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Student library use: a study of faculty perceptions in a Malaysian university

Adnan Ali Adikata
Islamic University, Kampala, Uganda

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Received 14 May 2005 Reviewed 6 July 2005 Revised 1 October 2005 Accepted 14 October 2005

Mumtaz A. Anwar
Department of Library and Information Science, College of Social Sciences, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of the paper was to examine the importance faculty members place on student library use and their self-perceived role in motivating students to use the library. Design/methodology/approach A modified and Arabised version of Bakers (1996) instrument was administered to all full-time faculty teaching Islamic Studies disciplines at International Islamic University Malaysia. Findings The respondents consider student library use, making library-based assignments and librarians role as important. They are not fully satisfied with the students library use skills, availability of information resources, and the value given to the library by university management. They expect librarians to provide, in addition to assisting students and faculty, a comfortable academic environment in the library. Research limitations/implications This study was carried out with faculty members of Islamic Studies disciplines at one university. Further studies on similar and more general populations must be conducted in order to understand the situation fully. Practical implications Librarians are urged to respond proactively to the needs of students and faculty, to adopt a strong marketing strategy, and to develop general and course-integrated information literacy programmes. Originality/value Bakers (1996) instrument, modified to suit the context of the study, was used for the first time in a developing country. This will stimulate research in similar countries. An Arabised version was prepared which can be used in Arab countries for further research. Keywords Library users, Students, Assignments, Librarians Paper type Research paper

Library Review Vol. 55 No. 2, 2006 pp. 106-119 Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0024-2535 DOI 10.1108/00242530610649602

Introduction Libraries have always played an important role in teaching, learning, and research processes. However, it has been found that not all students consider the library as critical to their studies, especially at the undergraduate level. Baker (1997) concluded that students mainly use libraries to accomplish course assignments or selfintellectual development. However, a meaningful use of the library in learning is dependent on the facultys awareness, recognition, and understanding of its role in the academic achievement of students. A number of studies have been conducted on the perceptions of faculty members regarding student use of libraries, but there is a lack of literature on this topic dealing with developing countries. This study was designed to examine the importance faculty members place on student library use, the motivating factors behind faculty members inclination towards making and requiring library-based assignments, and the role and responsibilities of faculty members as well as librarians in supporting and guiding students on how to use a library. It focused on seeking answers to the following questions:

N What importance do faculty members place on a students use of the library? N What importance do faculty members place on making assignments that require their students to use the library? N What roles do faculty members see for themselves in guiding and supporting students in using the library? N What roles do faculty members see for librarians in guiding and supporting students in using the library? Previous research It has been suggested that the students interest in using library resources is determined by, more than any other factor, the value the classroom instructor attaches to library research (Hardesty, 1995) and that it is only when the faculty themselves are aware of library services that they can develop a positive attitude towards library use and design assignments for students that necessitate use of library resources (Wrice, 1996). Cannon (1994), in a study of 565 full-time faculty members, found that they overwhelmingly agreed that library research was an important aspect in their disciplines. However, Thomas (1994) found out that faculty members strongly believed that students have to use the library and expected them to learn how to use library resources on their own. Hardy (1992) concluded that library services to faculty members may act as inducements in motivating them to design library-based assignments. He argued that knowledge of faculty members information needs is of great importance to the librarians whose resourcefulness inspires the faculty members to emphasise library usage in their lectures and give library-based assignments to their students. Baker (1996, 1997), who investigated the level of importance faculty place on library use, identified the reasons for which faculty require students to use the library and examined the faculty members and librarians role in supporting student library use. He concluded that faculty see educational value in having their students use the library, but do not frame their support around the broader reasons for supporting information literacy which are usually cited by librarians and information specialists (Baker, 1997). His respondents indicated having a comprehensible sense of obligation in motivating students to want to use the library and designing assignments that require students to refer to the library. In tertiary education, students do not solely depend on their teachers for all course requirements; rather they build upon whatever is provided to them by the faculty in various classes. Wells (1995) found that 41 per cent of the respondents were high library users while 37 per cent were medium users and concluded that student library use reflected the way each course was conducted. Sellen and Jirouch (1984) suggested that successful use of the sophisticated library resources by students for either research purposes or course material enrichment required the necessary knowledge and appropriate skills to be able to utilise these resources effectively. Coombs and Houghton (1995), who tried to identify student information use skills, found that most students perception of their own ability to use a range of information tools was high and promising. Kunkel, Weaver and Cook (1996), who assessed the library skills of 245 undergraduate students, discovered that, while working on assignments, lower level students felt confused regarding the scope of the library resources at their disposal. Likewise, Mellon (1986), who explored students sentiments as they

