Abstract:
The purpose of this research was to study the use of library resources for research and academic writing by the Agricultural Faculty Members of Khon Kaen University during the academic year of 1982; to determine the problems of the use of the library of the Faculty of Agriculture and its resources; and to submit recommendation for an improvement of the faculty library. The research tool used for collecting data was the questionnaires, 82.48 percent of which were returned. The collected data were then analized by percentile, mean, and standard deviation. The results of the study were summarized as follows. The Faculty used the faculty library mainly for collecting information for preparing lesson plans, and for research and academic writing respectively. Most of the faculty used the faculty library more than once a week during working hours when they were free from work. For their research, the faculty used English textbooks and journals to a large extent; English reference books, Thai journals, Thai textbooks, Thai government publications, and Thai reference books to a medium degree; and clippings, pamphlets, and these to a minimal degree. The faculty expressed that the library resources, except newspapers, were inadeguate for research and academic writings. The faculty were encountering the problem of unavailabity of publications they needed for research and academic writing. Most of the faculty agreed that rules, facilities, a librarian and non-professional staff of the faculty library were appropriate. The results of this research led the research to submit the following recommendations: The library of the Faculty of Agriculture should acquire more library resources in agriculture by getting the faculty involved in selection of the library resources; the faculty library hours should be lengthened; its facilities should be improved; more in-service training should be given to librarian and non-professional staff to enable them to provide better service, and more personels should be hired.