School Library Use Research Articles

Use of School Libraries by Teachers: the Case of Oman

This study, which was conducted in the first half of 2005, investigated the nature and extent of use of school libraries by teachers in preparatory and secondary schools in Oman. It evaluated in detail the types of material and the range of services used. It also assessed the extent of teachers' satisfaction with provision. The results of the survey revealed a low use of school libraries by teachers. School libraries held poor collections, especially of audiovisual materials, journals and electronic resources, and access to the Internet. Teachers expressed their dissatisfaction with library services which appeared poorly developed and tended to be traditional in character.

Use of Bostick's Library Anxiety Scale on undergraduate biological sciences students of Kuwait University

A modified version of the Library Anxiety Scale (LAS) consisting of 34 statements, originally developed by Bostick in 1992 [Bostick, S. L. (1992). The development and validation of the Library Anxiety Scale. PhD dissertation, Wayne State University] using American students, was administered to 145 undergraduate biological sciences students in Kuwait to test its suitability for a culturally different population. Factor analysis was used to determine the appropriate number of factors and statement groupings in each of these factors. It was found that the factor groupings of the present study vary considerably from those of Bostick's suggesting that the LAS, in its present form was designed using American students and is not suitable for a different cultural group. The findings of this study suggest that gender and school library use do not have any significant relationship with library anxiety in the Kuwaiti population. The language of instruction in school and school library use does affect one of the four factors of library anxiety. More research on diverse populations is needed to test the suitability of the LAS further. The study also proposes a quantitative measure for determining the levels of library anxiety in terms of no anxiety, low anxiety, mild anxiety, moderate anxiety, and severe anxiety.

Use of Bostick's Library Anxiety Scale on undergraduate biological sciences students of Kuwait University

A modified version of the Library Anxiety Scale (LAS) consisting of 34 statements, originally developed by Bostick in 1992 [Bostick, S. L. (1992). The development and validation of the Library Anxiety Scale. PhD dissertation, Wayne State University] using American students, was administered to 145 undergraduate biological sciences students in Kuwait to test its suitability for a culturally different population. Factor analysis was used to determine the appropriate number of factors and statement groupings in each of these factors. It was found that the factor groupings of the present study vary considerably from those of Bostick's suggesting that the LAS, in its present form was designed using American students and is not suitable for a different cultural group. The findings of this study suggest that gender and school library use do not have any significant relationship with library anxiety in the Kuwaiti population. The language of instruction in school and school library use does affect one of the four factors of library anxiety. More research on diverse populations is needed to test the suitability of the LAS further. The study also proposes a quantitative measure for determining the levels of library anxiety in terms of no anxiety, low anxiety, mild anxiety, moderate anxiety, and severe anxiety.

The Relationship between Undergraduates’ Background Characteristics and College Experiences and Their Academic Library Use

This study examines factors that influence undergraduates’ academic library use during the first three years of college. Undergraduates’ high school library use, student–faculty interactions, and active learning and engaged writing activities predicted library use for all three years of the study. There was an interesting relationship between undergraduate library use and self-reported and objective critical thinking scores. These findings are useful for the redesign of current academic library services and future research studies on information-seeking behavior.

Academic Success and School Library Use

Data were collected during a longitudinal survey of students undergoing initial teacher education in Transvaal, South Africa that permitted measures of association to be made between frequency of the students' school library use and their subsequent academic success at the tertiary level. No association was found between frequent use and academic success. It is suggested that future investigations need to assess the impact that specific programs in the school library to develop information skills have on students' academic success at the tertiary level. Greater use should be made of qualitative research methodology.

The Barkestorp Project: Investigating School Library Use

For many years a conscious effort has been made to integrate libraries (public as well as school libraries) into the teaching in elementary schools in the city of Kalmar, Sweden. The starting point was Lgr 80, the Swedish curriculum for elementary schools and what it had to say about libraries and the "investigative method of working." In what was called the Barkestorp project, the teaching and learning process for school children was under investigation for three years. Observations were made of the way school children worked after libraries had been introduced into the curriculum in a systematic and conscious way, of how they solved problems, and of the body of knowledge, specific to the school situation and more general in nature, that they acquired. In addition, the impact of the library on the cognitive process was observed, as was the role the school librarian played, or should play, in this. It was a process in which some interesting patterns gradually became discernible in the interaction between librarians and teachers.

The Effect of Same Input Factors on School Library Use

A sample of 342 secondary school libraries in Israel was studied in order to find which input factors were related to libary use, as indicated by circulation and visits in the library reading room. The study's hypotheses, based on the literature were: there is a relation between the rise of the library and: collection size, total working hours of the library staff, the librarian's professional education, opening hours of the library, and number of seats

A study of the use of school libraries by student teachers

A study of the use of school libraries by student teachers