Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Date of this Version
3-2012
Abstract
The present period is marked by rapid change in the manner in which scientific and technical information is acquired, created, stored, repackaged, retrieved and disseminated. Access to current and retrospective agricultural sciences literature play an important role in ensuring that agricultural scientists at all levels may able to maintain high standards of research, teaching, training and consultancy. The results of agricultural research are published through various channels of communication in order that the information may be communicated/ transmitted to the agricultural scientists as speedily as possible. It is essential that the agricultural scientists be informed timely of latest innovations and developments in their concerned areas. The users' is an important component of all kind of information systems in building the most adequate collection of the resources in their respective fields. Research on information use, information seeking has been undertaken since a long time particularly in the developed countries. But in India not much research is reported particularly in the sector of agricultural sciences hence, the present study is an outcome of a research in this perspective by the researcher. In the present study researcher attempt to investigate the various issues related to the study such as information use, level of users' satisfaction, difficulties faced by agricultural scientists while seeking information, which help to the agricultural libraries and librarians in building their library collections more rationale.
Literature Review
People often talk about information needs when, in fact they are referring to want or use. While both are primarily manifestations of need. Information needs arise out of a desire to meet one or other of three basic human needs i.e., physiological needs (need for food, shelter, etc.,), psychological needs (need for domination, security, etc.,) and cognitive needs (need to plan, learn a skill, etc.,) Satija and Singh1 (2006). According to Marchionini 2 (1997) 'information seeking as a process in which humans engage to purposefully change their state of knowledge. The process is inherently interactive as information seekers direct attention on adapt to stimuli, reflect on progress, and evaluate the efficacy of knowledge base of the information seeker. Information seeking is thus a cybernetic process in which knowledge state is changed through inputs, purposive outputs, and feedback. For Kuhlthau3 (1993) information seeking begins with an initiation stage. During this stage, the information seeker first becomes aware of the need to gather information. The task during this stage is to recognize the initial need for information. Subbaiah4 (1982 identified the five levels of information needs of agriculture scientists. This study was based on his experience of classifying the micro literature of agro biological subjects. The study reveals that retrieval of information is effective through a systematic organization pattern of information sources based upon users information needs. According to Chakraborty5 (2003) that agriculture scientists rely more frequently on scientific/technical journals than on teachers. Dulle (2001)6 agriculture information services rendered by the libraries and information centres should be improved up to the level the scientists need. Chatman7 (1996) stated that, there are barriers and constraints that face people during the cause of seeking information on their research work.