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accomplished research papers and assignments for the first time in a university, found that most students felt that their library-use skills were inadequate while they considered their senior colleagues competencies as satisfactory. The students reported feeling embarrassed, frightened, confused, lost and defenceless whenever they found themselves in the library to accomplish a course assignment. Faculty members are considered to be the inspiring and motivating factor in student library use. The central position enjoyed by faculty members as regards student library use seems not to be shared by any other party. The roles of faculty members in student library use are also considered to be important by faculty themselves and are reflections of their self-perceived responsibility and perceptions towards student library use. Kunkel et al. (1996) established that faculty members have a central position in developing library use skills and motivating students to use the library. They maintained that faculty members could have a still greater role to play in the development of library use among students especially by providing assignments that require library use. Another study of undergraduate students concluded that student-faculty interactions and engaged writing activities had positive effects on library use (Whitmore, 2001). Andrews (1991) found that most students learnt how to use the library while fulfilling a group work assignment or while involved in active teaching, from friends and colleagues who provided them with information regarding available services. He felt that the feeling among faculty members was that it was not their responsibility to make sure that their students develop library skills. On the contrary, Baker (1997) concluded that faculty members had a clear sense of their responsibility in encouraging students to use the library through designing assignments that require students to refer to the library. However, he found that 30 per cent of his respondents indicated not to have designed library assignments while 24 per cent made some other unspecified types of assignments. Wells (1995) contended that undergraduate students in a university environment saw their main aim in terms of academic success and their use of library resources was influenced mostly by the evaluation and teaching methods of library-oriented faculty members. The impact of teaching methods, faculty members expectations, and award of grades for the extra knowledge exhibited by students were singled out as contributing factors to undergraduate academic success. McNally and Kuhlthau (1994) stated that the role of a librarian involves more than providing answers to individual questions. Academic librarians, they argued, must teach students how to analyse information problems and structure their searches so that they are able to find their own answers. Leckie (1996) revealed that some faculty members included the expertise of librarians while designing assignments, so that students could refer to them and seek their assistance in narrowing down a topic, finding and evaluating a citation and locating the relevant documents. Leckie and Fullerton (1999) investigated faculty attitudes and pedagogical practices related to information literacy at two Canadian universities. Seventy-seven per cent of their 233 respondents considered their first and second year students information literacy skills poor while rating their third and fourth year students skills as satisfactory or good. A majority of the respondents did not make use of library instructional services. It was found that a fairly large proportion of faculty (39 per cent) would prefer that librarians assume primary responsibility for information literacy. Al-Qallaf (2000) studied the perceptions of 180 faculty members at Kuwait University regarding the information literacy skills of undergraduate students. Her respondents believed that their students abilities to find, retrieve, evaluate and use information were severely

limited in the lower years and increased in the upper years. The respondents made a limited use of library instruction but were receptive to it. They were interested in making library-based assignments but noted a low level of collaboration between faculty and librarians. Ivey (1994), who surveyed faculty members perceptions of academic librarians, found that 70 per cent of the faculty considered the assistance rendered to them by librarians positively. Julien and Given (2002) investigated librarians attitudes towards faculty-librarian relationships regarding information literacy by conducting content analysis of the related postings on the ILI-L listserv covering the period from September 1995 to December 2002. They discovered that librarians felt that there were communication problems between the faculty and librarians, had a negative assessment of faculty members attitudes, and believed that faculty did not understand librarians. In a paper presented at an interactive library assignment workshop, Mosley (1998) stated that with the growth of information resources, many faculty members understood the need for information literacy. However, most of the faculty members seemed to be uncertain about how to incorporate library skills in their courses. She asserted that it was the librarians role to educate the faculty on how to design effective library-based assignments and guide students in the effective utilisation of library resources for accomplishing such assignments. Feldman and Sciammarella (2000) who surveyed the faculty at six community colleges of the City University of New York found that although a majority of their respondents did not use formal information literacy methods, they used library-based assignments. The study concluded that more effective communication and mutual respect between faculty members and librarians would reinforce the educational experience for students and provide them with a richer learning environment. In addition, Baker (1997) felt that the librarians must be at the forefront in teaching students how to find information. Faculty members strongly felt that, due to the significance of library skills in increasing students self-esteem and self-confidence, the librarians have an important role in teaching students the processes of finding information. Research on faculty perceptions towards student library use is scarce. With the few exceptions, most of the studies examined faculty members perceptions and student library use in isolation from each other although they are interrelated. Bakers (1996) study was one of those investigations that examined faculty perceptions and student library use as a totality. Due to the importance of this issue, it was decided to examine this subject in a different environment. Procedures The objective of this study was to investigate faculty members perceptions towards student library use. It was conducted among all full-time faculty members from three Islamic Studies departments at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). These departments were chosen due to their perceived traditional approach to delivering education. The total number of potential respondents was 48. Bakers (1996) instrument consisting of 20 statements was slightly modified, with permission, by dropping one statement and changing or adding some words to suit the setting of this investigation. The modified 19 statements were numbered, keeping the original order, from S01 to S19 (see Appendix). These statements were translated into Arabic and then back-translated into English by different translators to check the reliability of the Arabic version. Each attitudinal statement had a five-point Likert scale, i.e. strongly

