Library Anxiety Among Undergraduate Students with Visual Disabilities

Abstract

Library anxiety, a phenomenon characterized by discomfort, fear, or other negative emotions associated with navigating libraries, is a significant issue for many undergraduate students. This study, which examined the library anxiety reported by 37 visually disabled undergraduate students across seven state universities in Indonesia, sheds light on this critical topic. The measurement of library anxiety was based on the Malay Version of Bostick's Library Anxiety Scale, as adapted by Karim and Rashid (2016), which includes three factors: barriers with service providers, affective boundaries, and comfort with library technology. The research also explores library anxiety as a variable itself. The findings, derived from a descriptive quantitative research method using purposive sampling, reveal that visually disabled students experienced low levels of library anxiety. However, the anxieties experienced involved navigating the library facility and engaging with library technology. Notably, library anxiety, as its culminating variable, showed that male students experienced a higher level of library anxiety than female students. This study underscores the importance of applying the Bostick scale to explore more disabled students’ experiences with library anxiety, providing valuable insights for educators, policymakers, and researchers.