A Historical and Comparative Analysis of Information Literacy Programs in Public and Private Sector Universities of Islamabad

Abstract

This study presents a historical and comparative analysis of information literacy (IL) programs implemented in public and private universities of Islamabad. The research explores the evolution, structure, and effectiveness of IL instruction within academic libraries, with a focus on how these programs have developed over time and how they differ between institutional types. The primary objective of this study is to provide a historical overview and comparative analysis of Information Literacy programs in Public and private universities in Islamabad, utilizing a survey research method. The questionnaire was distributed to 332 students of BA/BSc, M.Sc, MPhil and PhD in 20 universities of Islamabad. The questionnaire was distributed to 332 students; 294 students were willing to participate in this study; the response rate was 88.6%) Cronbach’s Alpha test was used to test the reliability of the instrument. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 21. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied through SPSS for data analysis. The results revealed the majority of both sector public and private university students looked satisfied with the offered ILI contents, both groups wanted more ILI training in research management Software and advanced searching techniques. This study recommended that libraries need to conduct user surveys regularly to explore in-depth the awareness and importance of IL skills of library users.

Keywords: Historical, Analysis, Information Literacy, Library Instructions, Islamabad, Libraries, Public & Private Universities