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agree, agree, no opinion, disagree, and strongly disagree with values from 5 to 1. Values of five negative statements (marked with a a in the tables) were reversed, i.e. 1 to 5, at the time of data analysis. The instrument was personally delivered to the respondents. A total of 42 usable instruments, with a response rate of 87.5 per cent, were used for analysis. Findings The responses of participants are presented below in frequencies, percentages, and means in five tables which group related statements together. A composite picture of the means of all statements is provided in Figure 1 at the end of this part. Respondents Thirty-five of the respondents (83.3 per cent) were male and seven (16.7 per cent) female. Only two respondents (4.8 per cent) were aged 30 or below. Sixteen (38.1 per cent) each belonged to the age group of 3140 and 4150. Eight (19.0 per cent) were above 50 years. Sixteen (38.1 per cent) respondents were Malaysians and the remaining 26 (61.9 per cent) were expatriates from 12 countries. Out of the 42 respondents, six (14.3 per cent) were professors, five (11.9 per cent) associate professors, 26 (61.9 per cent) assistant professors, and five (11.9 per cent) lecturers. Thirty-nine of the respondents (92.9 per cent) had PhDs, one (2.4 per cent) had an MPhil, and two (4.8 per cent) had masters degrees. Eighteen (42.9 per cent) of these obtained their highest degrees from four western countries, mainly UK and USA, 21 (50.0 per cent) studied in eight developing countries, and three (7.1 per cent) did not specify the country. Importance of student library use The data on four statements related to the importance of student library use from a faculty members point of view are presented in Table I. All respondents strongly endorsed the importance of library use in stimulating students intellectual curiosity (a mean score of 4.71). No faculty member strongly disagreed, disagreed or even stayed neutral. Learning the use of library resources was considered important to increase students self-esteem and self-confidence. Forty-one of the respondents (97.6 per cent) recognised the contribution of library use in

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Figure 1.
Mean value of statements

increasing students self-esteem and self-confidence (a mean score of 4.60). There was no disagreement or strong disagreement registered against this statement also. All faculty members supported the idea that one of the important reasons for students to learn how to use the library was to become acquainted with the available resources in their subject field (a mean score of 4.40). Thirty-six respondents (85.7 per cent) believed that improvement in students general communication skills was a result of good library use skills, while three (7.1 per cent) disagreed with the idea and the other three (7.1 per cent) expressed no opinion. Importance of library-based assignments The responses to four statements related to the participants perceptions towards the importance of library-based assignments are presented in Table II. With the exception of one respondent who did not express any opinion, all faculty members (97.6 per cent) felt that learning the necessary processes of library use was important for their students. The over-all mean score of 4.55 indicated their strong support of this statement. Forty respondents (95.3 per cent) supported the idea that library-based assignments increased students awareness of the environment beyond the classroom, while two respondents (4.8 per cent) did not express any opinion. The mean score of 4.50 indicated their strong belief that library-based assignments were effective in broadening the worldview of students.

