Abstract:
The aims of this study are as the following ะ firstly, to study the relation between the individual differences of the faculty members and their information needs and uses; secondly, to investigate their objectives in information use and their actual use; and finally to find out their information needs in terms of the needed subject area, format, language, up-to-dateness, as well as its other characteristics. In order to obtain the data, 272 questionaires were distributed to the King Mongkut's Institute of Technology's (Chaokhuntaharn Ladkrabang Campus) faculty members, of which 206 or 7 5.7 percent were returned. The obtained data were analyzed according to two hypotheses. They are: the individual differences are related to the objectives of information uses and needs; information needs and uses differ according to individual characters and the objectives of information use. Based on the data analysis through the mean, standard deviation, chi-square, percentage and frequency, the findings for each hypothesis are summarized as follow:For the first hypothesis, the faculty which the faculty members belong to is not correlated with their needs of information, in terms of its format, language, and up-to-dateness. The respondents from four faculties primarily need textbooks, technical journals, and technical reports preferably in Thai and English language, and not later than the past five years. Besides, the correlation is found between the information sources used and the
faculty belonged. As it is shown that whatever the belonged faculty is, the faculty members mostly prefer to use their faculty1ร library than other information sources. Meanwhile, the academic rank and countries of graduation do not show any correlation with the format of information needed. The instructors, assistant professors, associated professors, and professors demand to use textbooks, technical journals, and technical reports as the top three formats in need, whether or not graduated within the country, most of the faculty members preferably need information presented in Both Thai and English rather than in other languages. Therefore, the conclusion can be made that the correlation is only found between the faculty that the respondents belongs and the information source they presumably prefer to use. As for the second hypothesis, some differences in information needs are uncovered. As it is found that the subject areas needed coincide with the faculty or department they belong. For the purpose of teaching and other academic activites, the faculty members in each department need and use various branches of subjects that are normally taught under the department. This means that the information needed varies according to the department that the respondents are being the member of. Also, there are some differences in the information format and language needed according to their objectives of use. Meanwhile, no difference is found between the up-to-dateness, other characteristics of information needed data the purposes of use. That is, the faculty members obviously prefer textbooks to technical journals for the purposes of instruction, development/invention, and paper writing, whereas, they likely prefer technical journals to textbooks for the purpose of doing the research. For the language in need, it is found that information in Thai is more in demand than English, especially for the purposes of
instruction and paper writing, whereas, for the purposes of research, development/ invention, information in English is more preferable. For the up-to- dateness of information and information characteristics, their needs for each purposive use do not vary. That is, the faculty members need information before the last five years. Also they need complete and accurate information, information in the narrow particular topics presented in full context, and with accuracy for every purposes. For the use of information sources, it is found that their satisfaction vary. The lecturers from the Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Architecture are mostly satisfied with their own library at the high level, whereas, the Faculty of Agricultural Technology and Faculty of Industrial Education and Science's faculty members are fairly highly satisfied by their faculty library. The findings from this study can be further implemented to the design of the effective information services at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology, chaokhuntaharn Ladkrabang Campus as the recommendations given in the conclusion chapter.