Yadanabon University Research Journal 2018, Vol.9, No.
1 1
Comparative Study of Library and Internet Use as a Source of Information
by undergraduate students of Yadanabon University for Development
Studies
Mon Mon Kyaw
Abstract
Source of academic information is very important for university students. Basically,
academic libraries provide much relevant materials in both printed and electronic formats to
support their studies. The objectives of the study are to analyze undergraduate students’ use of
library and internet resources for academic activities. The data required were collected using a
questionnaire from 120 undergraduate students from department of library and information
studies. The data were analyzed using quantitative method. The result indicate that students
use both library and internet resources for their academic work. However, the use of internet is
more than that of the University’s library resources. Undergraduate students are advised to
resort to the use of the university library resources because they do not contain only printed
resources but electronic resources as well. This study will be useful for librarians, library
professionals, library and information studies students and organizations which want to know
the use of library resources.
Key words:academic information, undergraduate students, internet resources, library
resources
Introduction
In modern times, access to information is more relevant for academic work in all
higher institutions. The academic library serves as an important role in supporting the
principal functions of research and scholarship the higher education. Today, information is
now an important commodity, not just for day-to-day living but for industry and commerce.
There is no university all over the world which does not have a library. The libraries are the
heart of the universities.Internet is a network of networks that consists of private, public,
academic, business and government networks of local to global scope, linked by a broad
array of electronic, wireless and optical networking technologies. In recent years, the use of
the internet has become very popular in many areas as well as in the educational sector.
It is possible that when some students go to the library to use the available services,
others may not go to the library, perhaps due to the availability of alternative like e-resources
and internet connection at their services.
In the university for development studies (UDS), there has not been any comparative
study on undergraduate students’ use of the library and internet as source of information to
enhance their academic work. This study attempts to compare the use of library and internet
for academic works by the undergraduate students of UDS.
Objectives of the study
The main purpose of the study is to compare use of the library and the internet as a
source of information by undergraduate students of university for development studies.
The objectives of the study are:
-To make an analysis of the use of library resources and internet resources
-To encourage the students to use the library resources
-To facilitate the required materials in the library
-To solve the challenges in the use of library and internet
Assistant Lecturer, Department of Library and Information Studies,Yadanabon University
Yadanabon University Research Journal 2018, Vol.9, No.1 2
Scope of the study
This study covers the use of library and internet as a source of information and
frequency and purpose of library and internet use. In addition, it includes 120 undergraduate
students from department of library and information studies of using library resources and
internet resources in a particular source of information.
Method of the study
The data required for the study were obtained mainly from primary sources. The
primary data were collected using a questionnaire. The questionnaire is designed to gather the
use of internet and library by undergraduate students of library and information studies of
Yadanabon University. The received data were tabulated and analysed for making
observations.
Literature Review
There are various research studies highlighting the importance of the university’s
academic and research work. This type of analysis enables the librarian to facilitate the
relevant reference materials in the library.
Saikia and Gohain(2013), Atram(2017) and Prakash(2017) study application of ICT
in libraries, providing opportunities to users to access and utilize both online resources and
other services effectively.1
According to Kumar (2016), modern libraries have both print and non-print
documents with gadgets and equipment used to access information. Some of the equipment
include: computers, digitization machines, CD-ROMs, scanners, printers and internet which
have contributed immensely to make the transformation of libraries a success.2
Data Collection and Analysis
The study uses descriptive statistics to analyse the frequency, purpose and challenges
associated with the use of library and internet among undergraduate students of Yadanabon
University and required data are collected by using questionnaire.
Response Rate of Undergraduate Studen
120 questionnaire were distributed to undergraduate students from the department of
library and information studies and 116 questionnaires were received.
Table 1 Response Rate of Undergraduate Students
No. of Questionnaires No. of Questionnaires Percentage
Distributed Received
120 116 96.6%
Table 1 show that the overall responses are satisfactory giving an average rate of
96.6%.
Gender
This table shows the distribution of questionnaires according to gender of
undergraduate students and the number of responses and percentage.
