ldentifying the barriers to Libraries as agents of Lifelong Learning: a research project.

Authors

  • Barbara Hull

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29173/lirg304

Keywords:

Further education, higher education, institutional library resource centres, attitudes, gender, class, ethnic groups, staff support

Abstract

Students in Further Education and in Higher Education were surveyed on the extent and frequency of their use of institutional library resource centres and public libraries and on their attitudes to them. Among some significant differences identified were: Females report greater barriers to accessing information than males; those from "blue collar" backgrounds rely more heavily than others on institutional provision materials; those aged under 21 demand increased electronic access and those over 21 more provision of paper-based materials; non-white ethnic groups report more misgivings. There is a mismatch between students' perception of their own information retrieval skills and their reported difficulties. Support from staff is seen as high in quality but insufficient in availability.

Author Biography

Barbara Hull

Barbara Hull is currently Subject lnformation Team Leader (Social Sciences) at the University of Teesside. Additionally, she is an Adult Educator of many years' standing; in 1997 she was awarded a PhD by the University of Leeds for her research into the self esteem of students of previous educational disadvantage.

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Issue

Vol. 24 No. 77 (2000)

Section

Reports

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