Comparing the Level of Commitment to In-Depth Reference and Research Support Services in Two Sets of Chinese Universities

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to compare the service levels of in-depth reference and research support services in Chinese university libraries. The samples in this study included three groups: 20 libraries from the top 100 Chinese universities, 20 midwest provincial university libraries in China, and 20 coastal provincial university libraries in China. The in-depth reference and research support services of these libraries were studied through online investigation, case study, and analysis. The results revealed that the reference services of the libraries from the top 100 Chinese universities rated superior to those of the provincial university libraries. The midwest provincial university libraries had fewer reference services than the coastal provincial university libraries. The reference services supplied by the agricultural university library were rated as the most useful, followed by science and technology, engineering, and medical university libraries, respectively. And, WeChat and QQ were useful tools that had Chinese characteristics.

KEYWORDS:

• In-depth reference
• research support
• university library
• comparing

Note

IMUST, Inner Mongolia Univ. of Sci. & Tech.; IMUT, Inner Mongolia Univ. of Tech.; IMAU, Inner Mongolia Agri. Univ.; IMMU, Inner Mongolia Medical Univ.; IMU, Inner Mongolia Univ.; KMU, Kunming Univ.; KMUST, Kunming Univ. of Sci.& Tech.; YNAU, Yunnan Agri. Univ.; KMMU Kunming Medical. Univ.; YNU, Yunnan Univ.; LZUT, Lanzhou Univ. of Tech.; LZIT, Lanzhou Institute of Tech.; GSAU, Gansu Agri. Univ.; GUCM, Gansu Univ. of China Medicine; LZU, Lanzhou Univ.; HNUST, Henan Univ. of Sci. &Tech.; HNUT, Henan Univ. of Tech.; HNAU, Henan Agri. Univ.; XXMU, Xinxian Medical Univ.; ZZU, Zhengzhou Univ.; NUC, North Univ. of China.; TYIT, Taiyuan Institute of Tech.; SXAU, Shanxi Agri. Univ.; SXMU, Sanxi Medical Univ.; TYUT, Taiyuan Univ. of Tech.; CAU, Chang’an Univ.; XJU, Xijiang Univ.; UESTC, Univ. of Elec. Sci. & Tech. China; XATU, Xi’an Jiaotong Univ.; NWPU, Northwestern Polytechnical Univ.; NJXU, Nanjing Xiaozhuang Univ.; NJTU, Nanjing Tech. Univ.; NJFU, Nanjing forestry Univ.; NJMU, Nanjing Medical Univ.; NJU, Nanjing Univ.; TUST, Tianjin Univ. of Sci. & Tech.; TJPU, Tianjin Polytechnic Univ.; TJAU, Tianjin Agri. Univ.; TUTCM, Tianjin Univ. of Traditional China Medicine.; NKU, Nankai Univ.; UJN, Univ. of Jinan; QLUT, Qilu Univ. of Tech.; STAU, Shandong Agri. Univ.; SUTCM, Shandong Univ. of Traditional Chinese Medicine.; SDU, Shandong Univ.; GZU, Guangzhou Univ.; GDUT, Guangdong Univ. of Tech.; SCAU, South China Agri. and Univ.; SMU, Southern Medical. Univ.; SYSU, Sun Yat-sen Univ.; SYLU, Shonyuan Ligong Univ.; SYUT, Shenyuan Univ. of Tech.; SYAU, Shenyuan Agri. Univ.; CMU, China Medical Univ.; NEU, Noutheast Univ.; XMU, Xiamen Univ.; NJAU, Nanjing Agri. Univ.; FDU, Fudan Univ.; ECNU, East China Normal Univ.; SJTU, Shanghai Jiaotong Univ.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Educational information funds of Jiangsu Province (CN) [#20180033]; Foundmental research funds for the central universities(CN) [SKGL2017014]; Social science funds of Jiangsu province(CN) [17SYC-117,18SWC-30]; Funds of China Agricultural Society, PCE1812.