Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Date of this Version
2022
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to assess the level of library anxiety among freshmen students at Central Luzon State University (CLSU) in the Philippines in order to develop an appropriate library program to help alleviate their anxieties and increase library usage, thereby contributing to student academic success. The survey questionnaire was used to gather the necessary information. It was adapted and modified from the psychometric instrument by Bostick Library Anxiety Scale (LAS) to measure the library anxiety level of 342 respondents using the systematic sampling design technique. Cronbach's alpha was calculated on the 57 statements. The test has strong reliability and validity, with a score of 0.921. In the statistical analysis, frequency, percent, mean, standard deviation, descriptive statistics, T-test, and (One-Way) ANOVA were utilized. The findings revealed that all factors, such as knowledge about the library, library regulations and policies, barriers with staff, affective barriers, information retrieval, comfort in using the library, and resource barriers, revealed mild levels of anxiety in the respondents. When library users are grouped based on their profile, such as age, sex, and frequency of library visits, they all exhibit the same level of anxiety. However, when it comes to information retrieval factors, males and females have significantly different mean scores. This suggests that men are more anxious than women. The factor "comfort of use of the library" also showed a significant difference in the frequency of library visits implying that freshmen students with higher levels of library anxiety visit the library and use library services less frequently. The study, therefore, suggested that librarians should be aware of the characteristics of anxious students and provide more anxiety-reduction strategies.