Annals of Library Science and Documentation 1985,32(3-4),73-75

USER STUDIES: STATE-OF-THE-A.RT

P.S. KAWATRA
Regional College of Education
(NCERT)
Almer 305004 .

The library contributes to the achievement
of the institution's goals and objectives in
teaching, research and services. The interest
groups within the system play an important
role in the library's efforts to carry out its
functions.
User occu pies a key place in the library
and informaton system. The objectives of this
review of the state-of-the-art of user studies
are
(i) to find out information-seeking attitude
of users
(ii) to indicate gaps in our knowledge of users
(iii) to suggest areas of user attitudes for
research and
(iv) to outline techniques which might
useful for undertaking further research.
b) Users have ways of doing things and these
should be accommodated in the design of
services; and
c) Users have ways of doing things that
should be changed.
WHY USER STUDIES
The students and faculty are users of the aca-
demic library, towards whom all services are
directed. Their attitudes reflect the extent to
which the efforts of the librarians are success-
ful in developing the resources & services of the
library to meet their needs.
The reasons for conducting various user
studies are:
be (1) Identifying the actual strengths and weak-
ness of library resources and services;

ATTITUDE OF USERS (2) Identifying the levels and kinds of user

needs;
For finding out information seeking attitudes (3) Identifying faculty and student priorities
of users the following questions may be asked: for library resources and services;

a) What do users require from the library. (4 ) Identifying the limitations or problems
tn terms of type, quality and range of which seem to discourage the use of the
services to satisfy their needs? library;

b) What does user do about his/her needs? (5) Identifying the level of involvement or
participation of faculty and students in
c) How does the user select available re- the library programme; and
sources?
(6) Improving the organization and planning
d) how does the user carry out a search for for library services at both the local and
information? national levels.

Need to Study 'User'

There is a need to study user because:
a) User attitudes are essential considerations
in the design of the library services;
FINDINGS OF USER STUDIES
Many studies were conducted in USA and UK.
The findings of major studies are given in the
following lines:

