ABSTRACT
Library anxiety is the negative, overwhelming feelings and emotions often experienced when needing to use a library that was first studied by Constance Mellon in 1986. She identified four sources for the students’ anxieties: 1) the relative size of the library; 2) not knowing where resources were located; 3) not knowing how to begin library research; and 4) not knowing how to proceed with library research. Earlier studies had begun to investigate library interactions from the users’ viewpoint, and the widespread recognition of Mellon’s findings invigorated further exploration of this particular phenomenon. The development of the Library Anxiety Scale enabled quantitative measurements among large groups of students in the United States and abroad. Researchers using the LAS found five factors of library anxiety and identified characteristics and antecedents most closely associated with this occurrence. Knowing which groups of users are most at risk and developing the most appropriate approaches for intervention and alleviation are important steps to efficient library service to all.
