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Library and IT mergers
Introduction
This article uses the results taken from 12 qualitative interviews with undergraduate students to examine these students' help-seeking methods and their use of academic library reference services. The research showed that students did not ask for help for a variety of reasons. The reasons of embarrassment, shyness and anxiety caused by mechanical barriers are the main focus of this article. This article examines the effect that these barriers have on the use of academic library reference and enquiry services, and suggests methods of removing or coping with them. The issue of whether anonymity offered by digital reference services is likely to make more students ask for help is also considered. Using an inductive approach, the set of observations gained during the research is used to build the theory that current academic reference services are not suitable for many students, and this is why they are not well used. This leads to increased levels of "Library Anxiety", which might be partially relieved by implementing new improved digital reference services.
This article focuses on students' thoughts and opinions; and it is this student-centered approach that gives particular insight into the reasons why students do not seek help. A major aim of this study is to find ways to encourage those students who need help, to seek it. This article aims to clarify the ways students seek help in libraries, and their feelings about using library enquiry services. In this way, it should bring practical benefits to academic libraries seeking to design and introduce new forms of reference service. This research is timely, because students see themselves as paying customers of the library and are increasingly demanding better services. If there are barriers to some students seeking help when they need it, libraries must address these.
Background
The broader context of this article is research conducted for an MSc dissertation carried out during September 2005-May 2006 ([50] Robinson, 2006). The main aim of this research was to investigate undergraduates' use of library enquiry services and to assess the possible impact of digital reference on library anxiety. While working in the subject librarian office of an academic library, I observed that some students seem scared of asking for help. A sign on the office...