18th National Convention on Knowledge, Library and Information Networking - NACLIN 2015, organised by DELNET in collaboration with Gulbarga University Library, Gulbarga from November 24-26, 2015

1. Information Needs in ICT
Environment: A Study among the
Students of Assam Down Town
University
By
Prafulla Kumar Mahanta,
Research Scholar, Gauhati University
Cum
Librarian, Assam Down Town University
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2. INTRODUCTION
INFORMATION
The word “Information” has derived from Latin word “Informare” means to give shape
to something. It can be defined as “some meaningful messages recorded in
conventional and non conventional media; stored and processed by messages and
dissemination to user.
INFORMATION NEEDS
Ching-Chih Chen and Peter Hernom stress that an information need is more than a
question asked of an introduction provider. It occurs whenever people find themselves
in situations that require some form of knowledge for resolution.
The Librarian’s Thesaurus defines information need as “that need which library
services or materials are intended to satisfy.
According to Kuhlthau (1993) information need is often understood in information
science as evolving from a vague awareness of something missing and as culminating
in locating information that contributes to understanding and meaning.
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3. INFORMATION SEEKING BEHAVIOUR
• Wilson (1999) consider “Information behaviours are those activities a person may
engage in when identifying his or her own needs for information, searching for such
information in any way and using or transferring that information.”
• According to Giraj Kumar (1990) Information seeking behaviour is mainly concerned
with who needs what kinds of information for what reasons, how information is found,
evaluated and used.
ICT AND INFORMATION NEED
• The World has tremendous changes as well as also changes the requirements of
information. Thus changes the purposes of information needs and the way of seeking
and gathering information. The key factor which has influence on information needs
and the process of seeking and gathering information is the advancement of
information and communication technology (ICT). Information and communication
technology (ICT) may be defined as the convergence of electronic, computing and
telecommunications.
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Continued…

4. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
• To identify the frequency and reasons for visiting the library by
the students of Assam down town University;
• To determine the purposes of information needs in ICT
environment among the Students;
• To know the ICT skills possess to retrieved the required
information in ICT environment;
• To identify the types of information sources used by the students
in ICT environment;
• To find out the barriers for accessing and using the required
information by the students;
• To identify the strategies adopted to overcome the difficulties by
the students.
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5. 5
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
In this research, questionnaire method adopted to collect data
from the students of Assam Down Town University, Assam. Also
for collecting secondary data used the relevant research work,
journals, reference books and internet.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This Study covers only the Students of Assam Down Town University,
Panikhaiti, Guwahati-26, Assam. It is a State private University
established in the year 2010 providing courses like Engineering, Pharmacy,
Management, Nursing, Paramedical sciences etc.

6. RESPONSE OF THE SAMPLE
97.50%
2.50%
Responded Not responded
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Analysis and interpretation of Data

7. 7
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Every day Three times
in a week
Two times in
a week
At least once
in a week
Once in a
month
29.23%
19.49%
12.30%
19.49% 19.49%
Chart-2: Frequency of visiting Library
FREQUENCY OF VISITING LIBRARY
Continued…

8. 8
DURATION OF TIME SPENDS IN LIBRARY
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Less than half
hour
Half hour to one
hour
One to two hours Two to three
hours
29.74%
21.54%
29.23%
19.49%
Chart -3 : Duration of time spends in library
Continued…

9. REASON FOR VISITING LIBRARY
9
87.69%
5.13%
14.87%
68.20%
38.97%
9.74%
38.97%
9.74%
77.95%
44.10%
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
80.00%
90.00%
100.00%
Chart-4: Reason for visiting Library
Continued…

10. 10
Continued…
PURPOSE OF INFORMATION NEEDS
83.07%
34.36%
38.97%
44.1%
73.33%
19.49%
Chart-5:Purpose of Information Needs
Preparing notes
Writing articles
Research work
Keeping up-to-date
Improving Knowledge
Sharing knowledge with
colleagues

11. ICT SKILLS POSSESS TO RETRIEVE THE REQUIRED INFORMATION
11
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
HandlingofComputer
Familiarwithsoftware
Internetbrowsing
Onlinesearch
AccesstoWebsite
E-mailing
Useofdigitalresources
Downloadingofwebresources
Keepingtouchwithbulletinboard
Audio/videoconferencing
77.95%
48.72%
70.77%
58.46%
38.97%
58.46%
24.62%
48.72%
24.62% 19.49%
Chart - 6 : ICT Skills possess to retrieve the required Information
Continued…

12. 12
Continued…
INFORMATION SOURCES IN ICT ENVIRONMENT USED BY THE
STUDENTS
87.69%
77.95%
68.20%
24.62%
24.62%
48.72%
9.74%
9.74%
44.10%
24.62%
9.74%
24.62%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Chart-7: Information sources used by the Students

13. 13
Continued…
BARRIERS FOR ACCESSING AND USING THE REQUIRED
INFORMATION
0.00% 20.00% 40.00% 60.00% 80.00%
Information is too vast
Information scattered in too many sources
Out dated information materials
Incomplete information materials
Lack of computer hardware and software
Lack of Technical support
Lack of time for online searching
Lack of training in electronics resources
Low internet speed
Power supply and backup
68.20%
19.49%
48.72%
34.36%
14.87%
5.12%
14.87%
44.10%
19.49%
68.20%
9.74%

14. 14
Continued…
38.97%
24.61%
34.36%
29.23%
24.61%
83.07%
77.95%
Chart-9: Strategies adopted to overcome the problems
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2
3
4
5
6
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STRATEGIES ADOPTED TO OVERCOME THE PROBLEMS

15. RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Sufficient library staff should be employed in the library for betterment of library services.
2. Sufficient ICT infrastructure facility should be provided in the library.
3. The library should provide more computer terminals with internet facility.
4. The library should setup digital library and enrich the collections with different form of digital
materials.
5. Effort should be made to increase the speed of internet access so that the students can make
accessible to web-based resources.
6. Resources sharing facility should be introduced.
7. The library should increase the space of library and hence provide group discussion facility
separately inside the library.
8. The library should subscribe the enough print journals as well as e-journal for all the
departments.
9. Required to fully automated the library and provide OPAC facility so that users can access the
every document in the library.
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16. CONCLUSION
• The findings showed that the main reason for less
consulting journals by the students is the unavailable
of latest and updated print journals in the library.
• The Library should increase internet speed and
provide sufficient ICT infrastructure with sufficient
digital materials.
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