Year: 2010
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Activities and services that improve student engagement and retention in the higher education sector are important not only to individual students’ success but also to university planning and funding. This paper reports on a study carried out to explore whether use of the library by new university students is associated with continued enrolment. Limited to commencing students in March 2010 at Curtin University, the study drew on demographic data from the university’s enrolment system and instances of library use from the library’s management system. Results of the statistical analyses indicate that library use is associated with retention, and, importantly, that library use in the early weeks of a student’s first semester is associated with retention. Findings from this study suggest that academic libraries can contribute to the retention of students by offering carefully targeted programs and services.
Authors: Gaby Haddow, Jayanthi Joseph
Institution: Curtin University
Language: English
Subfield: Library and Information Sciences
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2022108690