Faculty knowledge about library services at the University of the West Indies Available to Purchase

A lack of knowledge among university faculty members of the services their university libraries provide is a growing concern in university librarianship. Poor communication and inadequate interaction between the faculty and the library, and the library′s failure to apply marketing strategies to promote its services are foremost among the factors contributing to this condition. In order to analyse the situation within the context of the University of the West Indies a survey was conducted. A questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 150 faculty members of the six faculties on the Mona Campus, Jamaica. The findings revealed that on average the faculty were aware of only 47 per cent of the services, and that they were least aware of those services which required direct communication between the librarians and themselves. It was also significant to find that the level of awareness was influenced by such variables as academic status and the frequency of consultations with the librarians. A planned and direct approach to library public relations aimed at increasing the faculty′s take‐up of the services is recommended. The range of creative ideas suggested is intended to raise the level of awareness of the faculty, and subsequently improve their perception of the library′s worth.