Extent of utilization, users' satisfaction and perceived adequacy of the West Visayas State University medicine library resources, services and facilities

Abstract

This study was conducted to assess the present status of the West Visayas State University Medicine Library as perceived by the medical students of the said Institution. The study specifically intended to determine: (1) the extent of utilization of the library resources, services and facilities; (2) the level of satisfaction; (3) the perceived level of adequacy of library resources, services and facilities; (4) whether the extent of utilization vary according to student year level; (5) whether the level of satisfaction has a significant difference when respondents are grouped according to year level; (6) variation in the perceived level of adequacy of the medical library resources, services and facilities and year level; (7) relationship between extent of utilization and level of satisfaction; (8) relationship between perceived level of adequacy and level of satisfaction and (9) the association between extent of utilization and level of adequacy. The respondents of the study were one hundred fifty - three (153) randomly chosen medical students from first to third year levels, and of which fifty-four (54) were in the first year; fifty-six (56) were in second year and forty-three (43) in the third year who served as the respondents in the study. The fourth year students were not included for the obvious reason that they seldom, if ever, used the library. This descriptive - relational study employed a pattern questionnaire formulated in relation to similar general library assessment studies currently done with other libraries. The questionnaire was content- validated by the panel of experts and was pretested for reliability. The test-retest method was utilized to determine the reliability of the questionnaire. The study was personally conducted from December 1, 2009 - January 8, 2010. After retrieval of the questionnaire, the data were encoded and processed, using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software for MS Windows Version 11.5. Data were analyzed using the frequency count, percentages, mean, analysis of the variance (ANOVA) and gamma. Major Findings of the Study Of the library resources, the medical books, newspapers and magazines (recreational) were highly utilized while the least utilized were the MEDLINE Database, vertical files / clippings and HERDIN Database. In terms of library services the aspects which were highly rated were the library service hours, availability of librarian/s or working student/s to attend to users' needs and book reservations. The least rated were the loan of library resources and other materials, library orientation was given once a year or as needed on interlibrary services. With regards to the library facilities, the highly utilized were the chairs, reading tables and study carrels, the least utilized were the computer units, manual card catalog for books and periodical card index. The overall result showed that library resources, services and facilities were seldom utilized by the medical users. From this it can be deduced that there is a poor utilization of all library areas. As regards satisfaction in the area of library resources, medical students were satisfied with the medical books, newspapers and dictionary while they were very dissatisfied with the DVDs,VCDs and HERDIN Database. As to library services, library users were satisfied with the availability of librarian/s or working student/s to cater to users library needs, library service hours, reference interview and internet access, encoding, printing, etc. They were fairly satisfied with the library orientation and interlibrary services. In the area of library facilities, medical library users were satisfied with the chairs, reading tables, bookstand and computer units. They were very dissatisfied with the manual periodical card index as well as the manual card catalog for books. The overall result shows that medical library users were fairly satisfied with the library resources, services and facilities. By association, therefore, it was observed that the satisfaction of the students on a particular item in the library resources, services and facilities is consistent with the items or areas they correspondingly utilized. The respondents regarded the newspapers, medical books and dictionary to be moderately adequate, while the DVDs, VCDs and vertical files /clippings as not adequate. In terms of library services, library services hours, availability of librarian/s or working student/s to cater to users' library needs were found to be highly adequate. On the other hand, the reference interview, internet access, encoding and printing, etc. and the library orientation were perceived as inadequate. Interlibrary services or referrals for the use of other libraries were found to be inadequate. With regards to the library facilities, library users perceived the chairs, reading tables, bookstands and computer units to be adequate while the manual periodical card index and manual catalog for books were perceived as not adequate. These, results showed that the perception of the medical library users in terms of library resources, services and facilities was only on the adequacy level. The year level of the medical students has no significant bearing on the variation of the extent of utilization of the library resources, services and facilities. On the other hand, the students' level of satisfaction with the library resources and services significantly varied according to year level but not so with the library facilities. However, the general level of satisfaction with all library areas significantly varied according to year level. The perceived level of adequacy of the library resources, services and facilities were found to vary significantly in all library areas. A significant positive relationship was found between the extent of utilization and level of satisfaction. The result of the study indicated that the perceived level of adequacy of the library resources, services and facilities was either very highly related or significantly related to the level of satisfaction. Similarly, the study revealed that the extent of utilization was found to be positively associated/related to the perceived level of adequacy. Conclusions Based on the findings of this study the following conclusions are drawn. 1. Medical students seldom utilized the library resources and facilities. The library services were sometimes utilized. The overall result showed that library resources, services and facilities were seldom utilized by the medical users. 2. Medical students were fairly satisfied with the library resources, services and facilities. 3. Medical students perceived library resources, services and facilities as adequate or sufficient for their research and informational needs. 4. The academic residence of the medical students had no significant bearing on the extent of utilization of all library areas namely resources, services and facilities. 5. The medical students' level of satisfaction varied according to year level. 6. The library users perceived level of adequacy of the library resources, services and facilities as adequate when taken as a whole and when classified according to year level. The ratings for each group level significantly differed from each other. 7. Among respondents the third year level had the highest extent of utilization. 8. Extent of utilization on the library resources, services and facilities was found to be associated with their level of satisfaction. This implies that whenever library resources, services and facilities were utilized, satisfaction would also be experienced. 9. The perceived level of adequacy on the library resources, services and facilities significantly related with the level of satisfaction. 10. The extent of utilization and perceived level of adequacy are directly proportional which means that the two variables had a positively high association or relationship. This means that the higher the extent of utilization of the library resources, services and facilities the higher the perceived level of adequacy. Recommendations Based on the findings and conclusions drawn from the study, the following are recommended: 1. In view of the poor utilization by the medical students of library resources an aggressive marketing plan to promote awareness and usefulness of the library should be developed and implemented, which should carry a good budget component. Another means would be to require the faculty to give students assignments which will promote the use of library resources and library activities. 2. The need to improve the currency of the books, DVDs, VCDs and other such library material on hand by purchase or renewal of subscription to electronic resources such as e-books and e-journals, to supplement the research, academic and instructional needs of the library users. 3. The upgrading of the library services and facilities by providing more automated library services so that library users will have convenience in borrowing / returning books and other library materials as well as providing an online public access catalog which should be operational June 2010 to enhance the search and retrieval system of the resources. Likewise, online reference services, reservation of book/s should be made available to all library users. 4. Poor interlibrary services or consortium with other medical institutions and non - governmental agencies as singled out, should be evaluated and improved. In the same manner, the college should develop linkages with medical institutions in local, national and international levels. 5. Promotion of the library resources, services and facilities by giving orientation, selective information dissemination, bulletin and library instruction every semester, with faculty as the joint target audience. 6. Encourage medical doctors / faculty to give assignments to the students as well as library activities in order to promote usage of the library. 7. Future researchers who will undergo a parallel study to include other medical higher institutions of learning in order to have a wider basis for making more conclusive findings to further pursue similar intentions towards quality medical education. 8. Further specific evaluative studies should be conducted to evaluate or assess the medical library and respondents should include the faculty, junior interns, post - graduate interns, alumni, consortium schools and other colleges within the institutions who are using the medical library resources, services and facilities.