USE PATTERN OF ELECTRONIC JOURNALS BY FACULTY MEMEBRS IN K.L.UNIVERSITY LIBRARY: A STUDY

1. USE PATTERN OF ELECTRONIC JOURNALS BY FACULTY MEMEBRS IN K.L.UNIVERSITY LIBRARY: A STUDY Smt. K. Usha RaniLibrarian K L University, Vaddeswaram Guntur, Andhra PradeshE-mail: usha_20026@rediffmail.com lib143@rediffmail.com

2. INTRODUCTION • In recent years, electronic journals are in common use in scholarly communication and we can interpret this situation in various ways. One of main functions of the university is the creation and dissemination of new knowledge by teaching and research. The journals are available in print as well as electronic formats. The user survey study is essential to improve the existing library services, plan new services, rationalize the limited financial resources in an economic way, evaluate the performance of the library and further enhance the user satisfaction. The aim of the present study is to conduct a survey on the faculty members of K.L. University Library for ascertaining their dependency on electronic journals for their teaching, research, and other academic pursuits and gauge their level of satisfaction. K. USHA RANI

3. K L UNIVERSITY • K L University is a pioneer in the field of Engineering Education and Research in private sector in the state of Andhra Pradesh. K L University established Koneru Lakshmaiah College of Engineering in the year 1980 affiliated to Acharya Nagarjuna University. The college became Autonomus in the year 2006 and from 2009 onwards it has become Deemed to be University. • The University Library is a prime information source, has a rich collection of books, journals both print and electronic formats, magazines, newspapers. The current holding of the library has: • 85000 + Volumes • 24000 + Titles • 2400 Back Volumes • Project reports 2260 • CD’s & VCD’s 3500 • 89 Magazine titles • 300 + National and International Print Journals • AICTE-INDEST Consortium (for accessing online journals) • Online courses 2500 • E-books 1100 • Ekalavya channel • DELNET Facility K. USHA RANI

4. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY • To examine the extent awareness about the E-journals among the faculty members • To know the location from where faculty members access electronic journals • To find out the purpose of using electronic journals • To assess the search methods used by the faculty members to getting the required information • To examine the problems while using electronic journals • To know the level of satisfaction with the available electronic journals • To examine the need for conducting user awareness programmes in using electronic journals. K. USHA RANI

5. METHODOLOGY • To conduct this study is survey method using questionnaire tool. In order to know the use pattern of electronic journals by faculty members of K.L. University Library, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh a structured questionnaire is designed keeping in view of objectives. Copies of the questionnaire were distributed to 100 faculty members in the month of January 2010. However, 95 faculty members are responded and the same used for analysis. K. USHA RANI

6. FINDINGS • 100 percent of the faculty members are aware of the availability of electronic journals in a university library. • Most of the faculty members are visiting the university library for borrowing the library material and down load the journal articles for their teaching and research. • Most of them (85.25%) are accessing electronic journals from university library and departmental computer centers. • Most of them (62.11%) are accessing the electronic journals relating to their research work. K. USHA RANI

7. FINDINGS • Mostly used search methods by the faculty members are ‘keywords’ (60%), ‘subject’ (51.58%), and ‘title of the article’ (37.89%). • Majority of the faculty members (53.68%) prefer to red electronic journals due to their quick access. • Majority of them (56.84%) replied that they are facing major problems in accessing electronic journals. The main specific problems faced by them are ‘Limited access terminals’ and ‘Slow speed’. • More than half of the faculty members (53.68%) are satisfied with the availability of electronic journals in a university library. • Most of them are getting assistance from the library staff members in using the electronic journals but they have indicated that user training programme is essential in using electronic journals. K. USHA RANI

8. SUGGESTIONS • A considerable percentage of users are dissatisfied with the electronic journals available in university library for their needs. Hence, numbers of journals available through consortia should be increased to access more journals in their respective fields. • To reduce the slow speed, bandwidth need to be increased as most of the users felt that information downloading is slow. • To provide electronic journals facility efficiently and effectively a number of computers must be increased in the central library as well as departmental labs in the campus. K. USHA RANI

9. SUGGESTIONS • The authorities should organize regular workshops to enhance usage of electronic journals. • Users’ studies should be conducted to know about electronic information needs of users as well as problems they are facing while searching information through consortia. • Most of them replied that the training programme is essential for using electronic journals. Hence regular training programmes are to be arranged for using the electronic journals for new comers. K. USHA RANI

10. THANK “Q” FOR GIVING THIS OPPORTUNITY K. USHA RANI