Status : Verified
Personal Name Senga, Karlo Gabriel A.
Resource Title User statistics of the UP Diliman General Reference and Electronic Resources Section, University Library: a multivariate trend analysis, 2005-2011
Date Issued October 2013
Abstract The study looked at the annual reports of the General Reference Library in order to find trends and patterns within the data, and to explain, using internal library factors, why they came to be. The available annual reports from 2005-2011 were used, and based on the completeness of data, the records used were divided into collections, staffing, expenditures, and service activities, which corresponds to the ARL Statistics coverage. Numerous errors and inconsistencies were found in the reports, and were cross-referenced for verification.

The study found a significant decrease in readers admitted for the library in recent years. After experiencing a steady growth of users during the preceding years, peaking at almost 200,000 readers, the number dropped by as much as 54% in 2010, and continued to decline in 2011. The 2010 report made no mention of this decrease due to an erroneous records, and the 2011 record, and the 2011 report attributed it to the electrical problems experienced by the library from October 2010 to February 2011, where sections of the Main Library received limited to no power supply.

Looking at the monthly user patterns of the library, however, the study concluded that the power problems could not have played a significant role in the decrease, as the months affected had relatively fewer users in general. During 2010, the study estimated that the power problems exacerbated the decrease by a mere 6%.

Library expenditures were not insufficient, quadrupling in amount within the 6-year period. Collection growth was slowly decreasing, but a study on ARL libraries have found that serial costs are rising rapidly compared to all other expenditures, and as such, take up a larger amount of the budget, while monograph acquisitions are declining to compensate.

The study found that on 2009, the year immediately preceding the significant decrease in users, there were three noticeable records. First is that the number of readers admitted peaked during th
Degree Course Bachelor of Library and Information Science
Language English
Keyword Library statistics; Reference service; Electronic resources
Material Type Thesis/Dissertation
Preliminary Pages
365.49 Kb
Category : F - Regular work, i.e., it has no patentable invention or creation, the author does not wish for personal publication, there is no confidential information.
 
Access Permission : Open Access