The Effect of Library Instruction on Library Anxiety
in the Public Library Setting
Public libraries are intended to provide free information for all of the citizens they serve,
and are ideally friendly and comfortable community gathering places. Even so, it has been
generally acknowledged that public libraries may be intimidating to potential users because
buildings are difficult to navigate, computers are not easy to use, or librarians appear to be too
busy to help patrons. Public librarians have long been aware that some people do not feel
comfortable using the library but they have not performed scientific studies of this topic. Public
libraries do conduct research relating to methods for improving services, promoting programs, or
selecting materials, but have not conducted scholarly research on the subject of patrons’
discomfort in using the library. There are, however, many examples in general library literature
concerned with making library patrons more comfortable with our buildings, computer
resources, and collections.
Most public libraries offer instruction on basic computer skills, the Internet and searching
the online catalog which are designed to make users more comfortable with using these research
tools. Computer instruction may be presented in classes or in informal, one-on-one sessions
within the public library. However, the efficacy of such instruction in reducing patron’s feelings
of discomfort has not been measured in the public library to date. On the other hand, academic
librarians have spent more than 20 years examining their patrons’ feelings of discomfort with
doing research in the library and have a large body of work which could possibly be applied to
the public library setting.
In academic circles, the feeling of discomfort experienced by students using the
university library for research is referred to as “library anxiety.” While it is generally believed
1
that public library patrons may suffer from the same library anxiety, little research has been
conducted to determine whether this is so, or if measures such as library instruction can facilitate
a more positive reaction.
This pilot study applied the Library Anxiety Scale (LAS), created by Sharon L. Bostick,
to the public library setting for the first time1 The LAS is a tested and validated instrument
which has primarily been used to determine why university students experience feelings of
discomfort in using the library to perform research. These feelings of discomfort can result in
procrastination or even avoidance of the library altogether. The Library Anxiety Scale has also
been used to develop and test practical solutions to the problem of library anxiety and has proven
to be a reliable instrument for these purposes.
The concept of library anxiety was defined by Constance Mellon as “the feeling of fear
that kept [students] from beginning to search or that got in the way of their staying in the library
long enough to master search processes.”2 Her study used personal accounts of library
experiences written by students in English classes at a southern university, in both journal and
essay form. Causes for this anxiety as it emerged from her study were categorized in four groups:
“(1) the size of the library, (2) a lack of knowledge about where things were located, (3) how to
begin, and (4) what to do.” She attempted to discover methods to alleviate the anxiety and found
that “acknowledging the anxiety and its legitimacy, and then providing successful experiences to
counteract the anxiety, is the most effective method for treatment.3 Mellon also delineated terms
for barriers that seemed to prevent students from using the library effectively. The terms were
defined in the following way: barriers with staff (referring to the feeling that librarians are
Sharon L. Bostick, “The Development and Validation of the Library Anxiety Scale,” (doctoral dissertation, Wayne
State University, 1992).
2
Constance Mellon, “Library Anxiety: A Grounded Theory and Its Development,” College & Research Libraries 47
(1986): 160-165.
3
Mellon, “Library Anxiety,”162.
1
2
unapproachable or “too busy” to help researchers); affective barriers (referring to the fact that
many students felt that no one else had problems in using the library); comfort with the library
(referring to whether the students felt safe and welcome in the library); knowledge of the library
(referring to how familiar students feel with the library); and mechanical barriers (referring to
problems using computers, photocopiers, and other equipment in the library). It seems entirely
feasible that public library patrons might encounter the same barriers in using the library.
Mellon also attempted to discover methods to alleviate library anxiety. She discovered that
“acknowledging the anxiety and its legitimacy, and then providing successful experiences to
counteract the anxiety, is the most effective method for treatment.” 4 She described library
instruction as an important treatment for counteracting library anxiety. “In this session, or
primary goal is to help students see the library as a great place with fascinating information and
warm, friendly people available to help them.”5
Since Mellon’s groundbreaking study was published in 1986, many researchers have
delved into the subject of library anxiety. While little research has been conducted on library
anxiety in public libraries, it has generally been accepted that this anxiety does occur in public
library patrons, for many of the same reasons as Mellon discovered. Pitney and Slote explained
reasons for establishing roving reference service in the King County Library System. “We have
always suspected that our traditional reference desks might be a barrier to service. Some patrons
may be reluctant to seek help at our desks….”6 Michel Atlas pointed out that sometimes
problems arise because patrons are not able to negotiate library resources on their own. “I want
to demystify the range of information services and information delivery mechanisms available to
Mellon, “Library Anxiety,” 163.
