research about using library

ABSTRACT It can be clearly seen that libraries have become such an integral part of society, especially contributing to the development of education At universities, the role of libraries is much more important as students have more demand for a huge amount of knowledge Unfortunately, many students are still unaware of value of library and utilize it for purposes As the title suggest, the aim of this paper is to reflect on the use of library of students Based on the data obtained from small-scale research carried out within Foundation Studies Department (FSD), our project’s team analyze and assess the various characteristics of students’ frequency, purposes to use library as well as their interest for information sources Besides, a number of difficulties when using library were identified, along with some recommendations for better use of library The study adopts a quantitative methodology using means of both secondary and primary research (questionnaire and interview) As such, it is our belief that this report can serve as a prototype as well as a potential stimulus for larger and further studies in the future TABLE OF CONTENTS Title page i Abstract ii List of Figures iv Introduction Method Result .2 Discussion of findings 4.1 Students’ purposes of using library 4.2 Students’ choices for information sources .4 4.3 Assessment quality of some aspects of library 5 Recommendations 6 Conclusion References .7 Appendices .8 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Students’ purposes of using library Figure 2: Students’ choices for information sources Figure 3: Assessment quality of some aspects of library 3 Introduction It is undeniable that the library is the centerpiece of our community It is accessible to anyone and everyone The resources provided by libraries inspire interests of all ages, which is why it is imperative that libraries not only continue to be preserved, but also continue to thrive and grow In 2012, Ben White, Head of Intellectual Property, British Library in his article considered libraries as gateways to knowledge and culture as the resources and services they offer create opportunities for learning, support literacy and education, and help shape the new ideas and perspectives that are central to a creative and innovative society On national scale, libraries play a fundamental role in the development of a country in all fields, especially in education (Nguyen.Q.T cited in Hoang Huong 2013) There is no doubt that libraries are synonymous with education and offer countless learning opportunities Particularly in universities where the self-learning and self-study are enhanced, the role of library is more obvious Library is actually becoming an integral part to hold and provide intellectual resources for researchers, academics, teaching staff and students of the university (Hoang.T.T, 2011) Additionally, a far wide range of utility services such as networked computers, a service of search engines, room serviced with electronic presentations, discussion rooms are contributing greatly to the learning and studies activities in universities Ironically, up until now there have been few formal investigations into students’ use of libraries Admittedly, numerous journalists have tried to approach the subject through the articles, but each of them usually reflects only one point of the issue By contrast, materials concerning use of library in general are available and proliferate In Guaranteeing Access to Knowledge: The Role of Libraries, Ben White pointed out different role of libraries in different fields On the other hand, Hoang Thi Thuc in her study Thu vien dai hoc Viet Nam highlighted the fact of using libraries in some famous universities and suggested some solutions to this problem Nevertheless, none of those articles analyze use of library in a specific university Therefore, this research paper which is based on data from students of FSD, Hanoi University will focus on classifying three main questions: what students use library for? ,which information sources they often use? And what can be done to improve the effective use of library according to the assessment quality some aspects of library? Method The data used in this report is acquired from a survey within Foundation Studies Department At the beginning, a questionnaire consisting of eight questions were designed with respect to our three research questions The first two questions were made to highlight the frequency of using library among fifty FSD students Following this, the questionnaire also included three multiple-choice questions to determine how effective library meets students’ information needs Next questions were set up to investigate students’ purposes of using library and evaluate quality of some aspects in the library, accompanied with recommendations for better use In the next step, all of these students were asked to take part in our six-question interview Apparently, the combination of two methods which are interview and questionnaire made the subjects feel more involved in the survey Therefore, we are confident that the data obtained achieved a fairly high level of genuineness Results This section outlines the results of the survey conducted to discover FSD student’s opinion of using library Figure 1: Students’ purposes of using library As can be seen from Figure 1, page 2, 74% of respondents tend to utilize library for study consist of self-study and group work Besides, the percentage of using of library for entertainment is 58% Nearly the same proportion (44%) stated that they often use library for sleeping Other purposes accounted for only % Figure 2: Students’ choices for information sources With regard to students’ choices for information sources, genres of sources which are books, newspaper and magazines, internet and others were questioned in the quiz Of the 50 FSD students who were questioned, the vast majority (72%) reported that they usually use Internet as a convenient source Meanwhile, the proportions of FSD student’s using books and newspaper and magazines are 38% and 24% respectively Very bad Bad Neutral Good Very good Facilities 0% 4% 56% 38% 2% Information sources 2% 4% 48% 40% 6% Services 0% 2% 38% 52% 8% Figure 3: Assessment quality some aspects of library Turning to assess quality of some aspects of library, the majority of FSD students evaluated three main aspects of library as being in normal and good condition Discussion of findings The results presented above are by no means capable of covering