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Statement S07 S09 S13 S14 Helps stimulate intellectual curiosity Increases self-esteem and confidence Becomes familiar with subject literature Improves general communication skills

Strongly agree 30 (71.4) 26 (61.9) 17 (40.5) 14 (33.3)

Agree 12 (28.6) 15 (35.7) 25 (59.5) 22 (52.4)

No opinion 0 (0) 1 (2.4) 0 (0) 3 (7.1)

Disagree 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 3 (7.1)

Strongly disagree Mean 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 4.71 4.60 4.40 4.12

Note: Figures in parentheses are percentages

Table I. Facultys responses towards the importance of student library use (n 5 42)

Statement S11 S10 S08 S03 Learning library use processes is important Increases awareness of the outside world Students do not have adequate library use skillsa Should be designed in focused, not survey type courses
a

Strongly agree 24 (57.1) 23 (54.8) 0 (0) 2 (4.8)

Agree 17 (40.5) 17 (40.5) 13 (31.0) 15 (35.7)

No opinion 1 (2.4) 2 (4.8) 7 (16.7) 4 (9.5)

Disagree 0 (0) 0 (0) 19 (45.2) 18 (42.9)

Strongly disagree Mean 0 (0) 0 (0) 3 (7.1) 3 (7.1) 4.55 4.50 3.29 2.88

Notes: Scale for this statement was reversed to 1 to 5. Figures in parentheses are percentages

Table II. Facultys responses on the importance of librarybased assignments (n 5 42)

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Do students possess skills that enable them to undertake library-based assignments? A little more than half of the respondents (n 5 22, 52.3 per cent) felt that their students had the necessary skills. Seven faculty members (16.7 per cent) did not express any opinion. Thirteen respondents (31.0 per cent) agreed that their students did not have the necessary skills. The overall mean score of 3.29 implied that although the faculty members showed some level of satisfaction with the students library use skills, these were not good enough. The respondents were divided on the issue that library-based assignments should be designed only in more focused (specialised) rather than survey (general) type courses. More faculty members disagreed (50.0 per cent) than agreed (40.5 per cent) with the idea. Four (9.5 per cent) did not express any opinion. Facultys self-perceived roles and responsibilities Table III presents the data related to five statements that touched on the faculty members self-perceived role towards student library use. The survey respondents demonstrated a positive perception of their roles and responsibilities towards student library use. All of the respondents, except one who did not give any opinion, felt that they were obliged to motivate students to want to use the library (mean score of 4.76). Thirty-seven respondents (88.1 per cent) felt that in order to motivate students to use the library, they should provide graded assignments and extra credits, four (9.5 per cent) did not agree, and one (2.4 per cent) did not express any opinion. The overall mean score of 4.12 indicated that the award of extra credits was an important means of motivating students to use the library. The participants were divided as to whether, in supporting and guiding students to use the library, it was their role to design assignments that would necessitate the use of library resources. More than half of the respondents (n 5 26, 61.9 per cent) regarded designing library-based assignments as part of their roles and responsibilities as compared to 11 (26.2 per cent) who did not. Five (11.9 per cent) did not express any opinion. The mean score of 3.64 favours making library-based assignments. Nineteen respondents (46.4 per cent) agreed that their students lack of study skills made it

Statement S06 S12 S04 Motivate students to use library (n 5 42) Make graded assignments and provide extra credit (n 5 42) Should design assignments which require library use (n 5 42) Students lack of study skills makes it difficult to require library-based assignmentsa (n 5 41) Assignments are very time-consuming (n 5 41)
a

Strongly agree 33 (78.6) 14 (33.3)

Agree 8 (19.0) 23 (54.8)

No opinion 1 (2.4) 1 (2.4)

Strongly Disagree disagree 0 (0) 4 (9.5) 0 (0) 0 (0)

Mean 4.76 4.12

14 (33.3)

12 (28.6)

5 (11.9)

9 (21.4)

2 (4.8)

3.64

S16

4 (9.8) 0 (0)

15 (36.6) 6 (14.6)

7 (17.1) 3 (7.3)

14 (34.1) 22 (53.7)

1 (2.4)

