Mx. Liu et B. Redfern, INFORMATION-SEEKING BEHAVIOR OF MULTICULTURAL STUDENTS - A CASE-STUDYAT SAN-JOSE-STATE-UNIVERSITY, College & research libraries, 58(4), 1997, pp. 348-354
In 1995 a survey was conducted on the campus of San Jose State Univers
ity where, for the first time, so-called minorities made up 50.7 perce
nt of the total student population. Asian students compose the largest
group among other ethnic groups. The study shows that students who us
e English as their primary language are usually more successful in usi
ng the library than those who use English as a second language. Length
of stay in the United States also affects how often students use the
library, as well as their behavior in asking reference questions. The
survey found that Asian students are hindered by a fear of asking stup
id questions, a belief that their English is not good enough, an inabi
lity to understand answers well, and a lack of familiarity with the li
brary reference desk.