all the perspectives of students’ use of library, due to the mere fact that they came from only one university and in quite a limited scope However, as the specimen of our research – Hanoi University – is a currently hosting a fairly wide range of students, we strongly assert that a certain level of generalization can be inferred from the obtained data 4.1 Students’ purposes of using library Our survey results make it transparent that a large number of students go to the library for the main purpose of research and study consisting of self-study and group study It indicates that almost students are aware of the importance of library and use it properly It is easy to explain as academic library brings huge and valuable sources for students’ study Moreover, the library provides student with quiet spaces for self-study and particular rooms for group work A.T, a FSD student reported that: “ I often go to library to study because of its quiet atmosphere I am no longer afraid of being disturbed by the noises from my roommates or residential nearly by” Therefore, I can concentrate and study well Our survey also exposes the fact that apart from studying, several students considered library as a place for entertainment Obviously, a wide range of newspapers and magazines and the computer system equipped with Internet connect give many opportunities for students to relax Another remarkable fact discovered through our survey is that many students go to library to sleep This fact seems to reveal the reason why the number of hours the majority of FSD student utilize library is less than one hour Three out of five those interviewed said that in such hot weather in examination time, they often took advantage of air conditioners and quiet environment in the library to take a nap before attending afternoon lectures 4.2 Students’ choices for information sources From the result as show in Figure 2, page 3, FSD students tend to use all sources of information This result is not beyond expectation, seeing that FSD students are having an attempt to make full use of various information sources, including books, newspapers and magazines, Internet and other sources as well The questions regarding the use of different information sources reveal that the most popular source of information used is Internet This is understandable because of the trend of international integration with rapid development of information technology, the explosion of the cultural diversity of the radio and television, Internet , smart phones to ensure the needs of information( Hue.L.T 2015) This point was also supported by K.L, a FSF student: “I spend most of my time in library using Internet because I find it extremely fast and convenient to search information for my study However, the huge amount of information in the Internet sometimes makes me confused” Therefore, it is a need for students to consider information from technological equipments as multiple sources of information are not always useful and reliable (Nguyen Khanh, 2011) The use of books, newspapers and magazines, on the other hand, becomes less popular among FSD students An interesting fact is that the majority of students are fully aware of the importance of these information sources Nevertheless, it takes time to find proper books or newspapers as well as gain an in-depth understand the information found As a result, more and more students have a tendency to use Internet instead Another outstanding fact is that nearly ninety percent of respondents reported that they often utilize information sources in English It is seemingly that since FSD’s curriculum is completely in English, FSD students tend to take advantages of English sources for learning and doing research Without doubt, using English materials is not only useful for students while seeking information as there are a plenty of valuable sources written in English but also helps students to improve their English language, especially reading skill 4.3 Assessment quality of some aspects of library From Figure 3, page 3, three main aspects of HANU library were assessed in our survey, including facilities, information sources and services As can be seen, HANU library is a four-storey building divided into specific purposes in each storey Two first floors are provided with a diversity of document mainly for specialized language departments and six faculties respectively The third floor is generally used for electronic information search while the fourth floor is furnished particular rooms for group work and spaces for self-study The whole library is equipped with air-conditioners, fans as well as chairs and tables The majority of FSD students evaluated library’s facilities as being in normal and good condition Particularly, the library provides quite good security for students with the aid of security monitoring system, along with many metal boxes and lockers for safe storage However, in some cases, some students are not satisfied with library’s facilities Overall, the biggest disadvantage pointed out when using library is out-of-date computer system and poor Internet connection, which lead to negative effects on how well students search for news and information About the information sources, this turns out that the library has just partly met the students’ need for information The fact is that only a few students (6%) were totally satisfied with library’s information sources As stated previously, despite plentiful document provided, the major of these information sources are often in outmoded state It is obvious that in university, self-study is highly appreciated, which means that the demand for new and valuable information becomes higher and higher That the library does not satisfy their thirst for knowledge hence forces students to find other ways to gain deeper and wider understand about what they learned from lectures In addition, four out of five FSD students interviewed responded that the quantity and quality of information sources for six majors is still limited, leading to the fact that only 30% students usually go to library and 45% sometimes use library When evaluating the quality of library’s services, the major students assess this aspect in good condition It was carried out from our survey that thanks to well-trained and enthusiastic staff, all the services in the library quite fit students’ needs Initially, almost students find it easy when circulating document The explanation is that because the advantages of using online catalog (OPAC), students no longer have