An investigation into the ease of use of a small technikon library

Abstract

This article presents and discusses the findings of a user survey at a technikon satellite library in the Mpumalanga province. The purpose of the investigation was firstly to determine the extent to which pre-graduate students find particular library services, facilities and information sources either easy or difficult to use, and secondly to determine whether students who received library instruction found the library's services more easy to use than students who haven't received library instruction. A questionnaire to gather the information was distributed to all students entering the library over a period of seven days. Although a non-probability sampling method was used, the findings can be regarded as valid as the respondents represent 29.5% of the total student population on the campus. The results showed that of the list of library activities covered in the survey, the largest number of students regarded the use of photocopiers easy to use, while the smallest number of students regarded the online computer catalogues easy to use. The results also showed students who received library instruction did not necessarily find the library's services, facilities and information sources easy to use.