STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION AND USE OF LIBRARY SERVICES

STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION AND USE OF LIBRARY SERVICES

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

  • Background of the study

The school Library is the bedrock upon which any school is built in order to achieve her primary aim of teaching, learning, research and community service. School libraries are academic libraries established and attached to schools which major aim is providing information materials that support teaching, learning and research.

Schools libraries are the depositories of knowledge that provide the vital under pinning for national development. Being integral part of the school, the libraries are of necessity, educational in purpose. The centrality of the school libraries is the intellectual life of the schools which is epitomized in the intellectual life of the schools which is gauged by its treatment of its central organ, the library. The school library is the principal instrument of the school in conservation of recorded knowledge. Proper fulfillment of this role provides a sound basis for the transmission and advancement of knowledge.

However, every school library, no matter the size is established to render service to its users. The library has to collect materials, published and unpublished, printed and non-printed, in some depth and globally in almost all the fields of knowledge. However, the value of the records of human communication lies on the information they contain. Information can be stored in books, periodicals, newspapers, teaching societies, and professional associations, machine readable data bases, manuscripts, archival materials and in many other formals. Although the school libraries differ in size, population and in other respects, they serve, they are conserving, the existing knowledge, to transmit knowledge through teaching, and to create new knowledge through research.

Thus, school libraries have been regarded as “the heart” of the unit- the most indispensable agency of unit for teaching and research. Nwalo (2002) summarized the basic materials needed in most institutional libraries as:

  • Reference book of general nature and reference books in the subject areas including the institutional programme.
  • Books which relates to and supplement each curriculum offered.
  • Important general books not relating to a specific subjects area and important books in subject field not included in the curriculum.
  • Books for voluntary and recreational reading.
  • Professional and research materials for both the faculty and certain students who require them.
  • Periodicals and Newspapers in foreign language, current issues, bound volume and those on micro film, micro cards, and other micro forms.
  • Pamphlets and clippings.
  • Audio-visual materials including picture films, slides, film strips, transparencies, music, photography, records, tape and wire recording maps and globes.
  • Programmes materials.
  • Government publications.
  • Archival materials pertaining to the instruction.
  • Equipment for the use of these materials such as micro-readers and listening and viewing equipment.

According to Whittaker (1993) a user is a person who uses one or more library’s services at least once a year. Hence, people who go to either the public or private libraries, seeking the attention of the library staff are known as the library users. This means that we have different categories of library users, as there are different types of libraries. In the course of this study, schools in Enugu East L.G.A. will be researched on.

1.2    Statement of the Problem

There remains a glaring lack of research on the effect the library environment has on students’ educational gains or outcomes. In two influential studies conducted on libraries and students outcomes. Knapp (1966) and snider (1965) both found that students most exposed to library skill programs report lower attrition rates, greater academic performance, higher standardized test scores, and greater success as they progress through collage than do their peers not participating in such programs. There have been additional studies demonstrating a significant correlation between library use and students persistence in collage and academic performance (Kramer $ Kramer, 1968, Hiscock, 1986). This study attempts to determine the effect school library has on student’s educational outcomes from their perceptions.

1.3     Purpose of the Study

–       To determine the library services offered to students in school in Enugu East L.G.A.

–       To investigate the adequacy of the library services offered to student in the schools Enugu East L.G.A.

–       To investigate the problem encountered by student in the provision of library services in school in Enugu East L.G.A.

–       To determine the strategies suitable for enhancing the library services offered to the students in Enugu East L.G.A.

  • Significance of The Study

It is expected that the findings of this research will be of benefits of the following categories of people, student librarians/library workers, library management and indeed the school management. To student, Liberians/library workers, it will provide a guide to effective service delivery by Liberians and library officers to users of the school libraries. Also it is expected that they should make polices that will stimulate workers sit up to the challenges of effective services delivery such as on the job training for staff, in-service training, good monitoring strategies for staff, attendance and organization of workshops and seminars.

The findings of the research if implemented in Libraries will unfold some of the lapses in effective service delivery, thereby creating a positive change in the perception of student and attitude of librarians and library workers to service and delivery.  Lastly, it is expected that the findings of this study will contribute to the existing literature in the field of the perception of students on library service in Enugu East L.G.A.

It is also expected that it will enable4 future researchers to realize the need for further research and studies on the subject and guide them on various dimensions open for further research.

1.5     Research Questions

The following research questions are formulated to guide the study.

  1. Is there any significant impact of library services on the academic performance of students?
  2. Is there any significant relationship between well equipped library information resources and the student’s academic performance

1.6     Research Hypothesis

The following null hypothesis were tested

Ho1: There is no significant impact of library services on the academic performance of students.

Ho2:   There is no significant relationship between well equipped library information resource and the student’s academic performance

1.7    Scope of the Study   

This study will be focused mainly on the availability of library services in school and its impact on the academic performance of the students in the respective schools in Enugu East L.G.A.

1.8   Limitation of the Study

As a result of the constraints faced in finding the research it would be rather difficult to cover all students in Enugu East L.G.A. Also, the time allocated to this study is insufficient and would not allow for the more in depth, through and detailed studies of students perception and the use of library services.

In addition, as a result of the in accessibility of certain data and information, some schools would be unwell to disclose for reasons best known to them, the research is confined to working with only the available data and information at her disposal.

1.9   Definition of Terms

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