Magister Bibliothecologiae - MBibl / South Africa

This study investigated the use of the E. G. Malherbe Library of the University of Natal, Durban (UNO), by non-registered users, with the aim of finding out who these users were, why they used the library, what resources and services they used and what questions they most often asked the subject librarians. The study focused on the E. G. Malherbe Library as it is the main library of the Durban campus and because of its frequent use by non-registered users. The tertiary system in South Africa was discussed to provide background information about the operation of the University of Natal and its libraries. The University is a member of the Eastern Seaboard Association of Tertiary Institutions (ESATI), an organisation that promotes co-operation among tertiary institutions in KwaZulu-Natal. The academic libraries of the six institutions making up ESATI have formed the Eastern Seaboard Association of Academic Libraries (ESAL). The E.G. Malherbe Library is a member of ESAL. The University's membership of these organisations has implications for co-operation and the reciprocal use of libraries in the region. Literature dealing with the use of academic libraries by external users worldwide was examined to provide a wider context within which to view the present study. The survey method was used and questionnaires were distributed to non- registered users as they entered the Library. A self-selected sample of 149 users completed the questionnaire. A separate questionnaire was distributed to the total of three subject librarians of the E.G. Malherbe Library. The results revealed that most of the non-registered users were full-time students registered at tertiary institutions in and around Durban, many of whom were members of ESAL. The majority of students involved in the study came from the University of Durban Westville, the University of Zululand, Technikon Natal, M.L. Sultan Technikon and Mangosuthu Technikon. Among the reasons students gave for using the library were that it had relevant materials for their needs, it provided them with a place to study, it was close to where they lived and the staff at the library were helpful. The materials used most frequently were books, followed by periodicals. Indications were given that the Library was better stocked than many other libraries in the area. From the types of questions asked and the assistance which was required from subject librarians, it was clear that these users had deficient library use skills. The non-registered users benefited from the library's long opening hours but were unhappy about being excluded from borrowing privileges. Recommendations were made for improving the teaching of library use skills at tertiary institutions in the region and agreements regarding access for students to libraries which are members of ESAL need to be concluded speedily to normalise use. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.

As academic libraries continue to evolve as service organizations, they should focus on their users. This calls for a better understanding of the specific needs of library users in order to provide the appropriate type and level of service that meets those needs. The overriding goal will be user satisfaction. In this study, a survey was used to determine the levels of satisfaction of post-graduate education students with library services at the University of Transkei. A questionnaire was administered to 100 post-graduate education students registered in 1998 of which 57 responded. The most important finding that emerged from the analysis of the responses was that the majority of the respondents were in general satisfied with the library services offered at UNITRA. However, dissatisfaction was expressed by at least twenty percent of respondents with noise levels, opening hours, lack of photocopiers, the accuracy of the library catalogue, materials being in their correct place, inefficient staff and interloans. It was found that respondents were reluctant to commit themselves to expressing high levels of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Suggestions made by respondents included computerization and the need for staff training. Recommendations based on the findings were then made followed by suggestions for further research. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1999.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between selected basic library skills and the use of the library by freshman community college students, and to determine or evaluate the extent to which the use of the library by such students is related to or influenced by the level of their library skills. The population utilized in this study was the total enrollment of freshman students beginning their second semester of study at two typical Texas rural community colleges, namely Cooke County College at Gainesville, Texas, and Grayson County College at Sherman, Texas. Data regarding library skills were obtained through the use of a standardized test instrument, A Library Orientation Test for College Freshmen. Data regarding library use, relevant demographic traits, and selected control variables (age, sex, hours worked, self-perceived library skills, school attended, a measure of intelligence, marital status, and major course of study) were obtained through the use of a specially prepared questionnaire instrument. Through the use of generalized scattergrams with both present study and pilot study data a possible simple linear relationship was found to obtain between library skills and library use in both instances. Bivariate Spearman correlations were then computed for all variables considered in the present study. Those variables showing a strength greater than 0.10 were "promoted" to Pearson correlation values and utilized as input for a multiple linear regression analysis. A conjectural model was constructed from the output of the multiple linear regression analysis which suggested that, if the direction of influence is ignored, the relative importance of the variables utilized in this procedure would be, from most important to least important, tested library skills, hours worked other than attending school, age, and self-perceived library skills.

"The purpose of this paper is to define the value, functions, and use of a central library today as the writer understands it; to describe the historical development of the Madison Elementary Library; and to analyze specific examples and uses of a central library in the writer's own classroom showing how instruction was improved by means of a wider variety of materials used to meet the individual needs of one group of pupils"--Introduction. / "June, 1951." / Typescript. / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts under Plan II." / Advisor: Robert C. Moon, Professor Directing Paper. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 38-39).