Mellon, “Library Anxiety,” 164-165.
6
Barbara Pitney and Nancy Slote, “Going Mobile: The KCLS Roving Reference Model,” Public Libraries 46, no. 1
(January/February 2007): 60-67.
4
5
3
our patrons. While librarians did not deliberately set out to create an environment that is
mysterious and difficult to use and understand, it seems that in many instances we have done just
that.”7 Veal noted that adult students returning to school “often speak of their gratitude to
librarians who have assisted them in overcoming the anxiety they may associate with libraries
and gathering information.”8
Some public libraries have researched their patrons’ difficulties in the area of knowledge
of the library and responded by remodeling their spaces in order to relieve what academic
librarians would term library anxiety in their patrons. Dempsey described changes made by the
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania and by the Hennepin County Library in
Minneapolis, Minnesota, to relieve confusion in finding library materials. Carnegie Library of
Pittsburgh began its research with focus group discussions of how people used the library and
then consulted a firm specializing in making complex environments easier to understand when it
was planning a renovation of its main library. Dempsey said, “It makes perfect sense: design our
spaces and signs so that our users can find things and find help easily. That's not the library
tradition, however. Librarians label things in jargon (consider ‘reference desk’) and use
complicated numeric systems to organize resources (à la Dewey Decimals). Whether it's from
library school training or a common trait among those who are drawn to library work, our field
organizes in a way that makes it simple for librarians to put their hands on materials but has left
library users on the outside.”9 The Carnegie’s research results showed that patrons were
confused by library jargon and signage, so they focused on making the entire library more
understandable to patrons, doing away with jargon and creating more welcoming atmosphere,
Michel C. Atlas, “Library Anxiety in the Electronic Era, or Why Won’t Anybody Talk to Me Anymore?”
Reference & User Services Quarterly 44, no. 4 (Summer 2005): 314-319.
8
Robin E. Veal, “Understanding the Characteristics, Concerns and Priorities of Adult Learners to Enhance Library
Services to Them,” The Reference Librarian 33, no. 69/70 (August 2001) 117.
9
Beth Dempsey, “Power Users,” Library Journal 130, no. 20 (December 15, 2005): 72.
7
4
particularly on its first floor. At Hennepin County Library, changes in the physical space were
made when “the library's research showed that the community, encompassing a broad mix of
cultures, was intimidated by the traditional library space.”10 These examples highlight the need
for studying library anxiety in the public library setting as well as discovering methods to relieve
patrons’ feelings of discomfort.
Carlile’s integrated review of the literature on library anxiety provided an overview of the
work done in this area since Mellon’s study.11 It summarized the total number and type of
library anxiety studies from 1986 to 2006 and presented the information in tabular form.
According to Carlile’s table, 13 qualitative research studies were done as compared to 49 which
used quantitative or mixed methods. Twelve studies consisted of discussion and review of the
issues of library anxiety.
A large part of library anxiety research has been accomplished by the team of Anthony
Onwuegbuzie and Qun G. Jiao, using Bostick’s Library Anxiety Scale (LAS) a 43-item, fivepoint Likert-type scale that has been tested and validated12. Their studies have been reviewed in
detail by Alison Cleveland, who discussed the major publications of the team on the topic of
library anxiety. She summarized the major factors associated with library anxiety as revealed in
Onwuegbuzie and Jiao’s studies: (1) “having taken library instruction courses is associated with
lower anxiety; (2) poor study habits are associated with higher anxiety and appropriate study
habits are associated with lower anxiety; (3) a cooperative attitude is associated with lower
anxiety levels; and (4) library and trait anxiety are not significantly related.”13
Dempsey, “Power Users,” 73.
Heather Carlile, “The Implications of Library Anxiety for Academic Reference Services: A Review of the
Literature,” Australian Academic & Research Libraries 38, no. 2 (2007):129-147.
12
Bostick, “Library Anxiety Scale.”
