Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Date of this Version
Winter 12-31-2021
Abstract
The existence of an academic environment is incomplete without a functioning library, which forms the fulcrum of all academic institutions in knowledge development and information depository. Irrespective of the format, information must be protected and persevered for posterity. The study used a descriptive design method based on both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Structured Questionnaire was used to obtain data from 210 respondents while for the qualitative data the researcher interviewed the Heads of Automation and Readers’ Services Units of the three universities studied. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, frequencies, percentage, mean and standard deviation. The formats of information resources available and preferred by the undergraduates were text books (=2.84) for print information format and internet material (=2.65) for non-print information format. The respondents ranked textbooks (=3.52) and E-books (=3.47) as the highest accessible Print and non-print formats respectively. The study concluded by recommending that university libraries should invest more in the acquisition of current and updated textbooks and e-books that were found to be the preferred formats of library information resources by the respondents.
Abstract
The existence of an academic environment is incomplete without a functioning library, which forms the fulcrum of all academic institutions in knowledge development and information depository. Irrespective of the format, information must be protected and persevered for posterity. The study used a descriptive design method based on both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Structured Questionnaire was used to obtain data from 210 respondents while for the qualitative data the researcher interviewed the Heads of Automation and Readers’ Services Units of the three universities studied. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, frequencies, percentage, mean and standard deviation. The formats of information resources available and preferred by the undergraduates were text books (=2.84) for print information format and internet material (=2.65) for non-print information format. The respondents ranked textbooks (=3.52) and E-books (=3.47) as the highest accessible Print and non-print formats respectively. The study concluded by recommending that university libraries should invest more in the acquisition of current and updated textbooks and e-books that were found to be the preferred formats of library information resources by the respondents.