to take time to look up and borrow document Additionally, the librarians also hold short-time courses in order to guide students how to make full use of library as well as training lessons about Information Technology Recommendations Based on the above discussion of the findings, the following suggestions are made First of all, the managing board of Hanoi University need to assess the correct position, the role of library to facilitate library’s development Regarding the facilities, it is essential to upgrade the computer system and Internet connection to graduate information available for all students Furthermore, many students suggested that the library should be equipped with more air-conditioners, fans to make sure that students are using library in the best environment, especially in hot weather Another recommendation is to provide more chairs and tables for self-study areas and reading areas as in examination time, the number of students using library increase significantly With regard to information sources, it raises a need for library to select additional necessary relevant document It is also important to focus on document for different majors, which is totally beneficial for both students and lecturers Other information sources such as electronic journals, thesis, dissertations should be provided, either Besides, it is a good idea for library to extend various forms of services The role of librarians should be highly appreciate when organizing more and more training lessons, giving online support or consulting information Conclusion In conclusion, we fully hope that the result of our study are able to promote similar interest concerning the matter of using library at Hanoi University, and that our research could serve as a prototype of future projects These subjects, as we have found out from the limitation of our own research, are extremely worthy of further and deeper investigation While exploring use of library among FSD students, we recognized that except for the traditional purpose of using library, many students make use of library to relax and sleep Besides, there exists a tendency among students search for information through Internet rather than books and other information sources After evaluating quality some aspects of library, we recommend some suggestions for better use of HANU library 10 REFERENCES Ben White 2012, “Guaranteeing Access to Knowledge: The Role of Libraries”, viewed 15 May 2015, http://www.wipo.int/wipo_magazine/en/2012/04/article_0004.html Hoang, H 2013, “Thuốc chữa cho bệnh xã hội”, viewed 14 May 2015, http://vietnamnet.vn/vn/tuanvietnam/115988/thuoc-chua-cho-moi-benh-cua-xahoi.html Hoang, T.T 2011, “ Thư viện đại học Việt Nam: Thực trạng – Giải pháp”, viewed 14 May 2015, http://lib.haui.edu.vn/Home/GetArticleByID/10446 Le, T.H 2015, “Một số giải pháp nhằm nâng cao hiệu phục vụ bạn đọc thư viện tỉnh Bình Định”, viewed 15 May 2015, http://svhttdl.binhdinh.gov.vn/index.php? option=com_content&view=article&id=1986%3Amt-s-gii-phap-nhm-nang-caohiu-qu-phc-v-bn-c-ti-th-vin-tnh-binh-nh-&catid=44%3Ahot-ng-oan-th&Itemid=2 Nguyen, K 2011, “Thiết bị đọc sách điện tử chưa thể thay thể sách in”, viewed 16 May 2015, http://sohoa.vnexpress.net/tin-tuc/san-pham/do-choi-so/thiet-bi-docsach-dien-tu-chua-the-thay-the-sach-in-1492513.html APPENDICES 11 APPENDIX A QUESTIONNAIRE We are Bui Thi Mai Anh and Bui Thi Ngoc Bich, ESP students, Foundation Studies Department, Hanoi University We are doing a research project on Hanoi University Students’ utilizing library This questionnaire is designed to help us obtain data for our research project We highly appreciate your opinions which are apparently crucial to the completion as well as the quality of our paper Please return the completed questionnaire by 15 May, 2015 Thank you for your cooperation _ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • How often you use library? Very often Sometimes Never How many hours per day you spend on using library? < 1h 1-2h 2-4h >4h Which source of information you usually use? Books Newspapers and magazines Internet Others How often you explore information in English? Very often Sometimes Never Do information resources of the library meet information needs? totally satisfied satisfied dissatisfied What you use library for? (you can choose more than one) Study ( self-study, group work) Sleep Entertainment Others ( please specify) Can you assess the quality of some aspects below about library? 12 Very bad Bad Neutral Good Very good Facilities Information sources Services Can you please give me your own suggestions to use library better? 13 APPENDIX B INTERVIEW QUESTIONS How often you spend in library? What you like doing most in library? Which information source in library you like most? Do information sources of the library meet your information needs? Which is the aspect of library you think need improving? Can you suggest some ways to make full use of library? 14 [...]... APPENDIX B INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 1 2 3 4 5 6 How often do you spend in library? What do you like doing most in library? Which information source in library do you like most? Do information sources of the library meet your information needs? Which is the aspect of library you think need improving? Can you suggest some ways to make full use of library? 14 ... satisfied satisfied dissatisfied What do you use library for? (you can choose more than one) Study ( self-study, group work) Sleep Entertainment Others ( please specify) 7 Can you assess the quality of some aspects below about library? 12 Very bad Bad Neutral Good Very good Facilities Information sources Services 8 Can you please give me your own suggestions to use library better? ... • • • 5 • • • 6 • • • • How often do you use library? Very often Sometimes Never How many hours per day do you spend on using library? < 1h 1-2h 2-4h >4h Which source of information do you usually use? Books Newspapers and magazines Internet Others How often do you explore information in English? Very often Sometimes Never Do information resources of the library meet information needs? totally satisfied... QUESTIONNAIRE We are Bui Thi Mai Anh and Bui Thi Ngoc Bich, ESP students, Foundation Studies Department, Hanoi University We are doing a research project on Hanoi University Students’ utilizing library This questionnaire is designed to help us obtain data for our research project We highly appreciate your opinions which are apparently crucial to the completion as well as the quality of our paper Please