Analysing the relationship between undergraduate students’ information needs and collection development: A study of an academic library in the Western Cape

The information needs of students play a critical role in shaping a library’s collection, making them an essential part of the collection development process. This study sought to identify gaps between the information needs of undergraduate students and the resources available to them in the library, while also proposing strategies to better align the library’s collection with these needs. The research objectives were threefold: to identify the specific information needs of undergraduate students in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, to evaluate the extent to which collection development practices at an academic library in the Western Cape consider these needs, and to recommend strategies for better alignment between the library’s collection and student information needs. A descriptive survey design was employed, utilising web-based electronic questionnaires distributed to 3,780 Arts and Humanities undergraduate students via email by the UWC research committee. The study adopted a positivist research paradigm and used a quantitative approach. Simple random sampling was applied to select undergraduate student participants, ensuring each had an equal chance of inclusion, while purposive sampling was used to select faculty librarians based on their professional roles. The findings underscore the importance of integrating student information needs into collection development decisions.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of the Western Cape

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Mnqwazi, Zenande

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Salubi, Oghenere

• Collection development
• Collection management
• Conspectus model
• Information needs
• Information-seeking behaviour

Licence

• https://uwcscholar.uwc.ac.za/bitstreams/18cee62a-b473-4ade-80d8-4316707db5b6/download