, and information overload, and that these stressors are exacerbated by a
paradoxical decline in library engagement at precisely the moments when library support would
be most beneficial. The study further finds that evidence-based library interventions including
embedded librarianship, curated subject guides, extended access, mental health-aware reference
services, and wellness programming have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing academic stress
and improving student outcomes in comparable professional training contexts. The study
concludes that the potential of the Nigerian law library to offer both academic and psychological
support remains significantly underutilized, and that a proactive reconceptualization of the law
library as an active participant in student well-being, rather than a passive resource repository,
is both warranted and achievable. The study recommends that Nigerian Law School libraries
develop subject-specific research guides, pursue embedded librarianship models, extend
operating hours, train staff in mental health first aid, establish formal collaboration with
counseling services, and institute wellness programming and peer ambassador schemes adapted
to the Nigerian Law School cultural context. Taken together, these interventions offer a realistic
pathway to reducing Bar II students' academic burden while simultaneously enhancing their
research skills and overall performance.
Description
Journal of Library and Information Management Forum