Designing of Academic Library Spaces: A Survey of Selected Public University Libraries in Ghana

Vivian Nyante Seneadza; Edward  Mensah Borteye; Musah Adams; Kwaku Agyen-Gyasi

doi:10.4314/just.v43i1.1966

Vivian Nyante Seneadza Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3126-5592
Edward Mensah Borteye Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9925-9893
Musah Adams University of Ghana, Legon
Kwaku Agyen-Gyasi Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5497-9256

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4314/just.v43i1.1966

Keywords: Library space, academic libraries, library users, postgraduate students

Abstract

Redesigning academic library spaces has become a contemporary issue of concern in tertiary institutions worldwide, especially in the present era, where the changing pattern of sophisticated information needs of library users is growing rapidly. Using a mixed sampling method, three hundred and three (303) postgraduate students and twenty (20) librarians were selected to participate in this study. This study used both structured and semi-structured questionnaires as the data collection instrument. The study’s findings showed that students and staff generally had a positive attitude towards the functionality of the designed library space in both institutions. Accessibility and variability of the designed library space through the use of single study carrels, group study areas, seminar rooms, and quiet study areas were all highly patronised by students. An increase in noise pollution, especially during examination periods and high demand for information, has been shown as the challenges associated with the newly designed library spaces. Some recommendations, such as reducing noise levels in the libraries, providing more study areas, sufficient power, and adequate funding, were made to improve the services in the redesigned library space.

Author Biographies

Vivian Nyante Seneadza, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

Vivian Nyante Seneadza is a Junior Assistant Librarian at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, KNUST. Her research interests include electronic resources, open access, and information literacy.

Edward Mensah Borteye, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Edward Mensah Borteye is a Senior Assistant Librarian and Acting College Librarian at the College of Engineering, KNUST. His research interests include open-access publishing, information literacy, scholarly communication, bibliometrics, and user studies.

Musah Adams, University of Ghana, Legon

Dr. Musah Adams is a retired senior lecturer at the Department of Information Studies, University of Ghana, Legon. His research interest is in the area of archives and records management.

Kwaku Agyen-Gyasi, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

Kwaku Agyen-Gyasi is a retired Deputy Librarian at the Prempeh II Library, KNUST. His research interests are the economics of information, library management, knowledge/information management, Information and Communication Technology, and information literacy.

Designing of Academic Library Spaces: A Survey of Selected Public University Libraries in Ghana

Abstract

Author Biographies

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