User satisfaction with library and information services at Richfield Graduate Institute of Technology, South Africa

Abstract

Library and information services in higher education institutions exist to serve and satisfy the information requirements or needs of students by providing some services and resources required to support their academic journey. These information services and resources must be evaluated from time to time to establish if library users are satisfied with their encounters. This study, therefore, was conducted to evaluate how students at Richfield Graduate Institute of Technology (RGIT) in Kempton Park branch Campus, South Africa, were happy and satisfied with its library services and resources. The study adopted the positivist research paradigm through quantitative research approach for data collection. An electronic questionnaire (Google form) with closed-ended questions, was utilised to collect data, from 468 students who were chosen though the application of both stratified and systematic random sampling methods. The findings showed that most of the respondents visited the library either weekly or monthly to check-out books, for study space, to conduct research and use computers and the printers. They also showed that they are happy and satisfied with services and resources provided for them to access information by the RGIT library, as well as the conduct and behaviour of library staff. However, there were few respondents who were not happy and not aware of the services and facilities provided by the library for accessing information. This calls for the intensive marketing of the RGIT library resources and services, including provision instructional services to the users in the form of user education programmes, that is, Bibliographic Instruction and Information Literacy education.