1. Impact of User education programmes in the
Library, University of Jaffna – an appraisal
Arulanantham, S
Librarian, University of Jaffna
Navaneethkrishnan, S
Assistant Librarian, University of Jaffna
05/23/13
University ofKelaniya 13thAnnualResearch Symposium
22nd-23rd, 2012
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2. Gateway to UE
• One of the best way to improve the quality of education and ensure
lifelong learning
• For many, a step forward of the highest importance to the
profession of library and information science
• For some, One of the less sensible terms invented by the librarians
(line 1983)
• For researchers of west It is purely Bibliographic Instruction.
• For us, it is Library Orientation
• In actual sense , the composition of User awareness, Library
Orientation, Bibliographic Instruction and Interest Profiling
• Not a new concept. Widely used term in western literature
• More than 170 years old. The earliest evidence of instruction – a
librarian lecturing to undergraduates- found at Harvard college in
the 1820s.(Tiefel 1995).
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University of Kelaniya 13th Annual
Research Symposium 22nd-23rd,
2012
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3. Gateway to UE…UE- What?
• Educating the user how to use the library resources, services and facilities
effectively and efficiently. Democracy (Ideology), Education (methodology)
and library (service) were three components that constitute the essence of
user education.
UE- In What Level?
• The library orientation to those who are using the library for the first time
• subject oriented instruction for undergraduates at a stage when they are
admitted to a special branch or subject of their choice or at the time of
project work and
• literature search training in the beginning of their research work.
UE- How? Elements of UE
• the user education should take place as part of subject specific classes.
• librarians and teaching staff must work very closely together to ensure the
quality and focus of the class.
• the main dose of instruction should be given in lectures although this does
not preclude the student from seeking further help in the library.
Carson and Miller (1984)
05/23/13
University of Kelaniya 13th Annual
Research Symposium 22nd-23rd,
2012
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4. Existing Methods
• Most common method in Sri Lanka Lecturing with
library round. Concept of the 70s. Initiation of
freshman by S.R.R
• Classroom instructions- concepts of 80s.
• Bibliographic instruction by variety of scholars in
western context
• Library orientation Many proposes that In initial
stage library orientation is must. For students coming
from school without library should be given user
awareness
05/23/13
University of Kelaniya 13th Annual
Research Symposium 22nd-23rd,
2012
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5. Objectives of the study
The Broad objective
• to assess the effect of user education programme
of UOJL .
Specific Objectives
• To investigate the relevance of the user education
programme of UOJL,
• To determine the extent of utilization of the
resources,
• To assess the level of user interaction with the staff
of the library and
• To find out the student assessment about the user
education
05/23/13
University of Kelaniya 13th Annual
Research Symposium 22nd-23rd,
2012
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6. Related studies
• Vast number of research in 70s focuses on ‘library orientation’, In
80s, Bibliographic Instructions and in Present Era ‘Information
Literacy’
• Integration in curriculum has been the main concern in American
studies (Illiois University)
• Uk Studies too adopt this since the best way of assessing the user
education is to integrate it into the curriculum whether it is as part
of current courses or as an extra credit course. (Wilson 1997).
• Iranian experience suggests that libraries should employ expert and
skillful librarians who should offer user education to faculty, and
provide them with instructional material (Mohammadi 2008).
• South African studies indicate that to enable students make
maximum use of the library resources and services, they need
training on how to use them. Babasiki (1998)
• Sri Lankan experience shows only the situational analysis
( Ratnayake 2004)
05/23/13
University of Kelaniya 13th Annual
Research Symposium 22nd-23rd,
2012
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7. User education in UOJ- 3 different approaches
1. Improvements in existing systems
2. Session programmes
• 20 hours in 3 weeks.Topics covered- introductory
aspects of Library/ Information Resources/
Information Literacy/ Evaluation & Presentation of
Findings/ /Library Ethics/
3. Exhibitions
• Faces: Three library-a model/ World of object-tour/
World’s best Images – A Listing/ Here we are - A
sample/ Where you are – A test/ Take care of us – A
Practical/ Let’s go and find – A Guide/ Our best corner
– a face/ Know your role model- search/ Important
events of the day- a view/ World of serials- a
collection
05/23/13
University of Kelaniya 13th Annual
Research Symposium 22nd-23rd,
2012
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8. Methodology
Research method
• The study is based on the descriptive analysis of the quantitative
data.
Data instruments
• Readers’ attendance records,
• Opinion book of the viewers of the exhibition,
• feedback Questionaire from the students of session programmes
Data analysis
• Readers attendance record- Statistics of readers attendance for the
month of July to Dec 2009 were taken as sample for this study.
• Opinion Book- 190 opinions of the viewers in 2009 - 186 relevant 4
irrelevant
• Student category in school, undergraduate and post graduate
level(165). Staff (15). Others (6)
• Feedback Questionaire- 130 feedback forms of first year students
from faculty of management in 2010
05/23/13
University of Kelaniya 13th Annual
Research Symposium 22nd-23rd,
2012
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9. Result and Discussions
Summary
• remarkable (20%) increase in number of visit
of readers,
• enrichment of their information literacy level,
• appreciation and collaboration of
departments,
• development of library awareness and
• re- origination of documentation culture.
05/23/13
University of Kelaniya 13th Annual
Research Symposium 22nd-23rd,
2012
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10. Result and Discussions
Increase in number of visit-2009
05/23/13
University of Kelaniya 13th Annual
Research Symposium 22nd-23rd,
2012
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11. Result and Discussions
Appreciation from the viewers
• 98% of viewers fully appreciated the overall aspects of the exhibition. The
degree of approbation from the views could be summarized as follows.
