Old Wine in New Bottle - Users Perception of the Librarian in Contemporary Information Era

Abstract

Though academic libraries are pillars to effective implementation of academic programmes, librarians seem not to receive the recognition that befit them from some users, due to misconceptions about their academic status, knowledge and expertise. Meanwhile, these misconceptions, if not corrected, could affect the decision of users to seek for assistance and as a result prevent them from the right information. This makes it imperative to assess the perception library users of the University of Cape Coast have of librarians in the contemporary information dispensation. Through the Descriptive Research Design 171 respondents were engaged in a questionnaire analyzed using the IBM SPSS v21. The results reveal that even though a greater proportion of respondents are aware of librarianship as a profession, they lack understanding of what the profession entails and how it compares with other professions. Also, much as respondents understand the roles of librarians as information experts, they believe that librarians’ level of training does not match up to the current information dispensation. As such, a majority of respondents suggests that they would rather rely on friends than seek the services of a librarian to address an information need. It is therefore incumbent on information professionals to be innovative, assertive and dedicated to the tenets of the profession. Also, managers of libraries should institute user-centred/demand driven innovations; whilst the Ghana Library Association should work concertedly to improve the image of the profession and build the capacity of professionals by way of in-service training, seminars, conferences and workshops.

Keywords: Librarianship, Information Professionals, Contemporary Information Era

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