Philippine E-Journals

TEXT MESSAGING: NOT ONLY FOR REFERENCE SERVICE

Evelyn P. Nabus

 

Abstract:

This study aims to investigate the extent of use of the text messaging service of the Colegio de San Juan de Letran Calamba and determine how it has contributed to the mission of the library which is to provide efficient and effective library services and to promote/implement library programs/activities beneficial to the academic community. Likewise, it tried to find out the satisfaction rate of the clients regarding the said service. A six-item survey questionnaire was administered to library users who availed of the service in the 2nd semester of academic year 2016-2017. Questions covered items pertaining to the awareness of the clients regarding the text messaging service, their level of satisfaction, ease of use of the service, and the extent to which they find the service helpful. Results revealed that the service is gaining popularity and that users were satisfied with the service. However, it has not reached its full potential as renewals make up majority of the transactions. In addition, text messaging was mostly done between 1:00 to 4:00 in the afternoon. Barriers in the implementation of the service (such as delay/undelivered text messages due to network congestion or interconnectivity, switching/changing of mobile phone numbers of users, staffing, and budget) contribute to a certain extent, to the dissatisfaction of users of the service. It is recommended that other e-communication technology be considered in getting in touch with the library users and the possibility of the inclusion of students in reminding due dates. Further analysis of the transaction log sheet and the transcripts of text messages are endorsed to elicit information that would help further improve the service. Furthermore, a comparison between face-to-face and over the counter transaction is recommended to determine the difference between the two methods and to find out which one appeals more to the users.