2.83

S15

Table III.
Faculty responses on their self-perceived roles

10 (24.4) 2.12

Notes: Scale for this statement was reversed to 1 to 5. Figures in parentheses are percentages

difficult for them to mandate library-based assignments whereas 15 (36.5 per cent) disagreed and seven (17.1 per cent) gave no opinion. Thirty-two of the respondents (78.1 per cent) believed that designing library-based assignments was not timeconsuming whereas only six (14.6 per cent) thought so. Three (7.3 per cent) did not express any opinion. The overall mean score of 2.12 implied that respondents did not consider designing library-based assignments as time consuming. Librarians roles and responsibilities Three statements were meant to elicit information on the roles and responsibilities that faculty members saw for librarians in guiding and supporting students to use the library (Table IV). Forty-one faculty members (97.6 per cent) felt that the librarians were expected to make students feel at home and provide a comfortable academic environment in the library. They expected the librarians to make the library environment welcoming, friendly, encouraging, and hospitable. The mean score of 4.71 indicated the strength of this feeling. Only one respondent (2.4 per cent) did not express any opinion. Thirtynine respondents (92.9 per cent) believed that librarians were obliged to assist students to learn the process of finding information. A small minority of two faculty members (4.8 per cent) thought otherwise and one (2.4 per cent) expressed no opinion. The mean score of 4.40 indicates that librarians do have a role to teach library use skills to students. The survey results indicated that 29 (69.0 per cent) of the respondents felt that it was the librarians responsibility to ensure the availability of up-to-date information in the library. Two faculty members (4.8 per cent) expressed no opinion. Strangely enough, 11 faculty members (26.2 per cent) disagreed that it was the librarians responsibility. These respondents might have thought their own role as equally important in this regard. Institutional issues Three institutional issues related to student library use were included in the questionnaire. Table V provides a distribution of faculty members opinions as regards those areas that can influence their perceptions of student library use. Twenty-six respondents (63.4 per cent) appreciated the importance attached to the library by the university management. However, nine respondents (22.0 per cent) felt that the university does not value the library enough whereas six (14.6 per cent) expressed no opinion. The mean score of 3.46 indicates overall satisfaction with the attitude of the university management towards the library. More than half of the respondents (n 5 23, 56.1 per cent) expressed their satisfaction with the adequacy of
Strongly agree 31 (73.8) 22 (52.4) 15 (35.7) No opinion 1 (2.4) 1 (2.4) 2 (4.8) Strongly disagree 0 (0) 2 (4.8) 10 (23.8)

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Statement S02 S01 S05 Librarians should make students feel at home Librarians should help students learn to find information Ensure availability of up-to-date information

Agree 10 (23.8) 17 (40.5) 14 (33.3)

Disagree Mean 0 (0) 0 (0) 1 (2.4) 4.71 4.40 3.76

Note: Figures in parentheses are percentages

Table IV. Responses related to the roles and responsibilities of librarians (n 5 42)

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available information resources for them to require library-based assignments. However, 14 faculty members (34.2 per cent) felt that the available information resources were not adequate and four (9.8 per cent) did not commit themselves to any opinion. Eighteen respondents (43.9 per cent) disagreed with the statement that there was not much institutional support for faculty who wished to make library-based assignments. Twelve respondents (29.3 per cent) agreed that the university does not provide enough support for faculty members who wished to conduct such assignments. However, 11 of the respondents (26.8 per cent) did not express their opinion. If those who expressed a negative view and those who remained noncommitted are added up (56.1 per cent), then the situation that emerges was not satisfactory. Composite picture of means of all statements Figure 1 provides a composite picture of the perceptions of the respondents for all 19 statements arranged in descending order of mean value for each. In light of the statistical analysis presented in the aforementioned, it is clear that the participants of this study hold very a favourable view of student library use. Discussion The overall findings of this study suggest that the IIUM faculty members give much consideration to student library use and valued it highly. In relation to research question one, What importance do faculty members place on a students use of the library? it can be concluded that the respondents valued the contribution of library use especially with regard to energising and activating students intelligence and intellectual curiosity. This finding was consistent with Baker (1996) who found out that over 94 per cent of his respondents agreed with this idea. The participants of this study indicated that the encounter, through library use, between students, faculty, and librarians was one of the ways through which students self-esteem and self-confidence became stronger. In such interactions, students engage in the process of give and take that enables them to believe in themselves as capable individuals who possess those qualities and potentials with which they can contribute to the advancement of knowledge and society. This supports the fact that library use increases students self-esteem and self-confidence. Learning how to use the library empowers students and facilitates the process through which they become familiar with the literature in their field and are enabled

