ERIC Number: ED255221
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1985-Jan
Pages: 46
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Michigan State University Library. A Final Report from the Public Services Research Projects. Non-Users of the MSU Libraries: An Assessment of Characteristics, Perceptions, and Needs at Michigan State University. One of a Series of Self-Studies and Research Projects.
Link, Terry; And Others
This self-study--part of a series of studies conducted at Michigan State University Libraries--was designed to elicit information regarding non-use of the library by members of the academic community. A telephone survey questionnaire was administered to a stratified systematic sample of students and faculty members, and 1,269 students and 211 faculty members were interviewed. Frequent users among the students differed significantly from infrequent users in several ways: frequent users were more likely to be expected to write term papers and short papers, while infrequent users were more likely to report that library use was irrelevant to their coursework, there were too many demands on their time, the library was too complex, or its location was inconvenient. The chief difference between frequent and infrequent users among the faculty was the perception of need. Infrequent users were more likely to report they had no need to use the library. The importance of the library as an information source was rated very or extremely high by 97% of the faculty and 84% of the students. The questionnaires and their results are appended. (Author/THC)
Descriptors: Academic Libraries, College Faculty, College Students, Higher Education, Information Needs, Library Administration, Library Facilities, Library Materials, Library Planning, Library Research, Library Services, Position Papers, Research Libraries, Self Evaluation (Groups), Use Studies, User Satisfaction (Information)
Association of Research Libraries, Office of Management Studies, 1527 New Hampshire Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20036 ($15.00 per copy, prepaid).
Publication Type: Opinion Papers; Reports - Evaluative; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Practitioners
Language: English
Sponsor: General Electric Foundation, Ossining, NY.
Authoring Institution: Michigan State Univ., East Lansing. Univ. Libraries.; Association of Research Libraries, Washington, DC. Office of Management Studies.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A