Faculty Use of Internet Services at a University of Agriculture and Technology

Introduction The Internet provides vast amounts of information on every field and subject. There are hundreds of millions Web pages, bibliographical databases, and full-text databases available on the Internet (Prasher, 2003). Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel University of Agriculture & Technology, Meerut, India, was established in 2000, under the Uttar Pradesh Agricultural University Act, the first agricultural university of the century. The development of library equipped with modern facilities, recent text books, and other study material is in process. Review of Related Literature Bansode and Pujar (2008) highlight the purpose of use, methods of locating information, and search techniques used in retrieving the information by the research scholars of Shivaji University, Kolhapur. The authors find that scholars use the internet for research and communication purposes, and conclude that more awareness about Internet resources and training in their use should be provided by library professionals. Biradar, et al., (2006) conducted a study on Internet use at Kuvempur University. The results indicated that 42 percent of students use the Internet twice a week, and more than 30 percent of faculty use it daily. The majority of students and faculty use the Internet for study and teaching. They use the Internet in the library, as well as in commercial places. Most respondents are satisfied with Internet sources and services. Eynon (2005) conducted a study on the use of the Internet in higher education and use of ICTs for teaching and learning. The most common use of ICTs in all subjects was to provide students with the access to a range of online resources. Academics motivations for using ICTs were enhancing the educational experience for their students; to compensate for some of the changes occurring in higher education; and personal interest and enjoyment. The difficulties encountered were lack of time; dissatisfaction with the software available, and copyright issues. Mahajan (2006) conducted a study of Internet use by researchers in Punjab University, Chandigarh, which analyzed the technologies that have transformed society into a knowledge society. It was stated that the Internet is considered to be the most valuable of all computer technologies. Mulla and Chandrashekara (2006) conducted a study on Internet users of Mysore University. The study was conducted using faculty, students, and researchers in different science subjects. The study revealed that a majority of users used the Internet and were satisfied with the information available. Objectives of the Study The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of Internet services by the faculty members of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Agriculture & Technology, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is specifically focused on the following objectives: * To study the present Internet services provided by university * To discover the purposes for which the Internet * To identify sources of information * To discover preferred search engines * To identify problems faced by users * To determine the satisfaction level of users regarding infrastructure facilities, membership fee, and location. * To discover user satisfaction with the Internet services provided Methodology The study uses the case study method. A structured questionnaire was designed and used for collecting data. The sample for the study was selected purposefully from those noticed in the Internet lab more frequently. The questionnaires were distributed among 60 faculty members, of which 50 were completed. Data Analysis and Interpretation Sixty percent of respondents use the Internet daily or 2-3 times a week. Virtually all respondents used the Internet for accessing information quickly, and a large number also use it for entertainment. …