Library and Information Science Commons^™

Library Anxiety: How Elements Of Morrison’S Fourth Place And The Fast Casual Approach From The Restaurant Industry May Make The Academic Library Space More Inviting, Tara J. Kunesh

Georgia Library Quarterly

The concept of library anxiety was introduced by Constance Mellon in 1986. Since then, studies have attempted to shed light upon this phenomenon to mitigate the feelings of apprehension students may feel when utilizing the academic library space or when seeking the professional help of librarians. This literature review examines the literature and, specifically, discusses whether it is possible to configure the physical library space in a more inviting way. It highlights sociology of space theories as well as concepts behind the fast casual movement employed by the restaurant industry as possible routes to improvement.

Exploring The Impact Of Library Education In Addressing Library Anxiety Among First Year Students Of Coal City University, Enugu, Nigeria., Perpetua Ukwueze, Heman Uchechukwu Osuagwu, Steven Chukwudi Ani

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study is on exploring the impact of library education in addressing library anxiety among first year students of Coal City University, Enugu, Nigeria. The study aims to ascertain the impact of library education in addressing library anxiety. Four specific objectives and four research questions were formulated to guide this study. A total of two hundred and twenty- eight (228) year one students formed the population of the study. These are the students who had library education for the year 2022/2023 academic year. Questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection. Data collected were analysed in line with the …

The Anxiety Of Freshmen Students In Library Use At Central Luzon State University, Philippines, Roselyn Marquez Madia, Camia Abergos Lasig

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

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 …

Work Stress And Information Anxiety Of Library Personnel In Academic Libraries In Nigeria, Adenike Ayokari Adebamiro, Sunday O. Popoola Prof

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The paper investigates work stress and information anxiety of library personnel in academic libraries in South-west, Nigeria. The research design adopted for the study was survey method of the correlational type. Simple random sampling technique was used to select a sample population of 308 (60% of the population) out of 703 library personnel in academic libraries in South-west, Nigeria. The findings of this study revealed that the level of work stress of the library personnel is moderate with a mean score X = 52.45; SD=7.366. The level of information anxiety of is also moderate with mean score X=36.87; SD= 6.370. …

Prevalence And Levels Of Information Seeking Anxiety Among Business Students, Sana Khan, Mumtaz Ali Anwar, Muhammad Asif Naveed

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This research assessed the prevalence and levels of information seeking anxiety among business students at Lahore School of Economics, Lahore, Pakistan so that remedial measures could be taken to reduce anxiety. The data were collected from 283 students using a survey questionnaire, containing an Information Seeking Anxiety Scale along with certain demographic and academic variables, and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results indicated the prevalence of information seeking anxiety among these students across different dimensions and overall scale at mild to moderate levels. There was no significant relationship between nature of MBA program, gender, school background, geographical origin, …

Library Anxiety: An Overview Of Re-Emerging Phenomena, Nikica Gardijan

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Since 1986, when library anxiety phenomenon was first mentioned by Mellon, numerous scientific papers have been written on this subject. The main purpose of this paper is to analyse and summarize existing scientific literature regarding library anxiety with a special emphasis on academic libraries.

By thorough review of literature authors reached two conclusions. First one being that library anxiety is a real occurrence among university library users and it impairs academic success and second that library anxiety can be prevented or alleviated by librarians.

In this paper we have listed definitions of library anxiety, scales for measuring library anxiety and …

A Few Kind, But True Words: Using The Research Consultation To Empower Marginalized Grad Students Struggling With Imposter Syndrome, V. Dozier

Copley Library: Faculty Scholarship

Dozier, V. (2021). A few kind, but true words: Using the research consultation to empower marginalized graduate researchers struggling with impostor syndrome [Conference proceedings]. LOEX 2021.

Evidence On Psychometric Properties Of Scales Assessing Information Related Anxieties: A Systematic Review, Muhammad Asif Naveed, Mumtaz Ali Anwar

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This systematic review examined the evidence of psychometric properties of scales available in studies reporting surveys measuring information related anxieties such as library anxiety, information seeking anxiety, and information anxiety. A systematic search in four databases such as Web of Science, Scopus, LISA, and LISTA was carried out using the keywords 'library anxiety', 'information anxiety', 'information seeking anxiety', and 'information seeking' AND 'anxiety'. This review included those studies reporting the use of any scale measuring information related anxiety published in the English language and included all type of documents (e.g. journal articles, conference papers, book chapters, theses/dissertations, research reports). The …

Reliability And Validity Of Scales Assessing Anxiety Associated With Information Related Tasks: A Systematic Review, Muhammad Asif Naveed, Sajjad Ullah Jan, Mumtaz Ali Anwar

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This research carried out a systematic review of the evidence of reliability and validity of scales available in studies reporting surveys of individuals to assess anxiety associated with information related tasks such as library anxiety, information seeking anxiety, and information anxiety. A systematic search using keywords ‘library anxiety’, ‘information anxiety’, 'information seeking anxiety', and 'information seeking' AND 'anxiety' was carried in Web of Science, Scopus, LISA, and LISTA to identify the relevant literature. This review included those studies reporting the use of any scale assessing information related anxiety, and published in the English language, and included all type of documents …

