CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Definition

According to Kumah (2015), Library has always been described as the

heart of the university. It has been called the brain of the academic body.

Libraries collect a variety of information sources and offer various services for

supporting instructional, research and learning activities. Libraries are termed as

treasure of knowledge it houses information available in a variety of documentary

forms such as journal articles, research and technical reports, conference

papers, standards, patents, dissertation, survey data etc.

According to Howell (2007), Computers have become an integral part of

the lives of university students. Although originally envisioned simply as a tool to

enhance the educational experience, computers now are used in all facets of

students’ lives and students use of computers began as a way to make academic

work more effective and efficient. Computers first began appearing on university

campuses in the mid-twentieth century. During these early stages, computers

were large, expensive, and had limited availability.

Pros and cons of library and computer lab use

The library ambience makes it a popular place to do word processing,

despite the large number of available computers in labs. Net Gen students

clearly perceive the open space of the World Wide Web as their information

universe. This is in opposition to the worldview of librarians and many faculty,

who perceive the library as the locus of information relevant to academic work.

Students usually approach their research without regard to the library's structure

or the way that the library segments different resources into different areas of its

Web site. Library Web sites often reflect an organizational view of the library.

Students usually prefer the global searching of Google to more sophisticated but

more time-consuming searching provided by the library, where students must

make separate searches of the online catalog and every database of potential

interest, after first identifying which databases might be relevant. The library

offers a venue where academic work can be carried out in a social context. As

libraries renovate facilities to incorporate technology, they are also making them

more suitable for student group work, informal socializing, and ubiquitous

computing. Importantly, they also provide an atmosphere in which social and

academic interests can easily intersect. Students use libraries to supplement and

enhance their classroom experiences, to learn skills in locating sources of

information, and to develop good reading and study habits (Lippincott, n.d.).

Differences of Library and Computer Laboratory

As stated by Jun (2013), students are destined to find information for their

academic assignments, which is a big part in a student’s life. Hence students

need to obtain reliable information that they can utilize for their assignments in

order to excel in their studies. Libraries and the internet are major sources of

information that students commonly use, for those purposes.  A vital difference

between libraries and the internet is their reliability. Reliability is an important

aspect for students in completing their 

2|Page
assignments since the academic works that they yield should be original

and simultaneously accurately correct. Books found in the library are very

reliable because libraries often carefully select the materials that they provide.

Conversely, the internet has a lower level of reliability compared to libraries since

it is easy for anyone to make a website and post what he or she thinks on a

particular subject; people can simply upload any kind information they want on

the internet. It would be the students ‘job to distinguish the website’s reliability. In

their accessibility, Libraries are more limited simply due to their restrictions in the

days that they open. The majority of libraries are closed at nights and on public

holidays. n the other hand, the internet is more accessible. Students are able to

have access to the internet 24 hours a day wherever they are as long as they

have connection to the internet. Therefore, there is no restriction of when they

should search for information. And as a mechanism for obtaining information,

the library requires more time and energy to attain information compared to

the internet since it stores hundreds, sometimes thousands, of books. 

Definition and Origin

Library is a collection of books and other informational materials made

available to people for reading, study, or reference. School libraries are places

for learning and thinking, and play a key role in supporting and developing

enjoyment of reading and multiple literacies which equip students with life-long

learning skills and develops the imagination, enabling them to live as responsible

citizens. Providing people access to the information they need to work, play,

learn and govern, the library contains collection of books and other informational

3|Page
materials that are preserved in a valuable record and made available for later

use. The word library comes from liber, the Latin word for book. However, library

collections have almost always contained a variety of materials. Contemporary

libraries maintain collections that include not only printed materials such as

manuscripts, books, newspapers, and magazines, but also art reproductions,

films, sound and video recordings, maps, photographs, microfiches, CD-ROMs,

computer software, online databases, and other media (Mayo, 2016).

Studies

In a study conducted by Musico (2008) in Technological Institute of the

Philippines, Quezon City Campus, it was found out that most of the students

(46.87%) and faculty members (40%) visited/used the library at least once a

week. Students regularly used printing and photocopying services, Internet

access, Filipiniana, circulation and reserved services while the faculty members

regularly used circulation, Filipiniana, library data-based searching, information

literacy instruction, and multimedia. Students and faculty members have different

motivation/reasons for using the library. Most of the students (83.88%) went to

the library to study. Some other reasons for visiting were fir internet access

(52.84%), for research purposes (50.45%), to accomplish library-based

assignments (50.45%), and to read newspaper (20.60%). Most of the faculty

members (76.67%) used the library in aid of instructions, 50% to read the latest

books/journals/references in their discipline, 46.67% for research purposes,

46.67 to study, and 43.33% for personal and professional growth. 

4|Page
 In a study conducted by Rodrigo, Grosch, Andres (2013), the results

showed that students are more inclined to use online resources such as Google,

online course material and literature, though there is still great appreciation for

traditional learning media such as books and printed handouts from teachers.

Filipino students seem to prefer self-learning, whether through traditional or non-

traditional means, rather than learning through social media.

Local Information of Library

Data plays a very important role in an information system of any organization.

The ability to organize, efficiently manage, and make data available to users

when needed within a reasonable time, is a principal success factor in any

business or organization. Data management is the core of an Information

System. The library, as an organization, organizes and maintains a large

collection or resources (print, audiovisual, and electronic). It also keeps data on

these resources (or metadata), which are used to support any type of information

inquiry pertaining to the resources.

Local Information of Computer Laboratory

The Ateneo de Zamboanga University provides students and faculty with

Computer Laboratories and Information Technology resources that support

learning, discovery, and service. The use of the ADZU Computer Laboratory

Policies or the Computer Use Policies may result on the loss of lab privileges.

The Computer Laboratory is a place of work; all users are urged to keep the

noise level down to the absolute minimum and to refrain from socializing.

5|Page
Additional Information

As stated by Malone and Miller (2007). The library ambience makes it a

popular place to do word processing, despite the large number of available

computers in labs and many librarians commented that even with other computer

labs available on campus, students still heavily use the computers in the library.

This might be due to the library’s longer hours and the other resources available.

6|Page