An Examination of Library Anxiety at Cape Breton University

Objective – Library anxiety as a phenomenon has been discussed for decades. While it is generally recognized, seeing its effects within a specific institution can often be difficult. This study examined the presence and degree of library anxiety among students at Cape Breton University in Canada....

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Lenard J. Lawless
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Alberta 2011-09-01
Series:Evidence Based Library and Information Practice
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/eblip/index.php/EBLIP/article/view/10203
_version_ 1818336263574388736
author Lenard J. Lawless
author_facet Lenard J. Lawless
author_sort Lenard J. Lawless
collection DOAJ
description Objective – Library anxiety as a phenomenon has been discussed for decades. While it is generally recognized, seeing its effects within a specific institution can often be difficult. This study examined the presence and degree of library anxiety among students at Cape Breton University in Canada. Methods – A modified version of the Library Anxiety Scale (LAS) was provided to the students via an online survey. Invitations to take the survey were sent to students by email and via the Student Union’s social networking site. Results – The average score on the LAS showed only mild anxiety levels among all the respondents. When categorizing the results by either program of study or program year, the results vary from no to mild anxiety. Little variation was seen between the sexes, with both males and females scoring close to the overall average of mild anxiety. Conclusions – With no segments of the student body scoring in the moderate to severe levels, the overall LAS scores for Cape Breton University’s students appear to be in a range that could be considered “normal.”
first_indexed 2024-12-13T14:36:33Z
format Article
id doaj.art-96f2d840612f42ff9f463ca61b9e4fe6
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1715-720X
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-13T14:36:33Z
publishDate 2011-09-01
publisher University of Alberta
record_format Article
series Evidence Based Library and Information Practice
spelling doaj.art-96f2d840612f42ff9f463ca61b9e4fe62022-12-21T23:41:42ZengUniversity of AlbertaEvidence Based Library and Information Practice1715-720X2011-09-016310.18438/B8JC9XAn Examination of Library Anxiety at Cape Breton UniversityLenard J. Lawless0Cape Breton UniversityObjective – Library anxiety as a phenomenon has been discussed for decades. While it is generally recognized, seeing its effects within a specific institution can often be difficult. This study examined the presence and degree of library anxiety among students at Cape Breton University in Canada. Methods – A modified version of the Library Anxiety Scale (LAS) was provided to the students via an online survey. Invitations to take the survey were sent to students by email and via the Student Union’s social networking site. Results – The average score on the LAS showed only mild anxiety levels among all the respondents. When categorizing the results by either program of study or program year, the results vary from no to mild anxiety. Little variation was seen between the sexes, with both males and females scoring close to the overall average of mild anxiety. Conclusions – With no segments of the student body scoring in the moderate to severe levels, the overall LAS scores for Cape Breton University’s students appear to be in a range that could be considered “normal.”https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/eblip/index.php/EBLIP/article/view/10203university studentslibrarieslibrary anxiety
spellingShingle Lenard J. Lawless
An Examination of Library Anxiety at Cape Breton University
Evidence Based Library and Information Practice
university students
libraries
library anxiety
title An Examination of Library Anxiety at Cape Breton University
title_full An Examination of Library Anxiety at Cape Breton University
title_fullStr An Examination of Library Anxiety at Cape Breton University
title_full_unstemmed An Examination of Library Anxiety at Cape Breton University
title_short An Examination of Library Anxiety at Cape Breton University
title_sort examination of library anxiety at cape breton university
topic university students
libraries
library anxiety
url https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/eblip/index.php/EBLIP/article/view/10203
work_keys_str_mv AT lenardjlawless anexaminationoflibraryanxietyatcapebretonuniversity
AT lenardjlawless examinationoflibraryanxietyatcapebretonuniversity