Library User Education Prominence: Perspectives of Final-Year Students and Subject Reference Librarians from the University of Limpopo

Abstract

University libraries have a mandate to provide library user education to guarantee optimal, effective and efficient utilisation of costly information resources and services. This study examines library user education programmes from the perspectives of undergraduate final-year students and subject librarians at the University of Limpopo (UL). The population of 260 student participants were selected using a simple systematic sampling method, while subject librarians were selected using a purposive sampling method. The results reveal that the majority of final-year students attended user education programmes such as library orientation, information literacy, bibliographic instruction, and the ongoing programme on the use of the library, Turnitin, and RefWorks. Most undergraduate final-year students who attended user education programmes indicated that they are now able to search for information from the library catalogue and use other information retrieval tools, as well as to evaluate the information retrieved. However, the librarians expressed that insufficient time for user education sessions, inadequate facilities and venues, inaccessible social media tools, delays in implementing LibGuides, non-attendance by students, and a lack of collaboration from the stakeholders as challenges they encounter in delivering user education programmes. The study recommends that librarians should intensify their marketing of library user education programmes through communicating the perspectives of attendees to the university management. Strong collaboration between academics, librarians and students is also recommended.