PERCEPTION AND EXPECTATION OF THE USERS OF BHARATHIDASAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARY: A STUDY GUIDEC.RANGANATHAN ASSITANT PROFESSOR DEPARTMENT OF LIBRARY THIYAGU.C FINAL YEAR MLIS

INTRODUCTION Today libraries particularly university libraries have a dire need to assess user's perceptions and expectations of quality library services in order to redesign their services and reorient their collection. Libraries need to ensure that their services both meet customer’s needs and expectations to the highest degree. Practical tools have also been developed for the assessment of customer's expectations and perceptions of service quality.

User Studies The user is the key person in any information system. All the luxuries of information revolution and problems of information explosion are centered round the user and his convenience. Understanding the user is half the battle won in providing information services. The success of any information system depends considerably on how best the system is based on a close and accurate understanding of the users. The user is not only the most important aspect, but is also paradoxically, a dynamic component of information system.

Need for the study It is important to every library to understand their perception and expectation of the user needs. So as to has efficient and effective collection development and services. Unfortunately many libraries in Indian context failed to identify their user needs. To identify the user expectation systematic users studying must be executed. This study made an attempt to throw light on the needs of the Bharathidasan University Library users. The finding of the study will certainly helpful to the authoring to refine their collection development activities and reefing their existing library service pattern.

Objectives  To determine the users of the Bharathidasan University Library of their type, gender and age.  To assess the perceptions of the BDU library users towards the library appeal, environment and services.  To study the expectations of the users with respect to the quality of the books and journals collection.  To understand the websites and databases most often used e-resources by the BDU library users.  Finally to assess the user satisfaction regarding service quality in the library

Method and Materials The researcher has used structured questionnaires for the purpose of data collection. The total numbers of enrolled users in the BDU library are about 300 per day of the total users only 150 users were give the questionnaires which forms nearly 50% percent of the total numbers of users. A total of 125 responses was received, which amount to 83 percent response rate. All the responses were valid. The researcher has used structured questionnaires for the purpose of data collection. The total numbers of enrolled users in the BDU library are about 300 per day of the total users only 150 users were give the questionnaires which forms nearly 50% percent of the total numbers of users. A total of 125 responses was received, which amount to 83 percent response rate. All the responses were valid.

BHARATHIDASAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Book - 95,000 Journal- 204 Springer E-books on-line Journal- 8000

Quality of Journal collections S.No Quality FrequencyPercentage 1Excellent Very good Good7056 4Just fine1.8 5Not good-- Total125100

Quality of book collection S.NOQualityFrequencyPercentage 1Excellent Very good Good Just fine21.6 5Not good-- Total125100

Perception of Library Services S.NOResourcesBadJust betterBetterUsefulExcellent Mean 1Circulation services _3(2.4%)44(35.2%)25(20%)53(42.4%) Reference Services_1(0.8%)44(35.2%)7(5.6%)73(58.4%)2.8 3Reservation Services _2(1.6%)45(36%)15(12%)63(50.4%) Lending Services_5(4%)52(41.6%)4(3.2%)64(51.2%) Referral Services_7(5.6%)48(38.4%)14(11.2%)56(44.8%)2.4 6Interlibrary loan services _4(3.2%)50(40%)9(7.2%)62(49.6%) Request for book services _5(4%)51(40.8%)8(6.4%)61(48.8%)2.5 8Library instruction services _8(6.4%)51(40.8%)7(5.6%)59(47.2%) Current awareness services _1(0.8%)44(35.2%)10(8%)70(56%) Theses section_6(4.8%)48(38.4%)10(8%)61(48.8%)2.5 11Photocopy services_3(2.4%)49(39.2%)7(5.6%)66(52.8%)2.616

User Satisfaction with Library Services

Quality of library services S.NOQualityFrequencyPercentage 1Excellent Very good Good Just fine32.4 5Not good-- Total125100

Findings  The implication of this result is that greater numbers of library users are male when compared with female. Here it is clear that the most of the uses obtained by the male respondents.  The study revealed that majority of the respondents are regular uses of the library, they visit once in a week. Considerable respondents of the study use to visit to the library daily two or three times of a week.  It is found that the 21.6 per cent of the respondents are using the library at every day. Here noticed that the 37.6 per cent of the respondents are using the library for only one hour.  The pattering of library use with regard to the purpose of visit of library for users expounds that the main purpose of visit to library to browsing internet (30%) and to reading newspapers / magazine (20%).

CONT..,  Majority of the respondents are used to get help from the library staff to locate the particular information in the library.  It is found that nearly 50 percent of the library users focused the library rating are very good.  It is found that more than sixty percent of the library users focused library very tidy.  It is found that more than 60% of the library users focused the quality of journals are good.  It is found out the most of the respondents (47.2%) of the library users focused Quality of the books are good.  Majority of the respondents are used Google search engine.  Majority of the respondents are satisfied with library electronic resources.  It is founded the most of the respondents are responses the Library services are excellent.

Conclusion The results of this study are very interesting and encouraging. The users were extremely happy to participate in the survey. The suggestion offered by the users for improving the BDU library indicates that they want easy and quick access to information. The users would like to have the journal articles indexed. It appears that the faculty users, who are not so regular in visiting the library, need to convert into active users. The users would like to have new books on emerging subject. This study shows that studies of this nature help the libraries in obtaining good feedback and there by upgrade the library services.