13
Alison Cleveland, “Library Anxiety, A Decade of Empirical Research,” Library Review 53, no.3/4 (March 30,
2004): 177-185.
10
11
5
Onwuegbuzie, Jiao and Bostick compiled their research into a book that most likely will
serve as a foundation and guide for future work in the area of library anxiety. 14 Many of Jiao,
Onwuegbuzie and Bostick’s own articles appear in the book as well as references to others’ work
on the subject. Additionally, Bostick’s Library Anxiety Scale is included as an appendix, along
with suggested scoring protocols. Methods for prevention, reduction and intervention of library
anxiety were summarized by the authors through a variety of physical changes to the library,
instructional services and reference services.15
Jiao and Onwuegbuzie undertook many studies of library anxiety, one of which sought to
determine whether library anxiety is really important. Mellon’s coining of the term “library
anxiety” was based on the descriptions of her subjects’ fear of the library, which “seemed to tie
closely with the work being done on math and test anxiety.” 16In this study, they used the LAS to
determine whether library anxiety is unique or whether it is related to trait anxiety in graduate
students. Their study revealed that library anxiety is situation-specific and not related to trait
anxiety. This represented a significant step in further validating the study of Library Anxiety.
The researchers concluded, “Now that it is clear that library anxiety must be taken seriously,
researchers and practitioners alike should turn their attention to the treatment and reduction of
library anxiety.” 17
A later book presented the results of research aimed at discovering the effectiveness of
various types of library instruction on students at Slippery Rock University. Malvasi, Rudowsky
14
Anthony Onwuegbuzie, Qun G. Jiao and Sharon L. Bostick, Library Anxiety: Theory, Research, and Applications,
Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press (2004). The work of these researchers covers a variety of subjects and situations on
the topic of library anxiety, including studies of learning styles, perfectionism, foreign born students, and graduate
students. Those studies are a valuable part of the body of work on the topic but do not directly pertain to the study at
hand.
15
Onwuegbuzie, et al., Library Anxiety, 313-315.
16
Mellon, Library Anxiety, 163.
17
Qun G. Jiao and Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie, “Is Library Anxiety Important?” Library Review 48, no. 6
(1999): 281.
6
and Valencia provided results of their research studies as well as a variety of suggestions for
treatment of library anxiety. In particular, they studied the effectiveness of several types of
library instruction, including classes, one-on-one training, and online tutorials, as well as no
instruction at all. Their research also utilized the Library Anxiety Scale.18
While the Library Anxiety Scale has been the instrument most often used to assess
library patrons for library anxiety, there are other instruments designed for the measurement of
this phenomenon. Another instrument is the Multi-dimensional Library Anxiety Scale (MLAS)19,
which expanded upon the LAS by including questions that took into consideration the use of
online resources and comfort in using computers. These technology-related questions were not
part of the LAS when it was created in 1986, simply because devices like laptops, MP3 players,
e-readers and other electronic devices were not in use at that time. The MLAS assessed graduate
students’ feelings about the academic library and the information search process. Van Kampen
cited the need for research in the area of library anxiety because, “Even now the majority of
current user research focuses on levels of satisfaction with services or on how patrons interact
with the library’s database or Web site, rather than on how a person may feel about the library,
technology and the process of searching for information.” 20 She also stated that the MLAS
would be a useful tool for quantitative research on perceived barriers to library use, and
recommended further investigation using the scale in other settings. 21
Several researchers have commented that there is a need for an updated LAS or perhaps
an entirely new instrument to measure library anxiety in the 21st century.
18
Martina Malvasi, Catherine Rudowsky and Jesus M. Valencia, Library Rx: Measuring and Treating Library
Anxiety (Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 2009).
19
Doris J. Van Kampen, “Development and Validation of the Multidimensional Library Anxiety Scale,” College
and Research Libraries 65, no. 1 (January 2004): 28-34.
20
Van Kampen, “Multidimensional Library Anxiety Scale,” 29.
21
Van Kampen, “Multidimensional Library Anxiety Scale,” 34.
