Abstract:
This study examined the information seeking behaviour of faculty and use of the Internet at Gulu
University Library. The purpose of the study was to answer the following research questions:
What has been reported in the subject literature on the information behaviour of faculty with
specific reference to the use of the Internet, which research methods need to be used to study
the information behaviour and Internet use of faculty? What is the information seeking behaviour
of faculty at Gulu University with specific reference to the following: factors driving information
seeking? Information seeking preferences? Use of the Internet? And challenges encountered
while seeking information?
The study used descriptive survey design and the respondents were faculty members from Gulu
University. No sampling method was used since the whole population was considered. Data for
the study was collected using self- administered questionnaires.
The study found that faculty members make considerable use of e-resources available through
the Internet for teaching, research, and general work. Faculty members’ self rating of
information seeking skills is good regarding WWW search engines, Internet browsers, searching
electronic journals and using simple/basic search interfaces. Faculty members at Gulu
University slightly prefer seeking for electronic information resources more than print information
resources. The majority of faculty members use the Internet frequently and the major points of
access are: wireless Internet, personal modems and access provided in the main library. The
most searched for Internet information resources are reference materials, e-journals,
newspapers and magazines. The most frequently used Internet tools are general search
engines and e-mail. Subscription databases such as EBSCOhost, HINARI, AGORA, Cochrane
Library, Medline, Emerald and Blackwell are unpopular among faculty members at Gulu
University with only Google scholar which is free being popular and used frequently. The most
important factors influencing non-use of the Internet by faculty members at Gulu University are:
slow Internet speed and unreliable Internet connections. The gaps identified in the Gulu
University Library service are: absence of a library website, inadequate current textbooks and
inadequate e-resources. It was concluded that the University Library with support from Gulu
University management and government should increase bandwidth for faster Internet access.
Furthermore they should improve on the maintenance of computers and Internet services,
invest in alternative power backup such as solar energy and generators, increase the number of networked computers and integrate information literacy training in the course curriculums at Gulu University.
