Transforming Reference Service Through Information And Learning Commons: Defining Managers, Librarians And Users Perspective – The Case Of Jimma University

Abstract

Traditional reference service model does not reflect the great diversity of users, their information needs, and their information seeking behavior nor does it reflect changes in information sources and in the management and organization of libraries. This reality is very well felt by the developed world libraries and in those countries library reference and information services have seen revolutionary changes to meet the new challenges of information age. Indeed, the information and learning commons has become a focal point and solutions for those challenges and user satisfaction. To examine existing reference service desk Utilization in Jimma university library system and identify Information and learning commons model concepts for adopting Information and Learning Common model.A cross-sectional Study design was employed to look for defining the perspective of managers, librarians and users on the Transformation of the reference service through Information and Learning Commons in Jimma University The questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 478 users from five respondents’ statuses. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in the analysis of data using SPSS version 16.0. A parametric test using the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the mean satisfaction scores among the respondents from the five respondents’ statuses. To determine satisfaction by current reference service and perceived services of Information and learning commons as compared by using paired T-test.The results of the study revealed that on the average, the respondents were neutral with the current usage satisfaction of reference service, and they are satisfied by perceived benefit /usefulness of transformed service, perceived need to transform to ILC, perceived services of ILC. The respondents were relatively most satisfied with perceived benefit /usefulness of transformed service and need to transform (M= 4.123), followed by perceived services of ILC (M= 4.030), and neutral by current reference service usage satisfaction (M= 2.87) in that order. The result shows that on average, the overall mean score difference on perception of current reference service utilization and ILC services are significantly different at the 5% level (p-value < 0.05) with overall mean difference 1.25262.comparision of satisfaction on current reference service among the five respondents statuses are significantly different at the 5% level (p-value = 0.025) also comparison of satisfaction on perceived services of ILC among the five respondents statuses are significantly different at the 5% level (p-value = 0.012). The qualitative analysis of interview result shows also a strong support from the management side to transform to new service model. The current reference service should have transformed in new service model and the study motivates further research on the topic in other institutions of Ethiopia.