The Experience of Library Users on the use of Educational Resources in College Libraries: A Case Study of Morogoro Teachers’ College in Tanzania
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Many educational institutions in Tanzania are faced with a shortage of educational resources. The few available resources are irrelevant and outdated. The aim of this paper was to investigate the experience of tutors, librarians and student-teachers of the educational resources in the teachers‟ college libraries. The notion „educational resources‟ was functionally defined as „books‟. Two perspectives dealt with in the theoretical background included: the library as an educational resource and the teachers‟ college as a learning context. This study was „qualitative‟ in character, applying a case study approach. Morogoro Teachers‟ College Library was studied. Three Heads of Departments, two librarians, five tutors and ten student-teachers were interviewed. Two study questions were constructed to investigate the experience of tutors and trainees on the educational resources in the college library and their conceptions of the ideal college library. The data were analysed thematically. The results show that educational resources in Teachers‟ College Libraries relate minimally with the teaching and learning process at the colleges. They are outdated and irrelevant to the needs of the library users. The ideal college library described should create a strong learning context, ensure full participation of trainees in the teaching and learning process and create more activities for library users. In order to alleviate the situation, some recommendations have been put forward including looking for resources suitable to the needs of the library users.
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