A Study of the Information Services of the Makati City Library

Researcher: ROSARIO IBAY AMERCA

Course: Master in Library and Information Science

School: University of the Philippines, Quezon City

Subject Area: Information Services, Makati City Library

Year of Graduation: 2000

Research Problem

The study aimed to: 1) describe the characteristics of the various user groups of the Makati City Library; 2) describe the library’s present services, resources, and facilities; 3) identify the range of information needs of its users; 4) evaluate the extent to which the library’s present services, resources, and facilities meet the information needs of its users, and ; 5) recommend and propose the measures on how the library may improve its services by developing it along the lines of a business-oriented information center.

Methodology

The seven user groups included in the study were businessmen, government employees, housewives, the elderly, students, and children aged 10-13 who were regular users of the library. Through purposive sampling, 50 respondents from each user group were chosen for a total of 350 respondents. A questionnaire was given to these respondents as they came to use the library.

Findings

Findings reveal that the largest library-using groups are those under 20 years of age, 36.86 percent, composed of children, students and some out-of-school youth. As a whole, the users were mostly female, 68 percent, single, 48 percent, had college degrees, 27.15 percent, and had not yet earning any income, 26.2 percent, due to the predominance of groups under 20 years of age. Despite varied information needs from such a varied group of users, the six most sought information areas are: 1) career development/job placement, 9.09 percent, 2) information technology, 8.75 percent, 3) health, 8.14 percent, 4) communication and transportation, 7.25 percent, 5) cooperatives, 7.13 percent, and 6) sports and recreation, 6.91 percent. Least sought information is agriculture and fisheries, 1.45 percent. The users mostly rely on magazines, 17.3 percent, newspapers, 16.74 percent, and books, 15.79 percent in that order, as information resources. Besides the City Library, however, they also go to the barangay libraries within the Makati City area, to local government offices inside the City Hall of Makati, and informal resources like friends, barangay officials, and local government officials. Among the top information services provided to the users in the City of Makati are those pertaining to social welfare, 19.64 percent, small and medium-scale businesses, 19.64 percent, protective services, 13.2 percent, health, 10.97 percent, environment and ecology, 8.51 percent, and infrastructure, 5.94 percent. As to the Makati City Library’s services and facilities, 54.57 percent say their use of it is irregular, depending on their information needs. The foremost reason for use of the library is to further continue honing skills, 17.4 percent. Their number one difficulty in obtaining information (51.02 percent) is that copies of the books or reading materials are very limited making it hard for them to avail of the copy. To some users, the Makati City Library always meet their information needs, 39.14 percent, although materials are available some of the time, 38.58 percent. The collection/facilities are on the average barely sufficient for their information needs, 30.8 percent. Books (57.14 percent) and periodicals (62.29) percent are evaluated as adequate, while facilities, on the average, are deemed excellent (57.36 percent). The personnel are rated as helpful to them, 72.29 percent.

Recommendations

1. Expansion and improvement of the collection, services, and facilities for the library.

2. Development of additional library services along the lines of a business-oriented information center, catering to the most sought-after information needs for career development/job placement, information technology, health transportation and communication, and sports and recreation.

3. Coordination with public and private offices and organizations, such as the Public Employment Services Office (PESO) in the City Hall, Philippine Overseas Employment Authority (POEA), business firms, and employment agencies for a linkage through a computer network system of job information exchange and dissemination.

4. request the City Government of Makati for funding support for the five-year development plan of the Makati City Library, particularly in the need to invest in its automation.

A Survey of Information Needs and Reading Habits and Interests of the Residents of Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya: Implications for Information/Lib. Services

Researcher: NIMFA V. TACLIBON

Course: Master of Library Science

School: University of the Philippines, Quezon City

Subject Area: Barangay Reading Centers - Nueva Vizcaya

Year of Graduation: 1988

Introduction
It is generally accepted nowadays that information is vital to all kinds of development. Information is essential to individual advancement as well as for national growth. The need for information is felt at all levels of society regardless of an individual's location, social status or educational attainment.

Statement of the Problem
A study was conducted in five barangays in Bambang, Nueva Viscaya to determine the information needs, occupational pattern, reading habits and interests, subject matter and preferences and perceptions of the residents of the plan to put up a reading/ information center in the locality.

Methodology
A 17-item interview schedule was used with 550 respondents consisting of 182 fathers, 184 mothers and 184 children of school-age. The house-hold samples were chosen at random. Each house-holds was compose of a father, mother and a child who is either elementary grade, high school, or college.

Findings
Most of the father respondents (37.36%) were engaged in rice farming followed by skilled workers (21.43%) with remaining 41.21 percent engaged in other jobs. The mother respondents, however, were mostly unemployed (40.22%) or engaged in teaching (22.83%) and business (21.2%). The respondents a fairly high educational attainment; 14091 percent completed elementary, 48.36 percent finished high school and 15.09 percent some college education while 20.18 percent were college graduates.

The leisure activities indicated by the respondents were reading, listening to the radio an d viewing TV, in that order. Reading was an important leisure activity for the parents respondents and children in the surveyed area. Frequency of reading was high, either daily or at list twice during the week. The father and mother respondents had similar subject matter preferences in many respects (including family life, family finance, health and hygiene). Among the children respondents, materials on school subjects were ranked highest.

Conclusions
In general, the respondents relied more on print media such as newspapers, magazines and pamphlets as sources of information rather than on interpersonal communication with local government officials, barangay leaders and technicians. They bought or borrowed most of their reading materials.

The respondents have very positive attitude toward the establishment of information/reading center and anticipate using one frequently as a source of reading materials.

Recommendations
It is recommended that the municipal government of Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya establish a public reading/ information center of the municipality with assistance from the Public Library System of the National Library. There is a need to make accessible print materials in the local languages consistent that inclusion of audio visual resources is also further recommended.