Campus library: Pro- or Anti-reading

Students at university studies centre for girls have turned their back on the library which plays a significant role in the academic process.  It functions a third side in the university triangle process: students, faculty members, and the library. Any weakness with the triangle affects negatively on the academic process.

Blaming friends for not encouraging her to go the library, student Al-Hunuf says, “I never went to the library. No one of my friends encouraged me to go to read a book, either. I conduct my researches, browsing the web.”

Complaining of the standard of the service, student Sheeren says, ‘The library offers poor services to students. I need to look up the indices and check shelves myself to get the books I need. However, the library has gone different recently after expansion works were over. The searching system has also developed.”

Co-opining with Sheeren, student Munirah says, “I have to lose SR 200 (about 54 green) to buy a book to do without the poor service offered.”

Having a different opinion, student Nada says, “I always go to the library to get books I need since it offers good service and has an internet access. The problem lies in students; they rarely care about reading.”

Refuting the allegations by students, Mrs. Fawziah Al-Khudairy, a librarian, said, “Students are not excused; strenuous efforts are exerted to develop the library; internet is easy-to-access; and new search system is installed and is accessed at home. Things are made easy for students: librarians for guiding students, others for indices; training sessions are conducted every semester to teach them how to use the internet, research software, and indices browsing.”

Dr. Huton, professor of history and writer in Ar-Riyadh Newspaper, said, “The reason why students turned away from the library is attributed to high school stage in which the students do not go to library and are less interested in reading. While on campus, things do not change. Faculty members are largely held responsible; they summarize curricula in short notes thinking mistakenly they help students.”

Enumerating solutions to solve the problem, Dr. Rema Al-Jurf, said, “Spreading the consequences of the problem of non-reading; working out plans to encourage reading amongst students; driving benefits from international expertise; offering sessions on fast reading; conducting programs for reading for all like that in Egypt; and launching extracurricular activities on reading.”

Reading is our way to keep up with the fast-paced development process. Neither rising nor glory without reading.