7
The instrument itself can be considered a limitation of the study. Though
Bostick found the scale to be a reliable quantitative tool for measuring library
anxiety, it should be noted that it was created in the early 1990s. The basic
academic library has changed considerably since the scale’s creation. Technology
and equipment, as well as students’ experience with using online catalogs,
electronic indexes, and the Internet, are not properly evaluated in the current
Library Anxiety Scale. For example, the scale only has three items making up the
mechanical barriers subscale. At a minimum, this particular subscale should be
reevaluated.22
Malvasi, Rudowsky and Valencia encouraged the “development and validation of an
updated library anxiety scale reflecting the current state of libraries would greatly benefit future
library anxiety research.”23
Van Kampen took steps toward updating the LAS when she created the Multidimensional
Library Anxiety Scale. She created the new scale “because of the age of the original LAS and
other developments in the field of library user research, it was deemed appropriate to create a
new instrument…which would take these factors and the researchers’ questions into
consideration.24
While virtually no formal research has been conducted on library anxiety in public
libraries, some of the literature on public library users and services is reflective of Bostick’s five
dimensions. It is generally accepted that public library patrons do experience at least some level
of anxiety in using the public library. “The bulk of research on library anxiety has concentrated
Anna M. Van Scoyoc, “Reducing Library Anxiety in First-Year Students: The Impact of Computer-Assisted
Instruction and Bibliographic Instruction,” Reference & User Services Quarterly 42, no. 4 (Summer 2003): 338.
23
Malvasi, et al, Library Rx, 65.
24
Van Kampen, “Multidimensional Library Anxiety Scale,” 29.
22
8
on the problem as it applies to university students, but it’s not hard to imagine that it manifests
itself in patrons across the board.”25 General acknowledgement of library anxiety in public
libraries was revealed in the motivation for establishing roving reference services at King County
(Washington) Library System, “If we are honest with ourselves, our physical spaces and our
services are not necessarily transparent to our patrons. While we try to design our new buildings
or remodel our old ones to maximize our patrons’ ability to find what they need using a variety
of concepts and techniques, we often fall short.” 26 Public librarians are obviously aware that
library anxiety exists and do take practical measures to reduce it, either by redesigning space,
offering services such as roving reference, or through library instruction.
Public librarians in Great Britain addressed lack of confidence in using the library among
people with learning disabilities. The Southampton City Libraries, in partnership with the
Southampton City Council, designed a program specifically for patrons with only basic literacy
skills and/or learning disabilities. The seven-week course was “designed to make libraries more
accessible by building confidence in the learners so they go on to use the library
independently.”27 Their “Library Licence” course also motivated participants to continue
reading and using the library after completion. Ashman and Taggart felt that the entire program
was successful, and encouraged use of this approach with other populations. “The fact that the
course can be adapted for different target groups…is its strength.”28
Marquita Hartnett, “Did You Say Library Anxiety?” BiblioTech (blog) March 1, 2005,
http://lsobibliotech.blogspot.com/2005/03/did-you-say-library-anxiety-part-one.html
26
Pitney and Slote, “Going Mobile,” 54.
27
Richard Ashman and Sarah Taggart, “Licence to Skill,” Library + Information Update 7, no. 1/2
(January 2008: 58-59.
28
Ashman and Taggart, “Licence to Skill,” 59.
25
9
The development and use of programs such as these indicate that public library patrons
may indeed be subject to the same fears in using the library as college students, and that public
librarians are attempting to find methods for alleviating their patrons’ fears.
This pilot study took a small step toward empirical research to determine whether the
Library Anxiety Scale could be applied to the public library setting and whether it would indicate
a change in levels of anxiety following library instruction. The goal was to find a possible
application for the LAS in public libraries so that a validated instrument could be used to
determine what barriers might prevent patrons from seeking a librarian’s assistance or perhaps
discourage them from using the library at all. Additionally, it could help to determine whether
public libraries could possibly use the LAS to measure the effect of library instruction on users’
feelings of discomfort with the library. Successful application of the LAS to the public library
setting could also provide public library researchers with a tool to conduct further studies when
building or renovating libraries. As Onwuegbuzie, Jiao and Bostick have said, “On one hand,
library anxiety research seeks to understand the underlying processes involved in the interference
of users’ information use and to explain the psychological impact on users in the library-related
environment. It deals mainly with the “why” aspect of the phenomenon….On the other hand,
library anxiety research develops and tests practical solutions to mitigating the negative impact
of library anxiety responses. It focuses on the “how to” aspect.”29 This study attempted to make
scholarly connections between “why” library anxiety exists in public library patrons and “how
to” relieve it, using a validated research tool for the purpose of measuring effectiveness of a
practical measure such as library instruction. Specifically, this study attempted to determine if
library instruction lowers library anxiety levels in early education teachers attending a library
instruction course and using the public library for research.
