Abstract
This paper evaluates freshmen undergraduate students’ comprehension of library vocabularies used by librarians in library orientation sessions. For the assessment, a questionnaire survey was conducted among a group of 1456 freshmen students during library orientations at a premier public university in Bangladesh. In addition to students’ socio-demographic and personal information, the survey included 15-multiple choice questions on the definition of library terminologies. For each definition, the correct answer was given a score of “1” whereas the wrong or unsure response was assigned a score of “0.” Statistical procedures, t-test and ANOVA, were run to test the equality of means between student groups. A Generalised Estimating Equation (GEE) model was applied to determine the effect of socio-demographic and personal variables on students’ category-specific scores. The findings indicate that more than half of the terms were either incorrectly defined or not known to students. There were significant differences in freshmen’s total and category-specific scores based on gender, age, previous residence, discipline enrolled, computer and library experience and in terms of their previous exposure to library instructions. The GEE model showed that category-specific scores were significantly associated with term types and prior computer and library experience.
References
Adedibu, L. O., and I. O. Ajala. 2011. “Recognition of library terms and concepts by undergraduate students.” Library Philosophy and Practice. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/449/ (accessed April 2, 2021).Search in Google Scholar
Caña, M. B., Q. L. G. G. Cueto, A. B. De Guzman, K. B. Fuchigami, L. R. T. Manalo, and J. C. U. Yu. 2005. “Clientele recognition of library terms and concepts used by librarians.” Journal of Librarianship and Information Science 37 (4): 195–204.10.1177/0961000605057852Search in Google Scholar
Ferdows, J., and S. M. Z. Ahmed. 2015. “An empirical investigation of information skills among undergraduate students at Dhaka University.” Library Review 64 (4/5): 274–84.10.1108/LR-11-2014-0132Search in Google Scholar
Holliday, W., S. Ericksen, B. Fagerheim, R. Morrison, and F. Shrode. 2006. “Instruction in a virtual environment: assessing the needs for an online tutorial.” The Reference Librarian 46 (95–96): 187–211.10.1300/J120v46n95_12Search in Google Scholar
Hutcherson, N. 2004. “Library jargon: student recognition of terms and concepts commonly used by librarians in the classroom.” College & Research Libraries 65 (4): 349–54.10.5860/crl.65.4.349Search in Google Scholar
Imler, B., and M. Eichelberger. 2014. “Commercial database design vs. library terminology comprehension: why do students print abstracts instead of full-text articles?” College & Research Libraries 75 (3): 284–97.10.5860/crl12-426Search in Google Scholar
Islam, M. A., and K. Tsuji. 2010. “Assessing information literacy competency of information science and library management graduate students of Dhaka University.” IFLA Journal 36 (4): 300–16.10.1177/0340035210388243Search in Google Scholar
Kupersmith, J. 2012. “Library terms that users understand.” https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3qq499w7 (accessed March 31, 2021).Search in Google Scholar
Liu, G., and D. Winn. 2009. “Chinese graduate students and the Canadian academic library: a user study at the University of Windsor.” Journal of Academic Librarianship 35 (6): 565–573.10.1016/j.acalib.2009.08.001Search in Google Scholar
Liu, M. 1995. “Ethnicity and information-seeking.” Reference Librarian 23 (49–50): 123–34.10.1300/J120v23n49_09Search in Google Scholar
Marama, I. D. 1998. “Use of the technological university library by international students.” The International Information & Library Review 30 (2): 87–96.10.1080/10572317.1998.10762467Search in Google Scholar
Naismith, R., and J. Stein. 1989. “Library jargon: student comprehension of technical language used by librarians.” College & Research Libraries 50 (5): 543–52.10.5860/crl_50_05_543Search in Google Scholar
Orgeron, J. P. 2018. “Understanding the language of information literacy.” The Journal of Academic Librarianship 44 (1): 81–7.10.1016/j.acalib.2017.10.004Search in Google Scholar
Schaub, G., C. Cadena, P. Bravender, and C. Kierkus. 2017. “The language of information literacy: do students understand.” College & Research Libraries 78 (3): 283–96.10.5860/crl.78.3.283Search in Google Scholar
Shoeb, M. Z. H. 2011. “Information literacy competency of freshman business students of a private university in Bangladesh.” Library Review 60 (9): 762–72.10.1108/00242531111176781Search in Google Scholar
Yesmin, S., and S. M. Z. Ahmed. 2019. “Early career academics’ understanding of library language: a study in a university setting in Bangladesh.” Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication 69 (3): 171–87.10.1108/GKMC-03-2019-0034Search in Google Scholar
© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston