Library Anxiety and Library Use:A Survey at Jinwen University of Science and Technology

Abstract

This study aims to explore the relationships between library anxiety and library use and outline the characteristics of library-anxious students at Jinwen University of Science and Technology. A questionnaire is used for data collection in this study. There are two parts in the questionnaire: Part I is the Bostick’s Library Anxiety Scale (1992) for assessing different levels of library anxiety, and the second part consists of 7 items of demographic information for describing the characteristics of students. This study does not find library anxiety among students at Jinwen University of Science and Technology that seriously affects library usage. It is interesting to note that while the students that are surveyed feel that they are familiar with the library’s resources and its environment, they still do not feel confident that they can use the library efficiently. This is a reminder to library staff of the importance of constantly promoting user education and encouraging students to better utilize their institution’s library. The results of this study will help library staff to decide on the most effective ways to provide custom-made and user-oriented services for students with different needs and of different backgrounds.