Dissertation Information for Chih WangNAME:
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SCHOOL: ADVISORS: COMMITTEE MEMBERS: MPACT Status: Fully Complete Title: This study investigated the relationship between the attitudes of academic librarians toward computers and their backgrounds. The purposes of the study were to identify: (1) the relationship between academic librarians' attitudes toward computers and demographic variables, (2) the relationship between the academic librarians' attitudes toward computers and their background in information science related courses, and (3) the dimensions of academic librarians' attitudes toward computers.
A total of 244 librarians working in academic libraries in the States in universities or colleges that also have ALA-accredited library science programs were surveyed. Out of the 195 responses (79.9 percent response rate), 190 were usable for data analysis. The respondents were mostly female, over forty years old, had an MLS degree, and had more than ten years of library experience with an average of 16.1 years of experience and an average of 10.7 years of experience in their current library. In addition, most of them were currently using computers at work and were working in libraries where their primary functional area was computerized.
The results reveal that, overall, the librarians showed positive attitudes toward computers. It was found that most of the demographic variables including gender, age, the highest degree obtained, collection size, functional areas in which the librarians were engaged in the current library, and length of library experience, were not significantly related to their attitudes toward computers. Also, neither formal nor informal education in information science were related to academic librarians attitudes toward computers. Experience with computers and the knowledge of a programming language were significantly related to a positive attitude toward computers. Abstract: This work consists of seven chapters. It was designed as a case study in response to the claim made by Lancaster, Thompson, and others that electronic publishing will replace print publishing, and libraries will disappear by the year 2000. The objectives of the study were to review the literature on the subject, to collect data, to examine the possibility of the impact, and ultimately, to provide knowledge for practical purposes as well as for satisfying academic curiosity. Three libraries in Atlanta, Georgia were selected for the study. The expenditure for, and the usage of, the two forms of publishing in the selected libraries were examined. |
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