Enhancing librarianship students’ awareness of preservation at the learning resource center of a Mekong Delta university

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to investigate the rate of print material deterioration at the Learning Resource Center – a university at the Mekong Delta and identify users’ behaviors that may harm library materials, thereby presenting some potential solutions to enhance librarianship students’ awareness of preservation. Design/methodology/approach The research is based on Walker’s (2003) conceptual framework of preservation and that of education and propaganda from awareness development. Using a quantitative approach, 25-item questionnaire was delivered to 133 sophomores and seniors and analyzed by SPSS software. Qualitative data from the open-ended question were recorded and analyzed by themes. Findings The findings from this study show that the rate of print material deterioration at the Learning Resource Center was relatively low compared to that of other libraries in the nation and in the world. In addition, students’ knowledge about how to make the photocopies, as well as how much to open the book, is limited. The most important reason is because of lack of education from school and the library. The research also proposed some effective and realizable solutions to enhance librarianship students’ awareness of preservation of the materials at Learning Resource Center of a Mekong Delta university, Vietnam. Practical implications This research provides library staff and users, especially librarianship students, with an awareness of the important role of book preservation, human behavior of library collections and potential preventive ways of book damage. This study also specifies evidence that library lecturers should include ethical issues in their lectures because librarianship students still have limited knowledge of book preservation. By doing so, these actions may motivate librarianship students to continue to learn and apply their knowledge of preservation into library materials and their own documents. Furthermore, the finding of the library work punishment contributes to better understanding of library labor force and students’ personality education. The findings can serve as a reference to educating other users in Vietnam and globally. Originality/value The level of print material deterioration at the Learning Resource Center of a Mekong Delta university, Vietnam and library work punishment were observed to be the most important findings with regard to library preservation in a particular library in Southeast Asian country. These findings provide insights into students’ awareness of preservation, not yet discussed in the literature.