1
Saikia,M. and Gohain, A“.Use and User’s satisfaction on Library Resources and services in Tezpur
University Philosophy and Practice(e-journal)”.Paper 972.(2013)
2
Kumar,M.J“Webometric and Technology Analysis of Journal of library &Information
science”(IJLIS)vol.5(2),pp.79-88,Article ID:IJLIS-05-02-009.(2016)
Yadanabon University Research Journal 2018, Vol.9, No.1 3
Table 2 Rate of Response according to Gender of Undergraduate Students
Gender No. of No. of Response Percentage
Questionnaires Questionnaires
Distributed Responded
Male 40 38 95%
Female 80 78 97.5%
Total 120 116 96.6%
Source: Responses of undergraduate students of Yadanabon University (13.2.2018)
As shown in table 2, 38 out of the 116 undergraduate students studied are male and
this represents 95%, the remaining 78 respondents representing 97.5% are females. The
results show that majority of the students are females.
Education Qualification
After knowing the gender, the respondents were requested to state their educational
qualifications to know the course year.
Table 3 Educational Qualification
Course Year No. of No. of Response Percentage
Questionnaires Questionnaires
distributed received
First Year 24 24 100%
Second Year 24 22 91.7%
Third Year 24 22 91.7%
Fourth Year 24 24 100%
Third Year 24 24 100%
Honors/Qualifying
Class
Total 120 116 96.6%
Source: Responses of undergraduate students of Yadanabon University (13.2.2018)
Table 3 shows the educational qualifications of the undergraduate students of library
and information studies. The percentage of first year students, fourth year and third year
honors/qualifying class are more than any other years of students. In fact, first year, fourth
year, third year honors/qualifying class are 100%, second year is(91.7%) and third year is
(91.7%).
Frequency of Library and Internet Use
The result of the study reveals library and internet use among the undergraduate
students and the distribution is shown in Table 4.
Table 4 Frequency of Library Use
Library list Frequency Percentage
Very often 10 8.6%
Often 82 70.7%
Occasionally 24 20.7%
Never - -
Total 116 100%
Source: Responses of undergraduate students of Yadanabon University (13.2.2018)
Yadanabon University Research Journal 2018, Vol.9, No.1 4
Table 5 Frequency of Internet Use
Internet list Frequency Percentage
Very often 30 25.9%
Often 54 46.6%
Occasionally 18 15.5%
Never 14 12.1%
Total 116 100%
Source: Responses of undergraduate students of Yadanabon University (13.2.2018)
Table 4 shows the frequency of library and Internet use. In terms of frequency of
library use, 10 respondents representing 8.6% use library very often, 82 respondents
representing 70.7% use it often, 24 respondents representing 20.7% use the library resources
occasional. However, there is no students never used the library.
Table 5 reveals the use of internet 30 respondents representing 25.9% use it very
often, 54 respondents representing 46.6% indicated that they use it often while 18
respondents representing 15.5% use it occasionally. However, 14 respondents representing
12.1% never use the internet for academic purposes.
Source of information for academic work
This table shows that some students will be using library along side the use of internet
while others will be using library only or internet only.
Table 6 Source of information for academic work
Source of information Frequency Percentage
Library only 28 24.1%
Internet only 6 5.2%
Library and Internet 82 70.7%
Total 116 100%
Source: Responses of undergraduate students of Yadanabon University (13.2.2018)
The results shown in Table 6 indicate that 28 respondents representing 24.1% use
only the library for their academic work. Besides, 6 respondents representing 5.2% use only
the internet sources for their academic work. Finally, the results indicate that 82 respondents
representing 70.7% use both the internet and library for their academic work.
Purpose of Library and Internet Use
The following Table 7 shows that students visit the library for different academic purposes.
The study revealed that common reasons for undergraduate students’ use of the University’s
library resources and the internet resources for their academic work.