29
Onwuegbuzie, et al, Library Anxiety, 292-293.
10
This study used a sample of convenience: early childhood educators who were enrolled in
a public library instruction course, for continuing education credit, at the Homewood Branch of
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This group was chosen because it most closely
replicated students in an academic setting, taking required courses. The author, as a children’s
specialist, was also very interested in learning about preschool teachers’ feelings toward using
the library.
Class size was limited to 20 participants who were to receive professional development
credits from their accrediting organization for attending each session in a series of library
instruction courses. A series of four classes was planned. Unfortunately, due to particularly
harsh winter weather and insufficient enrollment, the first two classes were cancelled.
Constraints of time and availability of the computer instruction space prohibited rescheduling of
the classes. Finally, a sufficient number of participants were enrolled in a class designed to
improve access to information and instruction on library resources. Sixteen early education
teachers participated in the first two-hour class, which was led by experienced public librarians.
The class was designed for early childhood educators participating in the Pennsylvania
“One Book, Every Young Child” program, which highlights the importance of early literacy
development.30 The goal of “One Book, Every Young Child” is to read the selected book to
every child from age three to six within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Engaging early
childhood teachers in the program, which is fostered by public libraries, is one way of achieving
that goal. The classes provided the teachers with tools and activities to use in their classrooms as
well as instruction on using library resources. A goal of the accrediting organization, PA Keys,
was to help them become more effective teachers by increasing their library skills.31
30
31
Pennsylvania One Book Every Young Child, http://www.paonebook.org/
Pennsylvania Early Learning: Keys to Quality, http://www.pakeys.org/pages/get.aspx?page=Career
11
A modified version of the Library Anxiety Scale (LAS), which has previously been used
within an academic library setting, was administered to this group of preschool teachers
attending continuing education classes in at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Homewood
Branch. The LAS used for this study was a questionnaire with 42 questions in a Likert-type
format. Modifications included changing the term “student” to “patron”; “study” to “work” and
eliminating one question about change machines that did not apply to the public library setting.
Permission to use the modified version of the LAS was granted by its creator, Sharon L. Bostick.
The original LAS can be viewed in the Appendix.
The early childhood teachers received continuing education credits for attending two
sessions of library instruction. The first class was focused on giving the teachers resources and
activities to use in classroom programs related to the Pennsylvania “One Book, Every Young
Child Program.” The second class, held several weeks later at the same location, provided one
hour of instruction in using library databases to locate resources appropriate for their classes,
which ranged from infants to preschoolers and some afterschool care groups for older children.
This instruction was followed up by one hour of classroom discussion.
The LAS was administered at the beginning of the first class to function as a pre-test.
Then it was given at the end of the second class, to function as a post-test. All teachers attending
each class gave consent and completed the modified LAS.
Prior to the beginning of the first class, the research project was explained to attendees
orally. They were given sufficient time to read a Consent Form and then were asked to sign the
form. Participants were informed that answering the survey was completely voluntary and that
they could skip any questions that made them feel uncomfortable, or opt out of the survey
altogether. All attendees agreed to respond to the LAS and signed Consent Forms. A copy of the
12
Consent Form was also provided for each participant to keep. It was emphasized that the survey
would be anonymous so that their responses could be completely candid. The subjects were then
given 15 minutes to complete a modified Library Anxiety Scale. The completed LAS surveys
were collected by the researcher and the class leaders.
Supplementary materials and ideas for activities were presented by the librarians.
Attendees were assigned “homework” for the next workshop which included going to the library
of their choice to find additional books or activities to be used in conjunction with the “One
Book, Every Young Child” program. Class participants were informed that they would again be
asked to fill in the LAS at the end of the second session, if they chose to do so. The class was
two hours long and the teachers earned two Professional Development (PD) credits for attending.