A Library, A Tailgate, And A Tornado: Outreach Strategies Amidst Upheaval, Kimberly Westbrooks, Charlcie Pettway Vann, Paula Barnett-Ellis

Research, Publications & Creative Work

The annual library tailgate event held at a medium-sized academic university library at Jacksonville State University welcomes students, faculty, staff, and community members with the purpose of increasing their comfort and familiarity with the library. The tailgate draws on school spirit to facilitate stronger connections across campus. The event includes activities to highlight the library’s information access points in a relaxed atmosphere. The tailgate has taken many forms based on logistics and student feedback. Despite a tornado that devastated the majority of the campus in March 2018, the library tailgate has continued to evolve by accommodating space constraints and safety …

Graduate Occupational Therapy Students & Information Literacy: Does A Research Consultation Increase Information Literacy Skills While Lowering Library Anxiety?, Mary C. Rickelman, Christine Moghimi

Transforming Libraries for Graduate Students

In today’s academic environment, students equipped with self-regulated learning and information literacy skills have an excellent opportunity for professional success, given our current information-based practices in health care. Information literacy instruction provided to students early in their coursework will aide them in acquiring competency for the remainder of their studies, especially scholarly projects. Along with information literacy issues, library anxiety has been identified in the literature as a contributing factor to poor academic performance in students. The purpose of this study was to explore components of library anxiety, if present, as well as to help students become more comfortable and …

Using Augmented And Virtual Reality In Information Literacy Instruction To Reduce Library Anxiety In Non-Traditional And International Students, Angela Sample

College of Science and Engineering Faculty Research and Scholarship

Throughout the early years, the Oral Roberts University (ORU) Library held a place of pre-eminence on campus. ORU’s founder envisioned the Library as central to all academic function and scholarship. Under the direction of the founding Dean of Learning Resources, the Library was an early pioneer in innovative technologies and methods. However, over time, as the case with many academic libraries, the Library’s reputation as an institution crucial to the academic work on campus had diminished.

A team of librarians is now engaged in programs aimed at repositioning the Library as the university's hub of learning. Toward that goal, the …

Level Up! Library Orientation With A Phone-Based Exploration Game, Beth Jane Toren

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

This self-paced, reasonably priced, and imaginatively blended activity provides an effective, customizable, and scalable alternative to in-person tours. The Green Door Labs EdVenture Builder is specifically targeted to libraries and museums and has an interface with game mechanics built in on menus, allowing users with no programming experience to independently create games. Students learn about the library in an engaging way and instructors can be provided with game scores to provide credit for the activity.

Individuals or teams new to the library play an exploration game on their mobile phone while exploring library physical and/or virtual locations, services, and resources. …

Modeling Information Anxiety, Muhammad Asif Naveed, Mumtaz Ali Anwar

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper traces the historical developments using selected literature related to ‘library anxiety’, ‘information seeking anxiety’ and ‘information anxiety’. These concepts existed independently and parallelly and attracted much attention from the researchers of their respective fields. The existing literature lacked a study establishing a relationship among these three concepts which led to the idea of a general model of information anxiety to inform researchers as well as professionals dealing with policy and practice. This model represents information anxiety as the general and broader concept nesting information seeking anxiety as its sub-set and library anxiety as a further sub-set. It highlights …

Psychological Well-Being Among The Gender Wise Category Of Users In Terms Of Library Anxiety At Centrally Funded Universities Of Assam, India, Rajesh Chutia, Mukut Sarmah

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The purpose of this paper is to assess the mental health of the male and female library users of the centrally funded university libraries of Assam in Northeast India i.e., Assam University and Tezpur University. The study has been conducted in the context of library anxiety while finding information by both the category of users to identify the shortcomings in the library system and also to suggest the remedies. Survey method has been adopted to conduct the research study. A structured questionnaire has been designed and distributed among randomly selected users. The statements developed by Sharon L Bostick (1992) which …

Investigating The Effectiveness Of A Credit-Bearing Information Literacy Course In Reducing Library Anxiety For Adult Learners, Roslyn Grandy

Communications in Information Literacy

This study examines levels of library anxiety in 30 adult learners before and after completing a two-credit information literacy course. A modified version of the Multidimensional Library Anxiety Scale was administered at the beginning and end of the course to compare levels of library anxiety. An analysis of the data revealed that the course was moderately effective in reducing library anxiety in adult learners. Awareness of library resources, comfort with the search process, and comfort level with library technology significantly increased after course completion. No significant decreases in library anxiety were reported in the areas of comfort level with staff …

Get To Know Your Librarian: How A Simple Orientation Program Helped Alleviate Library Anxiety, Rachael Muszkiewicz

Rachael Muszkiewicz

Adapting The Amazing Library Race: Using Problem-Based Learning In Library Orientations, Katelyn Angell, Katherine Boss