Table 7 Purpose of Library Use
Purpose of libray use Frequency Percentage
Search for literature 48 41.4%
Read lecture notes 24 20.7%
Borrow books 28 24.1%
Search for academic 6 5.2%
journals
Use of internet 10 8.6%
Total 116 100%
Source: Responses of undergraduate students of Yadanabon University (13.2.2018)
Yadanabon University Research Journal 2018, Vol.9, No.1 5
Table 8 Purpose of Internet Use
Purpose of internet use Frequency Percentage
Research 26 22.4%
Communicate with friends 22 19%
Reading for news 68 58.6%
Total 116 100%
Source: Responses of undergraduate students of Yadanabon University (13.2.2018)
Table 7show the purpose of library and internet use. In term of library use, search for
literature 48 respondents representing 41.1%, 24 respondents representing 20.7%read lecture
notes, 28 respondents representing 24.1%borrow books, 6 respondents representing
5.2%search for academic journals, 10 respondents representing 8.6%use internet.
Table 8 reveals thatthe students use the internet,26 respondents representing
22.4%research, 22 respondents representing 19%communicate with friends and 68
respondents representing 58.6%read for news.
Challenges in the use of Library and Internet
The following Table shows the challenges the respondents in the use of library and
internet.
Table 9 Challenges in the use of Library
Challenge with library use Frequency Percentage
Unfavourable working hours 18 15.5%
Unfriendly library staff 46 39.7%
Inability to borrow books 30 25.9%
from library
Unavailability of reference 22 19%
materials
Total 116 100%
Source: Responses of undergraduate students of Yadanabon University (13.2.2018)
Table 10Challenges in the use of Internet
Challenge with internet use Frequency Percentage
Problem of information over 14 12.1%
load
Slow data transmission 62 53.4%
Difficulty in locating 10 8.6%
relevant information
Not skilled access peer 30 25.9%
review journals
Total 116 100%
Source: Responses of undergraduate students of Yadanabon University (13.2.2018)
As shown in Table 9, the students are facing some difficulties in use of library. They
are 18 respondents representing 15.5%unfavourable working hours, 46 respondents
representing 39.7%unfriendly library staff, 30 respondents representing 25.9%inability to
borrow books from library, 22 respondents representing 19%unavailability of reference
materials.
Table 10 shows that the students are facing challenges in the use of internet. They are
14 respondents representing 12.1%problem of information over load, 62 respondents
Yadanabon University Research Journal 2018, Vol.9, No.1 6
representing 53.4%slow data transmission, difficulty in locating relevant information 10
respondents representing 8.6%, 30 respondents representing 25.9%not skilled access peer
review journals.
Findings
The present study has been undertaken to use the library and the internet of LIS
undergraduate students, Yadanabon University. The finding of present study leads to the
following observations.
-In this study, all of the respondents 120 questionnaires are received back. Among them
38(95%) are male respondents and 78(97.5%) are female respondents. Thus, the female
students are more use the library and internet.
-In this study most of the respondents 24(100%) are first year, fourth year and third year
honors / Qualifying class. It found that 82(70.7%) of students use often the library and
54(46.6%) of students use often the internet.
-The result found that 28(24.1%) of students use only the library resources and 6(5.2%) of
students use only the internet.
-In this study found that the majority of the students 48(41.4%) use the library search for
literature and 68(58.6%) use the internet reading for news.
-In this result the majority of the students 46(39.7%) challenge with unfriendly library staff
and 62(53.4%) challenge with slow data transmission on searching internet.
Conclusion
The comparative study of library and internet use as a source of information by
undergraduate students in library and information studies provides the use of library and
internet for academic work. So both internet and library resources should play a
complimentary role in providing relevant information sources to facilitate students’ academic
work. The result shows that students are not conveniently using both library and internet
resources resulting from the challenges associated with both sources. Today new technology
have become available as a means to improve library services and references. Electronic
technology can help academic students to seek information.
Acknowledgements
I would like to express my heartfelt to Rector Dr.MaungMaungNaing and Pro-rectors
Dr.Tin Moe Thuzar, Dr. Si SiKhin, Yadanabon University for their encouragement to do this
research. I am also indebted to Dr.SandarOo, Professor and Head of the Department of
Library and Information Studies, Yadanabon University for her encouragement to complete
this research work.
Yadanabon University Research Journal 2018, Vol.9, No.1 7
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