Vol 32 Nos 3-4 Scp tcrubcr Dt'ccmlwr 19R5

 KAWATRA
Line [1] conducted a survey of student
attitudes to the university library at Southamp-
ton which revealed several problems and defi-
ciencies and a number of changes in library
policy and practice were instituted. The survey
also revealed that women were more likely to
use catalogues than man.
A follow-up study by Line & Tidmarsh[2]
revealed some changes in student attitudes,
some of which can fairly be attributed to the
new policies. The two surveys are an excellent
illustration of the concept of survey, policy
evaluation, policy implementation and re-
survey - a sequence which is rare in this field.
Urquhart & Schofield[3] conducted two
major surveys to measure readers' failure at the
shelves in three university libraries. The results
of a failure survey will enable the librarian to
establish priorities. The difference in rates
of failure for different subject areas of the lib-
rary may call for a reassessment of book pur-
chasing policies. The third use of the survey is
to have better understanding of reader prob-
lerns and behavior.
Burns & Hasty [4 ] conducted a survey of
user attitudes towards selected services offered
by the Colorado State University libraries, and
concluded that "most user studies have em-
phasized the descriptive rather than the ana-
lytical in their reporting and were conducted
by practising librarians or information scientists
with little or no attention to the adoption of
rigorous methodology".
Lord [5] conducted a survey on research
in user behaviour in university libraries with
three objectives viz. to study user behaviour
with the explanation of observed phenomena,
the prediction of behaviour, and the control
of behaviour by manipulation of conditions.
The most important finding of this study on
user behaviour is that it has yet to be demon-
strated that the use of libraries has any definite
influence on anything else.
Canarie [6] conducted a study on "atti-
tudes of secondary school administrators to-
wards school librarians and school library
service" to assess the attitudes of secondary
school administrators towards librarians' per-
sonal attributes the capability or aptitude of
the librarian for fulfilling the role, and the
71
effectiveness of library service.' The findings
of the study suggested that the attitudes of
secondary school administrators towards school
librarians and towards school library service
are highly positive.
Kennedy [7] in her study tried to explore
the attitudes of academic librarians towards
older adult users of the library. It was found
that age is not necessarily a debilitative factor
with regard to learning and motivation to learn
in older adults.
Churchlands & Nedlands[8] carried out
surveys of student attitudes to their respective
college libraries in Western Australia. Informa-
tion was sought on student attitudes to the
college library and attitude scores were re-
corded by relating students' actual feelings
about the college library, to their concepts of
the "ideal" library. Detailed analysis of the
data has yet to be undertaken for each library.
Minner-Van-Neygen[9] conducted his
study of students' attitudes towards the be-
havioural approach to library and information
sciences: an experiment involving the group as
an agent of change, and revealed that there is a
significant correlation between sex, level of
exposure to the behavioural sciences.
Olanlokurn [10] reported a study con-
ducted to determine the attitudes of the major
interest groups in Nigerian universities on lib-
rary policy, use and service specifically, the
attitudes of the faculty, students and librarians
on adequacy of resources, quality of library
collections and library services. The findings
strongly suggested more interaction with the
patrons. Users needs should also be given greater
attention.
Dhyani[ 11] conducted a study with a
sample of 100 readers at Rajasthan University
Library. The study emphasized that there should
be well-trained librarian offering reference
service to the readers. The need for library
instruction to readers in Rajasthan University
Library is also stressed. Preparation of a manual
like known your library is suggested for the
readers. The dissemination of latest information
to the faculty is also suggested.
Ann Lib Sci Doc
 USER STUDIES
SCOPE FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
While a large number of studies of information
needs have been carried out, results are difficult
to compare directly owing to the lack of stand-
ardisation in methods.
We need to know more about the context
in which information needs arise: this may
involve studies of attitudes and environment
surrounding members of the target group so
that information seeking attitude may be
better understood.
REFERENCES
1. Line•.M B: Student attitudes to the university lib-
rary : a survey at Southampton University. Journal
of Documentation 1963, 19(3), 100-117.
2. Line, M B and Tidmarsh, M: Student attitudes to
the University library : a second survey at South-
ampton University. Journal of Documentation
1966,22(2),123-135.
3. Urquhart, J A and Schofield.} L: Measuringreaders'
failure ·at the Shelf in three university libraries.
Journal of Documentation 1972,28(3),233-241.
Vol 32 Nos 3-4 ScptclIlbcrrk("('lll[wr 19R5
4. Bums, R Wand Hasty, R W: A Survey of user atti-
tudes towards selected services offered by the
Colorado State University Libraries. Fort Collins
(Co.), Colorado State University Libraries, 1973.
5. Ford, G: Research in user behaviour in university
libraries. Journal of Documentation 1973, 29(1),
85-106.
6. Canarie, A M: Attitudes of secondary school ad-
ministrators towards school librarians and school
library service. phD. Thesis, University of Wiscon-
sin - Madison, 1980.
7. Kennedy, M A: Service to older adult users of
academic libraries : a study of librarian attitudes.
Ph.D. Thesis, University of Pittsburgh, 1980. .
8. Churchlands and Nedlands: Survey of student atti-
tudes of college libraries : Research in progress in
western Australia. Crus News 1981, 10, 18.
9. Minner-Van-Neygen, Veerle: Students' attitudes
towards the behavioural approach to library and
information science : an experiment involving the
group as an agent of change. ph.D. Thesis, Univer-
sity of Pittsburgh, 1982.
10. Olanlokun, Simeon Olajire. A survey of the atti-
tudes of Nigerian University faculty, students and
librarians towards library policy, use and service.
Ph.D. Thesis, University of Pittsburgh, 1982.
11. Dhyani, P: Need for library instruction to readers
in Rajasthan University : a survey. Unesco Bulletin
for Libraries 1974, 28(3),156-59.
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