Statement S18 S17 Library not valued as important by the university managementa Inadequacy of available information resourcesa No institutional support for designing such assignmentsa
a

Strongly agree

Agree

No opinion

Disagree

Strongly disagree Mean

4 (9.8) 4 (9.8) 0 (0)

5 (12.2) 10 (24.4) 12 (29.3)

6 (14.6) 4 (9.8) 11 (26.8)

20 (48.8) 18 (43.9) 16 (39.0)

6 (14.6) 5 (12.2) 2 (4.9)

3.46 3.24 3.20

Table V.
Faculty responses to institutional issues (n 5 41)

S19

Notes: Scale for these statements was reversed to 1 to 5. Figures in parentheses are percentages

to develop into competent, efficient and effective library users, who can easily identify the information they need, locate sources and evaluate them according to their relevance to the subject in question. The faculty members viewed familiarity with and use of literature resulting in improving students general communication skills as part of the rationale behind library use. When students use libraries, they become involved in communication with all types of people in library-related surroundings such as librarians, fellow classmates, faculty members and so forth. In this process, the more students use the library, the more proficient they become as library users, leading to improved general communication skills. Thus, a considerable majority of respondents regarded library use as important, especially in the manner in which it improved students general communication and interpersonal skills. This finding was consistent with that of Mosley (1998) who found out that library use leads to information literate students and contributed to improving interpersonal communication between students, librarians and faculty members. Regarding research question two, What importance do faculty members place on making assignments that require their students to use the library? the findings reflected a positive faculty perception of the importance of such assignments. They believed that library-based assignments have to be designed for students registered in focused as well as survey type courses. This finding largely supports Baker (1996) who found that only minority of his respondents expressed their view that librarybased assignments should be demanded from students only in more focused courses but not the broader survey type subjects. A majority of the respondents of the present study indicated that their students were skillful in library use, based on which they designed library-based assignments. Kunkel et al. (1996), who came up with similar findings, observed that although there were cases of confusion among lower level students about the scope and diversity of library materials, students still possessed basic library skills that enabled them to undertake library-based assignments and those skills could slowly and progressively be enhanced and improved by the help of librarians. The participants of this study strongly felt (mean score 4.5) that by engaging in library-based assignments, students awareness was opened up to the world beyond classroom lectures and notes. These findings are consistent with Baker (1996) where around 95 per cent of the respondents realised the contribution of librarybased assignments in opening up students mind to the world beyond the classroom environment. The research question three dealt with What roles do faculty members see for themselves in guiding and supporting students in using the library? Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the faculty members expressed well-defined perceptions of their roles and responsibilities in guiding and supporting student library use. They strongly felt their responsibility to motivate students and inculcate in them the culture of library use. Most of the respondents (61.9 per cent) of the present study felt that the award of extra credits and graded assignments could be used as incentives to develop the culture of library use among students. This finding is consistent with Baker (1996) where slightly more than half of the respondents (51.7 per cent) considered the award of graded assignments, extra credits and other possible motivating means as essential in encouraging students to use the library. The majority of the respondents felt that they were obliged to design library-based assignments for their students. These assignments according to Gowler (1995) are meant to acquaint students with the objectives of the library and its tools progressively so that students comprehension, utilisation and assessment of the

