Reading Priorities among Library Users at Vellalar Educational Institutions, Erode

College libraries play a crucial role in supporting teaching, learning, and research by providing access to diverse information resources. In the digital era, continuous improvement of both print and electronic collections has become essential to meet evolving user needs. The present study examines the reading priorities, library usage patterns, and engagement with digital resources among students, research scholars, and faculty members of the Vellalar Educational Institutions, Erode, Tamil Nadu. Data were collected from 190 respondents using a structured questionnaire covering reading preferences, frequency and purpose of library visits, satisfaction with library services, and awareness of digital platforms. The findings reveal that printed books, particularly subject-related texts, remain the most preferred study material (61.6%), and English is the dominant reading language (82.6%). Significant associations were observed between institutional affiliation, frequency of library visits, and main purpose of visits and satisfaction with library resources, while seeking assistance from library staff was significantly associated with frequency of borrowing books.Most users visit the library weekly, primarily for reference purposes and computer or internet use. In contrast, the usage of e-resources such as e-books, e-journals, and CDs/DVDs remains limited. The study highlights the need to strengthen digital collections, enhance user awareness programmes, and implement NEP 2020–aligned initiatives to support changing academic requirements. The findings provide insights for effective library resource planning, service improvement, and future research.

Reading Priority, Library Users, Higher Educational Institution, Library usage, Library Awareness, NEP 2020, Digital Resources, Information seeking behaviour.

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