Analysis of Information Resource Usage in the Faculty of Law’s Reading and Research Room at Naresuan University

Abstract

          This study aimed to analyze the use of information resources in the reading and research room of the Faculty of Law, Naresuan University, with a focus on evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of information resource utilization by students during the fiscal years 2020–2024, with the goal of developing procurement strategies that align with user needs and the revised 2020 Bachelor of Laws curriculum, which emphasizes the development of legal knowledge and skills through the use of modern and high-quality information resources. Descriptive statistics, including percentages and means, were employed to analyze the data. Efficiency was assessed through indicators of borrowing cost, while effectiveness was measured by the borrowing rates of information resources. The analysis revealed that compulsory courses in the Faculty of Law accounted for 71.88% of total borrowing frequency. Elective courses, particularly in business law and private law, accounted for 6.42%, followed by international law and international business law at 4.01%. Additionally, courses such as energy law and urban development and planning law exhibited low borrowing costs but high borrowing rates. In contrast, courses like tax law and legal philosophy had high borrowing costs but low utilization rates, highlighting the need to adjust procurement strategies to better meet user demands. The research findings suggest strategies to optimize the use of information resources and tailor procurement to educational needs, especially within the Faculty of Law, which has distinctive subject matter and intensive use of legal information. A comparative analysis of procurement costs and utilization rates of information resources aids in assessing the cost-effectiveness of resource acquisition, supporting student learning in alignment with the revised 2020 Bachelor of Laws curriculum. Furthermore, these strategies can be broadly applied to other educational institutions, particularly in managing specialized libraries and learning support systems in higher education.