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librarys collections become systematic. This was also reflected in Thomass (1994) findings who observed that majority of the faculty members (69.4 per cent) required their students to engage in library-based assignments that were intended to teach students the necessary library skills. There was a general feeling among the participants of the present study that it was difficult for them to make library-based assignments due to students lack of library use skills (mean score 2.89). It is interesting to note that these respondents, while accepting the importance of librarybased assignments, felt otherwise (Table III) in relation to their perceived role of making such assignments. Despite the fact that academicians are burdened with academic, research and administrative workloads, these faculty members strongly rejected the assertion that designing library-based assignments was time-consuming to them. This finding reflects a better faculty perception of their responsibility in designing library-based assignments vis-a ` -vis time. A large majority of the respondents (78.0 per cent) of this study reflected this feeling as compared to only 50.0 per cent in Bakers study (1996). What roles do faculty members see for librarians in guiding and supporting students in using the library? The respondents observed that librarians had an important role as well in student library use. They (97.6 per cent) strongly believed that librarians must make sure that the library setting is accommodating, friendly and welcoming, so that students feel at home and free to enquire and use library facilities. This was consistent with Baker (1996) where 95.4 per cent of the respondents expressed similar feelings. A large majority of the respondents (92.9 per cent) indicated that because students are in a learning process, the librarians role should be restricted to helping students to locate the information needed rather than finding information for them. However, a majority of these respondents shared the view that it was the duty of librarians to make sure that enough current information was available to the faculty members. This finding was not consistent with Ivey (1994) who found out that faculty members claimed primary or equal responsibility with librarians in reference book selection. This could be attributed to the fact that faculty members, as stated by Hardesty (1995), do not have a well-defined viewpoint about the type of information resources pertinent for use especially in an undergraduate library. This study also looked at some issues that affected faculty members roles in promoting library use. A majority of the respondents (63.4 per cent) felt that the general academic environment supported student library use and that the library was valued by the management as part of the universitys educational programme. They indicated their satisfaction with the information resources available in the library for the purpose of facilitating library-based assignments and keeping the faculty members informed of the developments in their areas of specialisation. Slightly more than half (56.1 per cent) of the respondents believed that the library possesses adequate information resources. The faculty members who expressed no opinion (19.8 per cent) could possibly be those who were newly recruited and thus were not yet in a position to evaluate the effectiveness of the library in their specific areas. Faculty members, by virtue of their profession, engage in designing library-based assignments. In doing so, they expect some kind of support from the university. Support rendered to the library-based assignment oriented faculty members may be in the form of staff assistance, morale, and material help. A minority of the respondents expressed their view that the university did not provide enough relief to those who required library-based assignments from their students.

Conclusion This study, in addition to its expressed objectives, was taken up with an underlying assumption that the faculty members teaching in a religious-oriented discipline in an Islamic university, even though it claims to be a modern educational institution, will still carry traditional approaches to education. The findings of this research do not support this assumption, as far as these respondents are concerned. These faculty members regard student library use and the required skills as very important and display a positive attitude toward library-based assignments. However, they felt their students library-use skills need to be upgraded in order for them to engage in this activity. This is where the role of the librarians becomes critical. It is deemed necessary that librarians engage in an aggressive marketing campaign of their services and demonstrate to library users, faculty as well as students, the extent to which the library can assist in fulfilling or satisfying their information needs. There was also a veiled dissatisfaction among respondents about institutional support in terms of value placed on the library, availability of information resources, and support for designing library-based assignments. This finding points to a less active role adopted by library management (not unusual in the Malaysian context) than actual support given by the university. There is an urgent need for librarians to adopt a very proactive attitude to create an awareness of resources available to faculty and actively promote course-integrated library use by supporting them in designing assignments. A workshop on designing library-based assignments arranged for faculty members might be a good idea. There is also a need to initiate programmes to develop information literacy skills targeting first year students. The possibility of a credit-based information literacy course may also be explored. It seems that the present study is the first to explore faculty perceptions towards student library use in a traditionally oriented academic environment in a developing country. Although the findings are encouraging, it will be of added interest if more such studies are conducted in similar institutions. The present study was confined to, and provided an insight into, the perceptions of faculty members towards student library use. Nevertheless, students perceptions of library use have not been explored. Therefore, a combined study of faculty and student perceptions is another potential area for investigation. There is also a need to investigate librarians perceptions of faculty members attitude toward information literacy.
References Al-Qallaf, C. (2000), Faculty perceptions of the information literacy skills of undergraduate students at Kuwait University, Singapore Journal of Library and Information Management, Vol. 29, pp. 6994. Andrews, J. (1991), An exploration of students library use problems, Library Review, Vol. 40, pp. 514. Baker, R.K. (1996), Faculty attitudes towards student use of library at a large urban community college, PhD thesis, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ. Baker, R.K. (1997), Faculty perceptions towards student library use in a large urban community college, Journal of Academic Librarianship, Vol. 23 No. 3, pp. 17782. Cannon, A. (1994), Faculty survey on library research instruction, RQ, Vol. 33 No. 4, pp. 52441. Coombs, M. and Houghton, J. (1995), Information skills for new entry tertiary students: perceptions and practice, Australian Academic and Research Libraries, Vol. 26, pp. 26071.

