Close to half the people who visit Quaid-i-Azam Library go there to study or read material related to civil service entrance tests, according to a survey conducted by the library management.
Additional chief librarian Abid Ali Gill told The Express Tribune that the findings of the survey would help them decide which research and reference books to update or add to their collection of 120,000 books. The non-lending library has 40,000 members, about 17,000 of whom are active members. Two hundred members responded to survey questions. According to the survey report, 58 per cent of members go to the library to study for exams, 18 per cent for general reading, 18 per cent for research purposes, and 6 per cent to use the internet.
Some 500 members visit the library on a daily basis, but the number jumps significantly during exam times. Thirty four per cent of the respondents of the survey said that they visited the library every day, 47 per cent visited 20 times a month, 8 per cent visited 10 times a month, while 11 per cent were occasional visitors. Around a third of visitors (32 per cent) have used the internet facilities, 18 per cent the photocopying machines, 15 per cent the cafe, nine per cent have used audio visual materials, seven per cent the database, and around four per cent the Higher Education Commission online section.
Fifty-two per cent of the respondents said they were not satisfied with the books available in the library, while 48 per cent said they were satisfied. Sixty per cent were unhappy that the library does not have the latest editions of books, while 40 per cent were satisfied.
Some 46 per cent of respondents said that they studied material relevant to the CSS and PMS exams at the library. Law was the second most common discipline of study, with nine per cent of respondents saying they went to the library for law books or journals, followed by physiology, general knowledge and autobiographies. The survey showed that the library’s members are well educated: 64 per cent are post-graduates and 17 per cent are graduates. Thirteen per cent of respondents had law degrees (bachelors or masters) while around one per cent had an MPhil or PhD. Some 39 per cent of members are students. Fifty-nine per cent of respondents said they would like to see more journals on current affairs, 26 per cent sought more research journals and 15 per cent wanted more professional journals.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 20th, 2011.
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