Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and College Libraries in Bhutan for Educational Achievement: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Information is a vital and indispensable component of any education system. College libraries and internet facilities are the two information retrieval sources for academic works. This study aims to identify the preferable option (internet facilities vs library) for students for academic purposes. This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study recruited faculties, non-faculty staff, and students of Gedu College of Business Studies. The questionnaire was self-administered and responses were collected. Descriptive test was used for statistical analysis. The responses of 181 participants (male 53.6%; female 46.4%) were used for analysis (response rate 95.2%). Participants responded that internet was more easily accessible (74.1% vs 24.9%), more frequently used (78.5% vs 21.5%), for academic purpose (74.1% vs 24.9%), and holds more value in life of learners (60.7% vs 39.3%). Participants remain divided on the reliability of the source of information (internet 53.6 % vs library 46.4). However, the library was considered the cheaper (72.9% vs 27.1%) source of information. While 96.1 % of respondentsuse both sources, most (71.3%) participants feel that college should focus on developing internet facilities.Both libraries and the internet are used for academic purposes in college. However, there is a greater need to prioritize and invest in internet facilities for future educational needs.