The second class was held for the same group of preschool teachers several weeks later,
in the same location as the first. This class, however, drew only half of the teachers who
registered at the first session.32 A total of eight teachers attended the second workshop, which
focused on computer searching techniques. Topics included, but were not limited to, finding
classroom materials in the online catalog, requesting materials online, selecting books in the
catalog, and locating program resources for early childhood education. Online games and
information databases for use by educators, parents and children were also reviewed during the
hands-on session. Attendees spent a portion of the class time discussing what resources they
discovered online that would be applicable to their classrooms.
The “homework” assignment was also discussed. It is interesting to note that only one of
the attendees completed the assignment, which was to visit a library and locate supplementary
32
Exact reasons for the lower attendance at the second class are unknown, but several factors could have influenced
it, including: concern for personal safety resulting from a tragic incident in the vicinity of the library a week before;
not completing the assigned homework; or the simple distraction of a fine spring day.
13
materials, in the three weeks between class sessions. There was no penalty for not doing the
assignment. Possible reasons for not doing the assignment could have been that participants
forgot about it, did not have time to go to the library, or experienced library anxiety about going
to the library to do the research.
Responses to the modified Library Anxiety Scale were entered into an Excel 2007
Spreadsheet for the answers to the entire pre-test and post-test scales. This was done according
to Bostick’s recommended scoring protocols, including key-reversing 12 questions which are
written in the positive direction. The key-reversed responses were items 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21,
22, 26, 28, 29, 32 and 40.33 Although Bostick recommended using SPSS or another statistical
package, the instructions were for an earlier version of that software, and it was considered
expeditious to use Excel for this small sample pilot study.
Responses from the pre-test and post-test LAS were averaged to determine whether there
was any change from the beginning of the class to the end. It did appear that a drop in overall
library anxiety did occur after receiving the library instruction classes. The average score in the
first administration of the modified LAS was 81.8 and for the second it was 68.3, indicating a
drop in scores of 13.5 points. Overall scores did not indicate extremely high levels of library
anxiety. Individual pre-test scores ranged from 58 to 115 on a scale of 42 to 210, with higher
scores showing higher levels of library anxiety. However, it is interesting to note that post-test
scores ranged from 55 to 101. Of course, the sample is too limited in size to hold true statistical
significance.
Questions reflecting responses concerning each of the five barriers were analyzed for
average score as well (see figure 1.) The scores for “Comfort with the Library” actually
increased from the pre-test to the post-test, which may reflect a reaction to the perceived safety
33
Onwuegbuzie, et al. Library Anxiety, 313-315.
14
of the neighborhood in which the Homewood library is located. Lowest scores appeared to be
with “Mechanical Barriers” and “Knowledge of the Library.” This may be an indication that the
Figure 1 . LAS Subscales (Average Scores)
changes to Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh signage and physical spaces, as described by
Dempsey, have had the intended effect of making it easier for patrons to navigate the library.34
The most notable changes in subscale scores were in the areas of “Barriers with Staff,”
which referred to a perception that librarians appear to be too busy or unapproachable, and
“Affective Barriers,” which referred to the participant’s feeling that he or she is unique in
experiencing confusion about using the library. The average for “Barriers with Staff” lowered
from 27 to 23, while “Affective Barriers” dropped from 22 to 16. Further analysis of these
barriers as they relate to the library instruction could be the subject of future studies. 35
Dempsey, “Power Users” 72-75.
An increase in scores in the “comfort with the library” from the pre-test to the post-test may be due to concerns
about personal safety. This could possibly be the result of a highly-publicized tragic act of violence involving a
patron of this library during the week prior to the second class.
34
35
15
In addition to the Excel data analysis, a one-tailed, non-paired t-test was calculated for
each of the five subscales. Results are provided in Table 1.
Table 1. Results of a one-tailed, non-paired t-test
____________________________________________________________________________
LAS Subscale
Mechanical Barriers
T-value
.6404230517
P-value
.25
Affective Barriers
2.134252704
.025
Barriers with Staff
1.32050538
.1
Comfort with the Library
[indicated an increase in scores – see footnote 35]
Knowledge of the Library
1.79006075
.05
As evidenced by the above results, the P-value in the area of “Affective Barriers”
indicated a statistically significant change from the pre-test to the post-test. Due to the fact that
this number falls below the generally recommended sample size of 30 and well below the
number recommended by statisticians who validated the LAS, the outcomes cannot be
considered reliable.36 However, the t-test used was appropriate for small samples and this result
is a positive sign that this study should be carried out on a larger scale.
