An Exploratory Case Study of Library Anxiety and Basic Skills Students in a California Community College

ByScott W. Lee, MSLS, EdD

What is Library Anxiety (LA) Similar to Other Academic Anxieties (Math Anxiety, Text Anxiety, Computer

Anxiety)

Fear, trepidation, intimidation of any or all things library related.

Term first coined by Constance Mellon in 1986 based on analysis of student journals.

Mellon’s Findings Main Sources of Fear

Building Layout Research Process

Students Do Not Seek Help Embarrassed by lack of knowledge and assumed everyone else had it.

I found previous research (1972, 1982) that showed same.

Basic Skills California Community College (CCC) term for Developmental Education (DE)

DE Student: College Student Below College Level in Math, Reading, and/or Writing 40% in US, 70%-80% in CCC’s Most states focus DE in Community Colleges Also called: Remedial, At-Risk, High-Risk

My Study Conducted at Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD)

Largest CC in US (240K Students) Spread Over 800 Square Miles I drove 2800 miles to collect my data.

Mixed Methods: Quantitative (Survey) followed by Qualitative (Interviews)

Data Collected: March – May 2010

Quantitative The Library Anxiety Scale (LAS)

The LAS was developed by Sharon Bostick in 1991 to measure Library Anxiety Used in Over 30 Studies Before

Administered to 191 Students at 8 of the 9 Colleges of LACCD

Only Used Students at Highest Level of Basic Skills English Before Transfer Level

Qualitative Interviewed 13 Quantitative Participants

In Person, One-to-One Five Colleges – Harbor (3), Mission (2), City (3), Trade-Tech (1), Pierce (4) Paid Each Participant $10 and Raffle Entry for One of Three iPods

Findings - Quantitative Analysis was Descriptive (Univariate & Bivariate)

LAS Scores for LACCD:Total LAS Range is 43 - 215 Mean: 102 Highest: 174, Lowest: 43 Study Means of Past LA Research (98, 96, 129)

Findings - Quantitative Means

Gender: No Difference (M:102, F:101) Ethnicity: Asians Scored Highest (106), African-Americans Scored Lowest (94)

Age: No Trend

Employment: More Hours = More LA

Library Experience: More Recent Experience = Less LA

Findings - Qualitative Three Areas of Inquiry

Awareness of Academic Libraries Use of Academic Libraries Value Placed on Academic Libraries

Findings - Qualitative Awareness

No Connection Between LA and Awareness Awareness Primarily Affected by Classroom Faculty

Students who were guided to library by classroom or other faculty were more aware.

Most received little to no guidance. Most students reported few, if any, research-based assignments. Most reported no BI experiences.

Findings - Qualitative Use

Increase in LA equaled decrease in use. Students used library computers more than any other service or resource. Students made significant use of the library building as a place to study. Students used public libraries and academic libraries interchangeably.

Findings - Qualitative Value

Student valuations of academic libraries not connected to LA. Most students viewed the library as a necessity for a successful college student.

Some disagreed and felt the Internet could replace a library. I found conflict between student valuations of the library and their use of them

with students placing a high value on libraries while they were not using them much.

Findings - Qualitative Value (cont.)

Students primarily viewed the library as a: Tool (to accomplish tasks) Convenience (for access to the building and computers) House of Knowledge

Student perspectives on librarians: All had a positive view. Referred to librarians as“teachers”and“Guru’s”. Valued for expertise in campus-specific knowledge.

Recommendations #1: Community college libraries should recognized the existence of library

anxiety in development education students and consider it for all services to that population.

Recommendations #2: Community college libraries should develop better connections with the

developmental education staff on campus.

Recommendations #3: Community college libraries should engage classroom instructors to

inform them of the value that libraries can offer to students.

Recommendations #4: Community college libraries should find a balance between serving the

technology needs of students and fulfilling an educational role at the college.