Academic staff expectations of undergraduate students with respect to their use of the library at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg Campus

Abstract

This study was based on a Masters dissertation which investigated the academic staff expectations of undergraduatestudents with respect to library use at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg (UKZNP) campus. The specificobjectives of the study were to determine whether academic staff encourage students to use the library, to determine thereason(s) for doing or not doing so and to determine the format(s) or way(s) in which this is done. The survey researchmethod was used and the data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire. All 131 academic staff of theFaculty of Human and Management Sciences were surveyed. Seventy one academic staff responded yielding a responserate of 55%. Most (86%) academic staff expected and encouraged students to use the library at an undergraduate level.The most used method of doing so was verbally. Conclusions in line with the findings and research objectives were madeand these were followed by recommendations which included that greater effort could be made by lecturers in referringand/or encouraging students to use the library.