| dc.description.abstract | In the context of rapid technological advancements, information digitization, and the increasing availability of e-resources, effective user education has become crucial for enabling students to navigate and utilize university library resources. Despite these advancements, the two university libraries in Meru County, Kenya, have experienced suboptimal usage, potentially due to students' perceptions of the library. This study aimed to investigate the impact of user education programs on undergraduate students' perceptions and consequently library usage. The research was guided by objectives focusing on the types of user education programs offered, the extent of student participation, students' perceptions of the quality of these programs, and the barriers affecting user education. The literature was reviewed based on the research objectives. The study employed descriptive statistics and was anchored on the Expectancy-Confirmation Theory by Richard L. Oliver. The study was conducted in Meru County, focusing on two chartered universities: Kenya Methodist University (KeMU), a private university and Meru University of Science and Technology (MUST), a public university. The study employed descriptive statistics. The target population was 6138 first-year undergraduate students enrolled in the academic year 2023/2024. The study employed stratified sampling techniques based on academic schools. The study used Krejcie and Morgan (1970) table to determine the sample size, which was 364 students. The researcher purposively sampled a total of 12 out of 46 library staff. Data was collected from students using questionnaires and interviews for the staff. Pretesting of research instruments was done at Mount Kenya University, Meru Campus. Permission to collect data was sought from the National Commission for Science, Technology, and Innovation (NACOSTI). The computation of descriptive statistics was in the form of mean, mode, median, percentages, and standard deviation. The findings were presented using descriptive tables, figures, and narratives for ease of understanding the results. The findings revealed that library orientation and instruction sessions had high participation rates and were considered effective by the majority of students. Active participation in ongoing user education sessions was moderate, indicating that there was potential for improvement in terms of student involvement. Students generally had positive perceptions of the quality of user education programs. The programs were seen as significant to their educational pursuits, with high satisfaction levels regarding the relevance and adequacy of the resources provided. Barriers to user education included inadequate session time allotment and a lack of current digital resources. Recommendations include increasing the duration and frequency of user education sessions, updating digital resources, and utilizing promotional techniques such as social media for broader outreach. Future research could explore the long-term impact of user education on academic performance. This study contributes new insights into the relationship between user education and library perception, highlighting the importance of tailored educational interventions in enhancing library usage. | en_US |
