Awareness, perceived adequacy and extent of utilization of library services, resources and facilities of St. Therese-MTC Colleges libraries

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the users’ assessment of the St. Therese MTC Colleges Libraries concerning their (a) awareness to services, resources and facilities (b) perceived adequacy and (c) extent of utilization. The result of the study was intended to serve as basis for a library collection development plan for the College. The respondents of the study were chosen using stratified random sampling for the students while complete enumerations were used for the faculty because there were only few. These were grouped accordingly as faculty and students, representing the St. Therese-MTC Colleges community, library clientele and served as the main respondents of the study. The faculty respondents consisted of 141 faculty members from La Fiesta Site (72); Magdalo Site (43); and Tigbauan Site (26). There were 363 student respondents coming from three different campus site and departments, thus a total of 504 respondents. This was a descriptive-correlational study that employed the one-shot survey design using a questionnaire checklist. It was constructed by the researcher specifically to meet the purpose of this study. The questionnaire was content-validated by the panel of experts and was pre-tested for reliability using the Alpha Cronbach’s. The questionnaire was personally conducted from January 11-20, 2010 in the gap-span of ten days and after retrieval, the data were encoded and processed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software for MS Windows Version 16.0. Data were analyzed using frequency count, percentages, mean, t-test, ANOVA and Chi-square. Major Findings 1. Majority of the faculty members were male (67.4 percent), employed at the La Fiesta Site. The Maritime department dominated the total number of respondents. A little less than one-third (31.9 percent) of the faculty members were bachelor’s degree holders, while more than one-half (55.3 percent) were master’s degree holders and a little portion of 12.8 percent held doctorate degrees. On the other hand, a little more than two-thirds (65.3 percent) of the student respondents were male and a little more than one-third (34.7 percent) were female. Nearly half (49.6 percent) of them were enrolled at the La Fiesta Site and belonged to HRM department. 2. The faculty members’ level of awareness obtained the over-all mean of 1.95 which indicated that they were very aware of the services, resources and facilities provided by the library. The finding showed no variation in the level of awareness on the library services, resources and facilities according to sex, site, department and educational attainment of the faculty members. On the other hand, on the students’ level of awareness, it was found out that students were very aware of the services, resources and facilities of the St. Therese-MTC Colleges libraries of the three campus site indicated by the mean of 1.91. Results showed that significant difference does not exist in the level of awareness of library services, resources and facilities when grouped according to sex, site and department. 3. The faculty members’ perception of the library services, resources and facilities were found out to be adequate with the mean of 2.27. Results showed that significant difference did not exist in the level of perception on the adequacy of library services, resources and facilities when grouped according to sex, site and educational attainment. On the other hand, they differed significantly according to department or college they belonged to, specifically in the area of services and resources, while in the area of facilities, significant differences did not exist. Likewise, the students’ level of perception on the adequacy of services, resources and facilities showed the mean of 2.09, indicating that student’s perception was that they were adequate. Furthermore, students’ results showed that significant difference did not exist in the level of perception on the adequacy of library services, resources and facilities when grouped according to sex and department specifically in the area of services and resources, whereas when grouped according to site in all areas and department the aspect of facilities showed that a significant difference existed. 4. Faculty members’ extent of utilization with the mean of 2.28 indicates that they sometimes utilized the library services, resources and facilities provided by the library. Results showed that significant difference did not exist in the extent of utilization of library services, resources and facilities by the faculty members when grouped according sex, site, department and educational attainment. On the other hand, the students’ extent of utilization obtained the mean of 2.10, which revealed that they sometimes utilized the services and resources provided in the library. The results showed, that no significant difference exist in the extent of utilization of library services, resources and facilities of students when grouped according to age and department in the area of resources. On the other hand, significant difference existed in the extent of utilization of library services, resources and facilities when grouped according to site and department only in the area of services and facilities. 5. Findings revealed that, there is no significant association between the level of awareness and perceived adequacy of the library services, resources and facilities among faculty members. Likewise, relationship between the level of awareness and perceived adequacy of the library services and facilities among students did not exist. However, in the area of resources, there is significant relationship between the level of awareness and perceived adequacy of resources among students. 6. Relationship between the level of awareness and extent of utilization of the library services, resources and facilities among faculty members also did not exist. The same pattern again for students was observed, except for the area of resources, where there was significant association in the area of resources. 