Barriers affecting students at the Chancellor College's access to information

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to explore the barriers encountered by Malawian students registered at Chancellor College in accessing library resources at the institution. Further objectives were to establish the actions these students take to overcome the barriers they encounter and the effect these barriers have on their learning or research. Four research questions in line with the objectives of the study were formulated. Through the literature review, concepts such as information access, internal and external information barriers, as well as what is understood by user and information source related barriers were clarified. A qualitative survey design was adopted. Data was collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire. The findings showed that certain characteristics of the Chancellor College Library act as barriers limiting students’ ability to access information for academic purposes. These barriers include a lack of useful resources, the presence in the collection of obsolete resources, poor stock organisation, poor connectivity, inadequate information search skills on the part of library staff, poor staff attitude, limited reading space, vandalism of information resources, theft and unavailability of appropriate resources for users with disabilities. In addition to the library related barriers, library anxiety also seems to affect students’ ability to access information. Recommendations were put forward for improving services relating to information access.

Inhloso yalolu cwaningo kwabe kuwukuphenya ngezithiyo abahlangabezana nazo abafundi baseMalawi abafunda ekolishi i-Chancellor College ekufinyeleleni emithonjeni yolwazi kanye nezinsiza zomtapo wolwazi kulesi sikhungo. Ezinye izinjongo zocwaningo kwabe kuwubheka nokuthola kuthi yiziphi izinyathelo nemizamo esetshenziswa yilaba bafundi ukugudlula lezi zithiyo abahlangabezana nazo kanye nomthelela walezi zithiyo ezifundweni zabo noma ocwaningweni lwabo. Kwakhiwa futhi kwahlanganiswa imibuzo emine ngokuhambisana nezinjongo zocwaningo. Ngokubuyekeza imibhalo nezincwadi eziphathelene nalokhu, kwachazwa futhi kwacaciswa imiqondo-msuka enjengokufinyelela olwazini, izithiyo zolwazi ezingaphakathi kanye nalezo ezingaphandle, ngokunjalo futhi nokuthi kusuke kukhulunywa ngani uma kuthiwa umsebenzisi kanye nezithiyo ezihlobene nomthombo wolwazi. Kwasetshenziswa idizayini yocwaningo olukhwalithethivu. Idatha yaqoqwa ngokusebenzisa amaphephamibuzo alawulwa futhi agcwaliswe ngumbambiqhaza ngokwakhe. Imiphumela yocwaningo yabonisa ukuthi kunezici-bunjalo ezithile zomtapo wolwazi we-Chancellor College eziyizithiyo eziphazamisa futhi zinciphise ukufinyelela kahle kwabafundi olwazini abazolusebenzisela ukufunda. Lezi zithiyo zibandakanya ukungabikhona kwezinsiza kanye nemithombo yolwazi ewusizo, ukuba khona kwemithombo yolwazi esiphelelwe yisikhathi, ukungahlelwa ngononina kwemithombo yolwazi ekhona ngaphakathi emtapweni wolwazi, ukuxhumana okungekho neze ezingeni elifanele, abasebenzi bomtapo wolwazi abanamakhono okuthungatha ulwazi angekho neze ezingeni elifanele, abasebenzi abadelelayo, indawo yokufundela encane, ukucwiywa nokucekelwa phansi kwemithombo yolwazi, ukuntshontshwa kanye nokungatholakali kwemithombo yolwazi efanelekile eqondene nabasebenzisi bomtapo wolwazi abakhubazekile. Ngaphezu kwezithiyo eziphathelene nomtapo wolwazi, ukwesaba umtapo wolwazi nakho kunomthelela ongemuhle ophazamisa abafundi bangakwazi ukufinyelela olwazini ngendlela efanele. Kunezincomo ezenziwa okuhloswe ngazo ukuphucula nokwenza ngcono izinsizakalo eziphathelene nokufinyelela olwazini.

Die doel van die studie was om die struikelblokke te ondersoek wat Malawiese studente ervaar wat by die Kanselierskollege (Chancellor College) geregistreer is, om toegang tot die bibilioteek se hulpbronne by die instelling te kry. Ander oogmerkesluit in om vas te stel wat hierdie studente doen om die struikelblokke wat hulle teëkom die hoof te bied en wat die uitwerking van hierdie struikelblokke op hulle leer of navorsing is. Vier navorsingsvrae wat met die doelwitte van hierdie studie ooreenstem, is geformuleer. Met behulp van die literatuuroorsig is begrippe soos inligtingstoegang, interne en eksterne inligtingstruikelblokke, asook wat verstaan word met gebruiker- en inligtingsbron-verwante struikelblokke, verduidelik.’n Kwalitatiewe ondersoekontwerp is gebruik en data is deur middel van ’n selfgeadministreerde vraelys ingesamel. Die bevindinge het gewys dat sekere kenmerke van die Kanselierskollege se biblioteek as struikelblokke dien wat die studente se vermoëns beperk om inligting vir akademiese doeleindes te bekom. Hierdie struikelblokke sluit die volgende in: ’n gebrek aan bruikbare bronne, die teenwoordigheid van verouderde bronne in die versameling, die swak organisering van die voorraad, ’n gebrek aan samehangendheid, onvoldoende vaardighede om inligting op te spoor aan die kant van die biblioteek se personeel, die personeel se onbehulpsame houding, beperkte leesruimtes, die beskadiging van hulpbronne, diefstal en die onbeskikbaarheid van toepaslike bronne vir gebruikers met gestremdhede. Bykomend tot die struikelblokke wat met die biblioteek in verband gebring kan word, beïnvloed biblioteekangs ook die studente se vermoëns om inligting te bekom. Aanbevelings word gemaak om die dienste wat op toegang tot inligting betrekking het, te verbeter.