AN ASSESSMENT OF THE LIBRARY ORIENTATION PROGRAM FOR NEW LIBRARY USERS:

Information and Communication Technology TLSB. - Tanzania Library Service Board ACRL - Association of College and Research Libraries ALA - American Library Association vi ABSTRACT This study Assessed the Library Orientation Program for new library users at the School of Library, Archives and Documentation Studies (SLADS), Bagamoyo. The study was guided by one general objective, namely to assess the library orientation program for library and information seeking skills at SLADS, and four specific objectives focusing on the timing of conducting the orientation program, the skills provided to library users during orientation, the challenges facing the library in providing orientation programs, and strategies to overcome these challenges. The study adopted a descriptive research design. A sample of 25 respondents, comprising 23 students and 2 librarians, was involved through questionnaires, interviews and observation. All 25 respondents participated, giving a response rate of 100 percent. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages, presented in tables and figures, while qualitative data from interviews were analyzed using content analysis. The findings revealed that library orientation at SLADS is conducted mainly at the beginning of the academic year, with fewer number of refresher sessions offered during the semester. The study further revealed that orientation equips students with essential skills such as library rules, searching skills, borrowing procedures, information literacy, and reference services. However, the program is constrained by limited time, large numbers of participants, inadequate facilities, and information overload, which reduce its overall effectiveness. The study recommends that SLADS library management should increase the duration of orientation programs, improve library facilities, prepare and distribute user guides, improve student participation, and adopt modern teaching technologies, in order to strengthen the orientation program and better support new library users.

Type

Dissertation

Language

English

Peer review

Not peer-reviewed

Licence

All rights reserved