Library Anxiety: Theory, Research and Applications

What is library anxiety? I asked a number of colleagues this question. Those who dealt with the public had heard of this condition, while those who did not (including me), were totally oblivious of it. According to the book, knowledge of library anxiety has been around for about 20 years, while research into it is more recent, but quite extensive. The book details recent research into the phenomenon, from the initial development of assessment criteria to the identification of key components, and the refining that has taken place. It outlines concepts for assessment and how to apply them through the variety of research types, from qualitative to quantitative. Valuable sections of the book include how to design different data collection methods; the research techniques including their accompanying advantages and disadvantages; data analysis and interpretations with the faults and benefits, including the potential errors, of all options. The inclusion of a chapter on the prevention, reduction and intervention of library anxiety is probably the most important part of the book, as librarians who do not have the time, money or resources to undertake research on library anxiety in their own library, can read this chapter and identify users, and remedies that they can implement.