A Study on Library Usage Pattern among Undergraduate Medical Students in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in Bihar.

Due to definite lack of data regarding use of library among undergraduate medical students in Bihar, this current study was conducted to fill the void. The objective was to find the usage pattern of library services including information technology services among undergraduate students of a tertiary care teaching hospital in Bihar. A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted from January to May 2015 in the undergraduate library of M.G.M. Medical College and L.S.K. Hospital, Kishanganj. Students who visited the library during the study period were given pre-tested self-responding questionnaire and the responses were analysed. In our study 90.80% of the students belonged to the age of 18-25 years, among which 54.60% were female. 40.80% of the students visited the library daily, followed by 28.16% who visited 23 times per week. 45.98% students on an average spent 1-2 hours in the library, followed by 36.78% for 2-4 hours. 90.80% responded that their purpose of visit was to study and make notes, followed by reading textbooks 85.06%. In IT usage pattern 69.54% responded internet browsing as their purpose, whereas 61.49% for sending Email. Though majority of the students were satisfied with services provided by the library some were disappointed about the insufficient number of commonly read books and limited working hours of the library. Very few students made use of the medical journals and electronic media databases therefore it is essential to make them aware of these facilities by proper training.