Information Seeking Behaviour of Undergraduate Students in Digital Environment: A Case Study at Degree Colleges of KLE Society in Belagavi City

LIBRARY HERALD

Year : 2025, Volume : 63, Issue : 2

First page : (172) Last page : (186)

Print ISSN : 0024-2292. Online ISSN : 0976-2469.

Article DOI : 10.5958/0976-2469.2025.00012.2

Information Seeking Behaviour of Undergraduate Students in Digital Environment: A Case Study at Degree Colleges of KLE Society in Belagavi City

Sidarayi Nayak1, Ramesh B. Kuri2, Somanagouda Shankargouda Patil3, Girish Y. Dharmatti4, Bhavana Metri

1 Student, Department of Library & Information Science, Rani Channamma University, Belagavi, India

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Library & Information Science, Rani Channamma University, Belagavi, India

3 Research Scholar, Department of Library & Information Science, Rani Channamma University, Belagavi, India

4 Student, Department of Library & Information Science, Rani Channamma University, Belagavi, India

5 Student, Department of Library & Information Science, Rani Channamma University, Belagavi, India

Abstract 

The on-going search for Digital Information is a calculated pursuit for information by human beings in order to recognize interludes in knowledge. The main objective of this investigation is to ascertain the consistently emerging information requirements, sources, and the state-of-the-art techniques usage by the undergraduate students enrolled in degree colleges of KLE Society at Belagavi city. The strategy utilised in the study was a descriptive type of survey through the use of the questionnaire tool. The results of this study unravelled that a majority of the students of all the disciplines are found to be looking for both the print and electronic resources equally. The seeking of students focusses on subject specific information, news, e-mails, and job-related information online. Most of the students emphasize their search for digital information using keywords and truncation, fuzzy search, range search and Boolean operators, which are rarely used strategies for searching. The requirement of e-devices to access the requisite information, chances of missing contents, screen glare, Slow working and network of computers, and expense are one of the major complexities encountered by students in seeking digital information. This implication of the study indicates that educational institutions need to organize workshops on digital literacy that can accelerate the searching skills of students. Further, academic libraries also are required to adapt digital library so that the students can attain a better usage of digital resources. It is necessary that the Government should promote open access policies and organize Information Literacy Programs and Incorporate Information Literacy into their curriculum.

Keywords 

Information Seeking Behaviour, Information Seeking, Digital Information Seeking Behaviour, Digital Resources, E-resources