ABSTRACT
Constance Mellon first identified library anxiety as the negative and overwhelming feelings many students experience when needing to use the library for an information need. She found four sources for the students’ anxieties in her study: 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 research had begun investigations of library interactions from the users’ viewpoint, and the widespread recognition of Mellon’s findings stimulated further exploration of this phenomenon. The development of the Library Anxiety Scale (LAS) 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 the 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.