Further research into library anxiety in public library patrons, perhaps in a mixedmethods study using personal interviews or focus groups, is encouraged. Another improvement
36
Onwuegbuzie, et al, recommend at least 64 participants for a two-tailed test and at least 51 participants per group
in a one-tailed test, 101.
16
would be to have paired results for the pre-test and post-test, assuring anonymity through
numbered forms that would provide linked scores for each participant.
While it is not easy to replicate studies performed in academic libraries in a public library
setting, as the public is not required to use the library as students are, it would be useful to
consider additional studies aimed at public library users enrolled in library instruction courses.
These studies could be informative about areas where libraries could eliminate perceived barriers
for public library patrons through instruction. Development of a Library Anxiety Scale dedicated
to the public library setting, and expanded to include updated technology-related questions, could
also potentially foster more interest in performing empirical studies of library anxiety in public
libraries.
17
Appendix
Library Anxiety Scale
Sharon L. Bostick
You are being asked to respond to statements concerning your feelings about college or
university libraries. Please mark the number which most closely matches your feelings about the
statement. The numbers range from:
1= Strongly Disagree 2= Disagree 3= Undecided 4= Agree 5= Strongly Agree__________
1. I’m embarrassed that I don’t know how to use the library.
1 2 3 4 5
2. A lot of the university is confusing to me.
1 2 3 4 5
3. The librarians are unapproachable.
1 2 3 4 5
4. The reference librarians are unhelpful.
1 2 3 4 5
5. The librarians don’t have time to help me because they’re always
on the telephone.
1 2 3 4 5
6. I can’t get help in the library at the times I need it.
1 2 3 4 5
7. Library clerks don’t have time to help me.
1 2 3 4 5
8. The reference librarians don’t have time to help me because they’re
always busy doing something else.
1 2 3 4 5
9. I am unsure about how to begin my research.
1 2 3 4 5
10. I get confused trying to find my way around the library.
1 2 3 4 5
11. I don’t know what to do next when the book I need is not on
the shelf.
1 2 3 4 5
12. The reference librarians are not approachable.
1 2 3 4 5
13. I enjoy learning new things about the library.
1 2 3 4 5
14. If I can’t find a book on the shelf the library staff will help me.
1 2 3 4 5
15. There is often no one available in the library to help me.
1 2 3 4 5
16. I feel comfortable using the library.
1 2 3 4 5
17. I feel like I am bothering the reference librarian if I ask a question.
1 2 3 4 5
18. I feel safe in the library.
1 2 3 4 5
18
19. I feel comfortable in the library.
1 2 3 4 5
20. The reference librarians are unfriendly.
1 2 3 4 5
21. I can always ask a librarian if I don’t know how to work a piece
of equipment in the library.
1 2 3 4 5
22. The library is a comfortable place to study.
1 2 3 4 5
23. The library never has the materials I need.
1 2 3 4 5
24. I can never find things in the library.
1 2 3 4 5
25. There is too much crime in the library.
1 2 3 4 5
26. The people who work at the circulation desk are helpful.
1 2 3 4 5
27. The library staff doesn’t care about students.
1 2 3 4 5
28. The library is an important part of my school.
1 2 3 4 5
29. I want to learn to do my own research.
1 2 3 4 5
30. The copy machines are usually out of order.
1 2 3 4 5
31. I don’t understand the library’s overdue fines.
1 2 3 4 5
32. Good instructions for using the library’s computers are available.
1 2 3 4 5
33. Librarians don’t have time to help me.
1 2 3 4 5
34. The library’s rules are too restrictive.
1 2 3 4 5
35. I don’t feel physically safe in the library.
1 2 3 4 5
36. The computer printers are often out of paper.
1 2 3 4 5
37. The directions for using the computers are not clear.
1 2 3 4 5
38. I don’t know what resources are available in the library.
1 2 3 4 5
39. The library staff doesn’t listen to students.
1 2 3 4 5
40. The change machines are usually out of order.
1 2 3 4 5
41. The library is a safe place.
1 2 3 4 5
42. The library won’t let me check out as many items as I need.
1 2 3 4 5
43. I can’t find enough space in the library to study.
1 2 3 4 5
19
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