Factor Analysis of Barriers to Optimal Usage of Library Services among students of Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

This research was done with the aim to analyse the barriers to optimal usage of library services among students of the Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. The statistical population of this study consisted of all students using the Central Library of the Gorgan University of Agriculture Sciences and Natural Resources (N=3400) and the sample size (n=310) was determinated by Cochran's formula. The sample was selected by stratified sampling technique. According to coefficient of variation, the barriers were prioritized. The findings revealed that the satisfaction level of most of respondents (75%) was medium. According to factor analysis, the “Students's Barriers to Optimal Usage of Library Services” loaded in 7 extracted factors that totally explained 77% of the total variance. These factors named as library's resources, circumstances of using the central library's services, quality of the central library's working hours, schedule of the central library's services, educational system of the university, and student-related barriers.