7. In general, there was a relationship between the level of perceived adequacy and extent of utilization of the library services, resources and facilities among faculty members and students. Conclusions In the light of the above findings, the following conclusions were drawn: 1. Faculty who were married comprised the majority. Most of them were employed at La Fiesta Site and have master’s degree. Moreover, most of the students were male and one-third were enrolled in Maritime department at Magdalo site. 2. Almost all of the faculty members and students were aware of the library services, resources and facilities offered and provided by the St. Therese-MTC Colleges libraries of three sites. There is no variation in the level of awareness of the library services, resources and facilities when grouped according to their characteristics. 3. The faculty members and students level of perception on the adequacy of library services, resources and facilities were adequate. The level of perception on the adequacy of library services, resources and facilities among faculty did not significantly differ when grouped according to their characteristics. On the other hand, the level of perception on the adequacy of library services, resources and facilities among students does not significantly differ when grouped according to sex and department specifically in the area of services and resources, whereas when grouped according to site in all area and department in the area of facilities, significant difference exist. 4. The faculty members and students sometimes utilized the library services, resources and facilities. Significant difference does not exist in the extent of utilization of library services, resources and facilities when faculty members were grouped according to their characteristics. Likewise, significant difference does not exist in the extent of utilization of library services, resources and facilities among students when grouped according to sex and department in the area of resources, while significant difference exists in the extent of utilization of library services, resources and facilities when grouped according to site and department only in the area of services and facilities. 5. The level of awareness is not significantly related with perceived adequacy of the library services, resources and facilities among faculty members. Likewise, the level of awareness is not significantly related with perceived adequacy of the library services, and facilities among students, whereas in the resources significant relationship exists. 6. The level of awareness is not significantly related with extent of utilization of the library services, resources and facilities among faculty members. In addition, the level of awareness is not significantly related with extent of utilization of the library services, and facilities among students, whereas in the resources significant relationship exists. 7. The level of perceived adequacy is significantly related with extent of utilization of the library services, resources and facilities among faculty members and students. Recommendations Based on the findings and conclusions, the following are suggested: 1. Even if almost all of the faculty members and students were aware of the services, resources and facilities provided by the library, it is recommended that the management should strive to follow through with increased promotional activities for library users in meeting their academic undertakings. Thus, librarian and library staff should continue to further educate the users. Regular library orientations should be conducted to acquaint students with existing and new services and programs offered by the library. 2. Level of adequacy of the library services, resources and facilities were rated as adequate by the faculty members’ and students’. The library managers however, should spend their budget wisely in the selection and acquisition of related materials and references that will support the curricular offerings of the college. Those items rated by the respondent as not adequate should be strengthened and those were rated as highly adequate be maintained. The need for additional computer units, printers and audio-visual room should be noted and considered in the development of library. The great demand of the library users for resources in technology should be given more attention. Likewise, administrators should support the developmental plans and programs of the library. A wider library may be provided to accommodate the growing number of students and collections. 3. Library use should be maximized in all the library services, resources and facilities. Whereas, results revealed that faculty members and students use those services and resources as “sometimes” only, there is much need to encourage faculty members to disseminate to their students the importance of the library in their studies. Likewise, they should look into the needs of personnel, in terms of training through seminars and workshop for updating with new strategies to handle library clients and apply new technology for today’s needs. 4. The library managers should continually seek for the development and improvement of the library resources, students’ orientation on what are the new resources available in the library. New acquisition of print and non-print materials should be posted on the bulletin board of the library including the student’s bulletin board for information dissemination. More online database should be available to be used by the user, more journal and magazine titles should be purchased. Available resources in the library should be emphasized in the orientation program for the students to be aware of these resources found in the three campus site of St. Therese-MTC Colleges. 5. Non-print materials should be introduced to both faculty and students should have adequate copies. Faculty members should be encouraged to use the non-print materials such as audio visual materials for the classes thus the students could also utilize these resources. Library managers should look into the demands of the students and consider the number of population of a particular department or college to meet user’s needs. 6. Selection and acquisition of library materials should meet the curricular offerings of the college. Faculty members should continually encourage students to avail the services, resources and facilities in the library by giving assignment and activities to maximize the use of library in general. Librarians and faculty members should work cooperatively.