Challenges faced by University librarians in creating awareness of library services among students: A case of Moi University Margaret Thatcher Library

Abstract

Library users today are faced with many challenges in finding necessary information for their various needs and assignments. This is because today new technology makes information to be available in different formats, mainly in electronic formats and most of the library users are not conversant with the retrieval of information using these electronic formats. For this electronic information to be accessed and used properly, library users are required to be information literate. However, nowhere is change more evident than in the librarian profession. There are major challenges that every librarian will face and these challenges are overcome will determine whether one becomes a 21st Century librarian, and ultimately whether they, the library and their profession survive. This paper, sought to establish the challenges faced by Moi university library staff in creating awareness of library services and their solutions. The study was conducted through case study design. From a target population of 32 library staff and 10,470 students, a sample of 457 respondents was selected which comprised of 425 students and 32 library staff using probability and non-probability sampling. A mixed method approach was used with questionnaires and interviews being preferred for data collection. Quantitative data were analyzed by use of descriptive statistics and presented in form of tables while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Indiscipline among library users, low number of library staff and lack of cooperation among the students and the staff are among others some of the challenges that were identified. The paper recommends the need to increase the number of library staff so that they can efficiently meet the needs of library users.