Brooklyn Library Faculty Publications

This paper describes a pilot adaptation of the Amazing Library Race (ALR), an academic library orientation designed to introduce new users to library resources and services. A total of 185 students in twelve classes participated in the pilot project, which the authors co-taught. Pedagogically, the ALR combines guided, problem-based learning concepts with key elements of gamification, including competition and reward motivation. It also addresses the learning outcomes of reducing library anxiety and providing general information about collections and services. A review of the literature used in the design of the race is included, as well as a description of the …

Ethnography In Action: Active Learning In Academic Library Outreach To Middle School Students, Samantha Godbey, Nancy Fawley, Xan Goodman, Susan Wainscott

Nancy Fawley

This article describes an outreach activity developed and coordinated by academic librarians as part of a state program for low-income middle school students. Rather than offering a traditional library tour, the library organizers wanted to provide the middle school students with a meaningful experience that would encourage active participation, critical thinking, and alleviate library anxiety. As a spin on the traditional tour, students applied an ethnographic approach to learning about the library. The authors describe the development and implementation of the activity and provide recommendations for other librarians involved in outreach to K-12 students.

Ethnography In Action: Active Learning In Academic Library Outreach To Middle School Students, Samantha Godbey, Nancy Fawley, Xan Goodman, Susan Wainscott

Library Faculty Publications

This article describes an outreach activity developed and coordinated by academic librarians as part of a state program for low-income middle school students. Rather than offering a traditional library tour, the library organizers wanted to provide the middle school students with a meaningful experience that would encourage active participation, critical thinking, and alleviate library anxiety. As a spin on the traditional tour, students applied an ethnographic approach to learning about the library. The authors describe the development and implementation of the activity and provide recommendations for other librarians involved in outreach to K-12 students.

"Punk-Ass Book Jockeys": Library Anxiety In The Television Programs Community And Parks And Recreation, Eamon Tewell

Brooklyn Library Faculty Publications

Library anxiety, defined as the fear of using libraries, is a psychological barrier that impedes academic achievement and the development of information literacy. Using key episodes and protagonists from Community and Parks and Recreation, this paper will demonstrate how library anxiety is represented in these series. From the infamously manipulative public librarian Tammy Swanson in Parks and Recreation to the library as pillow fight battlefield in Community, these indications of anxiety towards libraries will be evaluated with the intent of illuminating current discourse in popular television regarding library use.

The Impact Of Information Literacy Instruction On The Library Anxiety And Information Competency Of Graduate Students, Rodney G. Birch

Ed.D. Dissertations

Many persons enrolling in graduate programs of study do so with varying levels of research skills. The lack of research skills often results in students experiencing some level of library anxiety, which occurs most often at the outset of a research assignment. The role of information literacy instruction is to provide students with the skills necessary to define the information need, understand the resources available to fill the need, understand the process for evaluating information, and understand what it means to use information in an ethical manner. This study explored the relationship between the library anxiety and the information literacy …

The Impact Of Computer Literacy And Library Anxiety On Students' Library Experience, Terry Dwain Robertson, Lauren Matacio

Faculty Publications

Despite growing up with technology, are college freshmen well prepared for library research, or does their computer savvy actually put them at a disadvantage? Do other factors such as library anxiety affect students’ research experience? How can secondary educators better prepare their students for the leap from a small school library to a large college or university library? How can college librarians make new students’ first library experience a positive one? These questions are addressed in this article.

The Impact Of Computer Literacy And Library Anxiety On Students' Library Experience, Terry Dwain Robertson, Lauren Matacio

Terry Dwain Robertson

Despite growing up with technology, are college freshmen well prepared for library research, or does their computer savvy actually put them at a disadvantage? Do other factors such as library anxiety affect students’ research experience? How can secondary educators better prepare their students for the leap from a small school library to a large college or university library? How can college librarians make new students’ first library experience a positive one? These questions are addressed in this article.

Going For The Gold: Recruiting Students And Engaging Administrators Through Education And Entertainment In The Library, Michele D. Behr, Maira Bundza, Barbara J. Cockrell

University Libraries Faculty & Staff Publications

Western Michigan University Libraries partnered with the university administration's recruitment efforts on campus. Library staff created and hosted an evening of instructional games to provide experiential learning, social interaction, and fun in the library for scholarship-seeking millennials. Students discovered information in archival materials, compared search results in a library database and Google, examined plagiarism issues, formatted citations, and used the catalog to locate specific items throughout the library. In their evaluations, students reported they learned about finding library materials and plagiarism issues. They rated teamwork, the archival challenge, and catalog activities most enjoyable. The event built positive relationships within the …

English Language Learners And Library Research, Jessica Schomberg

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project was to study problems English language learners (ELLs) face when doing research in U.S. academic libraries. A review of the literature indicates that ELLs face both linguistic and cultural barriers. Those barriers are related to learning expectations, library anxiety, and technology. Research on organizational culture and its influence on website design was consulted and used to compare the design of a library catalog’s interface with student responses to a library instruction session offered within Composition 101 for non-native speakers. Based on those results, it is argued that library catalogs are designed to match the cultural …