UTILIZATION OF ELECTRONIC RESOURCES IN ACADEMIC LIBRARIES: A STUDY OF NATUROPATHY AND YOGIC SCIENCE COLLEGE STUDENTS IN KARNATAKA

Abstract

The present study examines the utilization of electronic resources among students of select Naturopathy and Yogic Science colleges in Bangalore, Karnataka, in light of the growing shift from print to digital information sources in academic libraries supporting health science education. Using a structured questionnaire administered to students from six select Naturopathy and Yogic Science colleges through stratified sampling, the study assesses the awareness, frequency of use, purpose, and preferences of students regarding available electronic resources such as e-journals, e-books, and online databases, along with the problems encountered in accessing them, including slow internet speed, lack of awareness, and inadequate infrastructure; the data collected were analyzed using simple statistical techniques such as percentage analysis to interpret patterns of e-resource utilization across the sample population. The findings reveal the extent to which electronic resources are integrated into the academic and research activities of Naturopathy and Yogic Science students, identify key gaps between resource availability and actual utilization, and offer suggestions for improving e-resource infrastructure, user orientation programs, and library services to enhance effective utilization among students in this specialized field of health science education.