The Effect of Library Skills Instruction and Library Tours on Library Anxiety among Students

Subject Areas : Journal of Knowledge Studies

Mohammadamin Erfanmanesh ¹ ( Ph.D. Student of Library & Information Science, University of Malaya, Malaysia )
Reza Basirian Jahromi ² ( M.A. of Library & Information Science, Lecturer at Bushehr University of Medical Science )

Received: 2011-10-11 Accepted : 2012-02-11 Published : 2012-02-20

Keywords: Library Anxiety, Library Skills Instruction sessions, Library Tours, University of Malaya,

Abstract :

Objective:   This study aims to investigate the library anxiety of students, and the effect of library skills instruction and library tours on decreasing their library anxiety. Methodology: The population of study- which conducted using the “pre test-post test” experimental method- was 75 first year students at the University of Malaya, a research-intensive university in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. First, the levels of students’ library anxiety were investigated using a revised version of the Bostick’s Library Anxiety Scale. Then, study participants were divided into three groups: first group participated in educational library skills instruction sessions; second group participated in library tours without attending in library skills instruction sessions; and students in the third group neither participated in library skills instruction sessions nor library tours. Findings: The levels of participant’s library anxiety were investigated using the same instrument after two weeks. Findings of the study revealed that although there were no statistically significant differences between pre-test of three groups, the levels of library anxiety among the students in the second group were statistically significantly decreased. On the other hand, students in the second group reported to have experienced lower levels of library anxiety after participation in library skills instruction sessions, but not at a statistically significant level.                        

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