They viewed the exhibition as
• A driving force for the search for knowledge and promotion of reading
culture.
• An introductory phase to the broad field of Information universe, a guide
to demarcate the limits of Information Search and an intellectual
motivation in the pursuit of Information Searching Techniques
• Thoughts into reality; Highly praiseworthy and knowledgeable
• Good effort, useful work, excellent arrangement
• A touch-stone for Information handling and evaluation
• A stepping stone for sharing of information in an ethical manner
• Creative, innovative, informative, Constructive, comprehensive as well as
impressive initiatives
• There is still a room for improvement suggested by some of the viewers of
exhibition while appreciating the exhibition as a whole.
05/23/13
University of Kelaniya 13th Annual
Research Symposium 22nd-23rd,
2012
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12. Result and Discussions
Library Awareness
• 50% viewers found that
overall arrangement of the
exhibition stimulate their
interest to use the library.
• 30% of the viewers felt that
3d Library is the best way to
stimulate their reading and
searching whereas
• 20% said this exhibition
made them to realize how
important a library to help
them in their educational
achievements.
Result and Discussions
Collaboration of depts
• arrangement were made to get
the support of the departments
to develop such kind of service.
• Discussions made with the staff
& Heads of Sociology,
Economics, History, Fine arts
Tamil, Language in the form of
personal interview to continue
the service to improve the
Information Literacy of their
students by providing related
images and objects of their
subject have a positive impact of
this study.
05/23/13
University of Kelaniya 13th Annual
Research Symposium 22nd-23rd,
2012
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13. Result and Discussions
Enrichment of Information literacy through Library
orientation programme
• 53.8% stated that basic
introduction given was
very helpful.
• 59.2% was highly satisfied
with the introduction
given with regard to
information resources.
• Besides, the study
revealed the fact that
students need additional
instruction during the
consecutive years.
05/23/13
University of Kelaniya 13th Annual
Research Symposium 22nd-23rd,
2012
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14. Result and Discussions
Development of Information Literacy through
exhibition
• 30% (50n) of viewers felt that this exhibition
has enriched their information literacy level.
• Eight of them expressed that this exhibition
stimulate their ability to think, the interest in
search habits and to maximize the use of the
library materials where as
• five of them were satisfied for the online
information retrieval.
05/23/13
University of Kelaniya 13th Annual
Research Symposium 22nd-23rd,
2012
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15. Result and Discussions
Re origination of Documentation Culture
• Object oriented display gained the highest rate of attention
(78n).
• 50% of the viewers felt that they were able to see the life
style of people through the objects displayed in the
exhibition.
• 10% of the viewers felt that objects exhibited highlights the
world culture in general and Tamil culture in specific.
• 20% viewers stated most of the antiques are unknown to
them and a documentation should be done to preserve
them for future generation.
• 5% amazed that reading promotion through evidence
based displays is an ideal concept to enhance reading
culture towards the development of the knowledge base
society.
05/23/13
University of Kelaniya 13th Annual
Research Symposium 22nd-23rd,
2012
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16. Suggestions and Conclusion
• There is a need felt for strategic planning in order to
develop a comprehensive user-education and training
programme at the national level.
• Training and retraining the readers in the use of Library
and library materials will ensure the quality of research
outcomes of the higher education sector in Sri Lanka.
• The UGC, the NILIS, National Library service and
Documentation Centre, university libraries, library
associations, library and information science
departments can play a pivotal role in this direction.
• Such national programmes can be customized at the
local level to suit institutional needs.
05/23/13
University of Kelaniya 13th Annual
Research Symposium 22nd-23rd,
2012
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17. References
• Babakisi T. Fidzani(1998). The Impact of user education at the University of
Bostwana library. Information Development, v14 n3 p123-26 Sep 1998
• Carlson, D and Miller, R (1984). Librarians and teaching faculty: partners in
bibliographic instruction. College and research libraries 45(6), 483-491.
• Clive Wilson(1997). Can we assess user education in the library. If so, How?
London: Thames Valley University.. http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/
deliberations/courses-and-resources/wilson.cf
• Fang P. and Daniel Callision (1990) “User Education in Academic Libraries of
China”. International Library Review, 22, p95-103.
• Rathore, J (1992). User education programmes in academic libraries. Lucknow
librarian, 24(3) 1992, 104-107
• Ratnayake, A.R.M.M (2004). Library user education programmes in Sri Lankan
Universities: an overview. In Journal of the University Library Association of Sri
Lanka. Vol.8, Dec 2004
• Tiefel, Virginia M(2010). Library user education: examining its past, projecting its
future. Library Trends, Fall, 1995.
• Agyen-Gyasi,K (2008). User education at the kuwami nikruma university of Science
and Technology(KNUST) library: prospects and challenges. Library philosophy and
practice. June,2008.
http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~mbolin/agyen-gyasi.pdf
05/23/13
University of Kelaniya 13th Annual
Research Symposium 22nd-23rd,
2012
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18. Thank You
Questions?
05/23/13
University of Kelaniya 13th Annual
Research Symposium 22nd-23rd,
2012
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19. Statement of the Research problem
• The intention of this research is to identify the impact
of user education programmes in the library,
University of Jaffna, using quantitative and descriptive
analysis of the readers visits, opinions, feedbacks and
the developments encountered after the user
education programmes with particular reference to
what are the forms and major impacts of these
programmes and, further, to gather ideas to improve
the quality of user education programmes provided by
library to users to enable them to make more
effective, efficient and independent use of information
sources, services.
05/23/13
University of Kelaniya 13th Annual
Research Symposium 22nd-23rd,
2012
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