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Feldman, D. and Sciammarella, S. (2000), Both sides of the looking glass: librarian and teaching faculty perceptions of librarianship at six community colleges, College and Research Libraries, Vol. 61 No. 6, pp. 4918. Gowler, S. (1995), The habit of seeking liberal education and the library at Berea College, Library Trends, Vol. 44, pp. 38799. Hardesty, L. (1995), Faculty culture and bibliographic instruction: an exploratory analysis, Library Trends, Vol. 44, pp. 33967. Hardy, F.C. (1992), Library services for faculty in urban university, in McCabe, G.B. (Ed.), Academic Libraries in Urban and Metropolitan Areas, Greenwood Press, New York, NY, pp. 99110. Ivey, R.T. (1994), Teaching faculty perceptions of academic librarians, College and Research Libraries, Vol. 55, pp. 6982. Julien, H. and Given, L.M. (2002), Faculty-librarian relationships in the information literacy context: a content analysis of librarians expressed attitudes and expectations, The Canadian Journal of Information and Library Science, Vol. 27 No. 3, pp. 6587. Kunkel, L.R., Weaver, S.M. and Cook, K.N. (1996), What do they know? An assessment of undergraduate library skills, Journal of Academic Librarianship, Vol. 22, pp. 4304. Leckie, G.J. (1996), Desperately seeking citations: Uncovering faculty assumptions about the undergraduate research process, Journal of Academic Librarianship, Vol. 22, pp. 2018. Leckie, G.J. and Fullerton, A. (1999), Information literacy in science and engineering undergraduate education: faculty attitudes and pedagogical practices, College and Research Libraries, Vol. 60 No. 1, pp. 929. McNally, M.J. and Kuhlthau, C.C. (1994), Information search process in science education, The Reference Librarian, Vol. 44, pp. 5360. Mellon, C.A. (1986), Library anxiety: a grounded theory and its development, College and Research Libraries, Vol. 47, pp. 1605. Mosley, P.A. (1998), Creating a library assignment workshop for university faculty, Journal of Academic Librarianship, Vol. 24, pp. 3341. Sellen, M.K. and Jirouch, J. (1984), Perceptions of library use by faculty and students: a comparison, College and Research Libraries, Vol. 45, pp. 25967. Thomas, J. (1994), Faculty attitudes and habits concerning library instruction: how much has changed since 1982?, Research Strategies, Vol. 12, pp. 20923. Wells, J. (1995), The influence of library usage on undergraduate academic success, Australian Academic and Research libraries, Vol. 26, pp. 1218. Whitmire, E. (2001), The relationship between undergraduates background characteristics and college experiences and the academic library use, College and Research Libraries, Vol. 62 No. 6, pp. 52840. Wrice, S.B. (1996), Faculty perceptions of two urban university libraries: the university of Akron and Georgia State University, PhD dissertation, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI.

Appendix. Bakers modified survey instrument statements as used in this study (One of the original 20 statements was dropped and some words were changed or added to make the statements clearer to the population of this study. The serial numbers S01S19 were added by the researchers.) S01 Librarians ought to help students learn the process of finding information rather than finding the information for them.

S02 Librarians should make students feel at home by making the library environment friendly and welcoming. S03 Library-based assignments should only be required of students in more focused courses and not in broader survey type courses. S04 Faculty members should design assignments for their students which will require library use. S05 It is the librarians responsibility to ensure that the library has up-to-date information in my subject area. S06 One of my roles as a faculty member is to motivate students to want to use the library. S07 Learning to use the library helps stimulate students intellectual curiosity. S08 Most students in my classes do not possess the skills to undertake library-based assignments. S09 Learning to use the library is an important way to increase students self-esteem and selfconfidence. S10 Library-based assignments can increase students awareness of the world outside the classroom. S11 Learning the processes necessary to use the library is an important skill for students. S12 Faculty members should make graded assignments, provide extra credit, or find other ways to motivate students to use the library. S13 An important reason for students to learn to use the library is to become familiar with the literature of their subject field. S14 Good skills in using the library may also improve students general communication skills. S15 For a faculty member, making library-based assignments is very time-consuming. S16 Students lack of study skills (including writing and organising) makes it difficult for faculty members to require library-based assignments. S17 The information resources available in the library in my subject field are not adequate for me to require library-based assignments. S18 The library does not seem to be valued as an important part of my universitys educational programme by the administration. S19 There is not much institutional support for faculty members who wish to make librarybased assignments. Corresponding author Mumtaz A. Anwar can be contacted at: safeer37@hotmail.com

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