Abstract

The original purposes of a library as a place for knowledge fulfillment alongside other social responsibilities are perceived to have eroded over the years. This could be due to the emergence and dominance of the ever progressive digital media and has likely changed the availability and mode of access to knowledge thereby affecting library patronage. This paper attempts to validate the above perception of the utilization patterns of library in private institutions of higher learning. It has been observed that students still visit libraries. However, the intentions of their visits are more for general or self utilization purposes rather than for intellectual pursuits. The study has revealed that more than 65% of the students surveyed spent their time doing personal work in the library without utilizing other library services and facilities. This has raised a real concern that libraries are now made places for social gathering and self utilization. Gender has turned out to be non-significant factor in this research.

Key words: Library, self utilization, general utilization, specific utilization.