A Survey on Students’ Opinion about Library Ambience and Facilities-Annamalai University

Abstract

A well-stocked Academic library caters the students with its knowledge treasure and a pleasant ambience. Annamalai University is one among the University in Tamil Nadu which has a state of art library ambience and facilities. Library ambience provides the students a healthy environment to focus and keep concentrated on their studies which cannot be provided to them in the classroom. The main aim of the study is to elucidate how the students pursuing studies in Annamalai University perceive the library ambience and facilities on par with the quality standards. A total of 110 questionnaires were distributed among the students and 102 students were responded to the study. The response rate is 92.7%. Among the 102 enrolled students, 72 are male students and 30 are female students. Majority of the respondents’ age is between 23 and 27 (54.9%). Majority of respondents are doing Post graduation (30.4%). Majority of the respondents are studying Arts Degrees (57.8%). 56.9% of the respondents have the practice of visiting library daily. Majority of the respondents stay in the library for less than half an hour (52.0%). Majority of the students visit library to use books or articles (56.9%). 27.53% of the students strongly feel good about their library physical space and facilities. Respondents’ strongly agree positive percentages on each quality factors are as follows: Well designed, Organized & well-maintained (36.76%), Light & Air Ventilation (31.05%), Accessibility (30.8%), Conductive Environments for Motivation and Concentration (29.41%), Access to water facility/toilet (29.41%), Safety (27.45%), Furniture (25.98%), Variety of learning space (23.77%), Computers/Internet/Technical facilities (21.57%), Navigation (21.32%), Power facilities and charge points (21.08%). On the total, the 27.53% of the respondents strongly agree that the library physical space has good quality factors. Majority of the respondents express complaints about the library physical spaces and facilities by Talking to the library staff (68.8%). The statistical t-test (P value 0.984) shows up that there is no significant difference between male and female students’ opinion on library physical space. The statistical ANOVA test (P value 0.442) shows up there is no significant difference among students’ opinion on library physical space and age groups. The main outcome of this study will represent the quality of the library infrastructure developed in Annamalai University and diffuse the quality of learning imbibed in Annamalai University. Also the articulated the students’ opinions from the study will directly help the university library to review or revive or rejuvenate their ambience.