Use of the library in a teacher's college of education in Botswana : a case study

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the patterns of library usage of student teachers and lecturers, the factors influencing their usage behaviour and the methods used by lecturers to promote use. A case study was conducted at Tonota College of Education in Botswana. Questioning data collection methods were used. A total of 172 student teachers and 84 lecturers were selected by means of stratified random sampling. The findings revealed that both student teachers and lecturers made frequent use of the library. Borrowing for curriculum-related use constituted more than half of the reasons why student teachers and lecturers used the library. Most of the lecturers indicated that they adopted topic assignments as a method of motivating students to make use of the library. This was confirmed by the majority of student teachers. Most student teachers perceived the College Library as contributing to their educational success.