Librarian Perspective of Library User's Attitude Towards Maintaining Conducive Reading Environment in Tertiary Institution Libraries

Abstract

The study examined librarian perspective of library user's attitude towards maintaining conducive reading environment in tertiary institution libraries. The study sought to determine: the factors that constitute conducive reading environment, the attitude of library users towards maintaining conducive reading environment, librarian perspective on the negative attitude of Library users in maintaining conducive reading environment and librarian perspective on the remedies to negative attitude of Library users in maintaining conducive reading environment in tertiary institution libraries. The population of the study comprised all the librarians in the six tertiary institutions in Rivers State. The sample size was 15. A questionnaire on the librarian perspective of Library user's attitude towards maintaining conducive reading environment in tertiary institution libraries was developed. The research questions were analyzed using Mean and Standard Deviation, while the hypotheses were tested with the use of ANOVA. The study found that majority of the respondents agreed that factors that constitute conducive reading environment include absolute quietness, neat and well ventilated library, enough reading space, strict adherence to library instructions and rules among others. The study also revealed that majority of the respondents agreed that attitudes of library users towards maintaining conducive reading environment in the libraries include, quite reading technique, self discipline of users, proper management of borrowed textbooks and no stealing of reading materials among others. The study revealed that theft of library materials, eating, making of phone call and discussion in the library are librarian perspective on the negative attitude of library users. It was also found that proper ventilation, supervision of library users, provision of constant electricity, and computerization of library services, among others are librarian perspective on the remedies of negative attitude of library users in maintaining conducive reading environment in tertiary institution libraries. The result revealed that there was no significant difference between the mean responses of librarians in RSU, IAUE and FCET on the factors that constitute conducive reading environment in tertiary institution libraries. The study recommended that Phones, IPADs, laptops among others should have a restricted area in the library to maintain conducive reading environment for readers.

Keywords: Library user, librarian, attitude, environment, conducive, tertiary, institution and reading