An Empirical Study of Accessibility and Usage of Library Resources by Management Students - A Case of LJ Institute of Management Studies, Ahmedabad

Abstract

Libraries contribute in variety of ways to student learning and success. Academic libraries establish connection between different aspects of the library and academic processes, like, instruction, reference, collections, space & facilities etc. that further give augment to the students engagement level and career preparedness. This becomes all the more important in case of business schools where constant business and economy updates are crucial for the students for their final placements and skill development. With this background, the present paper is an attempt to underline the perception and attitude of the management graduates towards the knowledge resources available in their library. The study is carried out in the LJ Institute of Management Studies (LJIMS) campus having huge intake of around 420 students every year in regular MBA program. A list of Likert statements are framed for the measurement of opinion on 3 and/or 5 point scale. Such statements are designed in a way to assess the library resources effectiveness on the basis of AAAUI parameters, viz., a) Awareness b) Availability c) Accessibility d) Utilization, and, e) Infrastructure for eliciting information on library resources. The key findings indicate that major chunk of students are satisfied with the availability and usage of information sources at their institutes library. Their library provides access to specific course material and supports in development of study notes, research projects and global country reports. Computers and Book Bank facility has provided a special edge to the students in the integration of electronic and print resources into their academic pursuits.

Keywords: Awareness, Availability, Accessibility, Utilization, Book Bank, Library Resources

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