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the patterns of library usage of student teachers and lecturers, the factors influencing their usage behaviour and the methods used by lecturers to promote use. A case study was conducted at Tonota College of Education in Botswana. Questioning data collection methods were used. A total of 172 student teachers and 84 lecturers were selected by means of stratified random sampling. The findings revealed that both student teachers and lecturers made frequent use of the library. Borrowing for curriculum-related use constituted more than half of the reasons why student teachers and lecturers used the library. Most of the lecturers indicated that they adopted topic assignments as a method of motivating students to make use of the library. This was confirmed by the majority of student teachers. Most student teachers perceived the College Library as contributing to their educational success. / M. A (Information Science) / Information Science

Purpose–This study has examined the information behaviour and perception of information in a group ofinformation users who have a critical approach to the media and the information supply. Some of them call themselvesor are being called conspiracy theorists. The purpose was to examine how their information behaviour is influenced by the belief that the information is biased or inaccurate and what the information behaviour looks like when the user searches for discrepancies rather than a response to a question. Method–The study is based on transcribed interviews and email responses to interview questions. The model used to analyze the source material is Christine Bruceʼs seven categories of information literacy as presented in Seven Faces of Information Literacy. The outcome is compared with other user studies. Subsequently, the source material has been studied through Michel Foucaultʼs discourse theory. Focus is on power, anti-discourses and institutions. Findings–The analyses have shown that the informants have a sufficiently uniform information behaviour to be studied as a user group. Their information behaviour is focused on different strategies for evaluating information and understanding courses of events. This behaviour is based on a critical approach to what is considered as "truth" in the discourse. Originality/value–The user group has not been studied before in LIS research. Paper type–This is a two years master’s thesis in library and information science in Archive, Library and Museum studies.

The study investigated the information literacy skills among Form Five students at government senior secondary schools in Gaborone, Botswana. The results of the study will be used in the improvement of the Information Literacy Course offered at the University of Botswana Library (UBL). Background information was given on education in Botswana and also a brief history of the evolution of the University of Botswana, an overview of the University of Botswana Library and highlights of the schools in the study. The researcher designed a questionnaire in order to achieve the objectives of this study. A sample of 240 Form Five students was drawn from four senior secondary schools situated in Gaborone, Botswana. Purposive sampling was used to draw the sample. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was employed in the analysis of data. The results were presented in frequency tables, analyzed and discussed. The findings of the study revealed that the students at senior secondary schools did not have sufficient competence in translating information problems into information needs. Their ability to use a variety of sources was not well developed. The study further revealed that the students were not motivated to look for information sources by their teacher by, for example, giving them assignments that required them to use the library resources. Students' skills in the evaluation of the accuracy, currency and authority of information sources were found to be under-developed. The study showed that the students were not given any form of user education at any of the schools. The study also found that staffing problems in senior secondary school libraries contributed to the lack of information literacy of the students. The situation was more obvious in cases where there was no full-time librarian to run the library. Conclusions were drawn and recommendations and suggestions for further studies were made. / Thesis (M.I.S)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

The aim of this study is to investigate the level of awareness of history teachers in public secondary schools in Nairobi, Kenya, of the benefits of library use for the curriculum. The availability of school libraries in public secondary schools in Nairobi provided a context for this investigation into teacher library use. In order to establish if libraries are used effectively, or used at all, for curriculum purposes, literature on this was searched and little came from Nairobi or even Kenya. This lack of information in this area formed a justification for investigation because libraries exist in many public schools in Nairobi and they have the potential to have a positive influence. A survey of literature internationally illustrates the degree of the serious attention both history as a discipline, and library and the curriculum receive. History is given attention because of its role in both maintaining and revolutionising order in a country. In the case of resource-based learning, many countries have shifted to a child-centred approach. This requires much more use of libraries than traditional teaching methods. The evaluation of teacher and librarian views was undertaken by means of a survey. In the survey questionnaires were used. The population was that provided by the Director of Education in Nairobi and a corresponding list of schools where teachers and librarians were employed is given. The findings of the survey established the level of awareness of history teachers to resource based education that took account of library-curriculum partnership. The study established the need for greater attention towards school libraries in the allocation of budgets, building resources that are needed, and management. Staff development of both teachers and librarians was suggested in order to promote resource-based education. To achieve this, a written policy on the management of school libraries is suggested. / Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1999.

Abstract available in pdf file.