A study of the library use practices of high school students in three east Tennessee counties

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine how and why high school students use the library and its resources. It examined how teachers influence students' use of library resources. The participants were 11th-grade students attending public high schools in 3 east Tennessee counties. Participants completed a survey based on library use. Although 350 students were invited to participate in the study, only 130 returned the permission slip, resulting in a 37% response rate. Eleven respondents were asked to participate in a short interview to supplement and add qualitative clarification to the findings. The findings were descriptive in nature, although basic analyses were calculated to identify any relationships between the different variables. A literature review examined the historical development of the library, the purpose of the library, challenges to the role of the library, research in the library science field, influences on library use, library use and academic achievement, studies of library users and nonusers, and lifestyle variables relating to library use. The study's identification of library use patterns and high school students' attitudes about their use of the library could assist librarians in making long range plans for their libraries. These plans could include the identification of materials to purchase, areas in which students need assistance in completing projects, or recreational materials to read. Ultimately, the findings could assist librarians in the development of cooperative programs between school and public libraries to reduce the overlapping of information while increasing student use of the library. The study found most students visited the library at an early age with their mothers, although not on a regular basis. They were more likely to visit the school library than the public library; the primary reason being to locate information to complete school assignments. Parents and English teachers were the most influential in encouraging library use, although teachers had more influence on female students than male students. Female students also visited the library on a more frequent basis.

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