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The purpose of this paper is to report on the experiences of 65 five library students who visited one of three selected libraries on the campus of the University of Ghana to find out the extent to which the principles of reference services were being adhered to.

The unobstrusive method for evaluating reference services was used. Students were specifically asked to pose two questions (specific‐search or research questions) of their choice to two different library staff at the reference desk of the selected library (The library staff were unaware of this evaluation and exhibited their real behaviors to the clients.). The choice of these types of questions was to allow the library staff to engage them in a reference interview. Their observations were to be summarized in a two page report.

Students were not only concerned with correct answers to their questions, but were influenced to return to the same library staff by certain factors such as approachability of the library staff, effective assessment of their information need, good communication skills and the attentiveness of the library staff.

This exercise gave students a first‐hand experience of being information seekers and directly experiencing what ordinary users are subjected to whenever they visited libraries. This experience it is hoped would guide them when they are later employed in libraries to conform to behaviors that enhance the quality of reference interview and user satisfaction.

This is a modest contribution to the literature on reference services from a developing country's perspective as very few empirical studies are carried out in this area.

Sets out to investigate the use of electronic resources by students and faculty of Ashesi University, Ghana, in order to determine the level of use, the type of information accessed and the effectiveness of the library's communication tools for information research.

A questionnaire‐based survey was utilized. It consisted of 16 questions to determine level of use, type of information accessed, assessment of library's communication tools, problems encountered when using electronic resources and ways to improve the provision of electronic information in the community. The questionnaire was distributed to all students, faculty and administrative staff in order to reduce the generalization of the results. The students were made up of four year groups categorized as YearGroupA, YearGroupB, YearGroupC, YearGroupD. The questionnaire was pre‐tested on six students from three different year groups and some amendments were made. A total of 169 questionnaires were therefore distributed and 141 completed questionnaires were returned, giving an overall response rate of 83 per cent. Survey responses were coded and input into Excel for analysis.

The study found that general computer usage for information access was high because of the University's state‐of‐the art IT infrastructure. Usage of some internet resources were also very high, whilst the use of scholarly databases was quite low. The low patronage was attributed to inadequate information about the existence of these library resources. The study recommends, among others, the introduction of information competency across the curriculum and/or the introduction of a one‐unit course to be taught at all levels and the provision of more PCs on campus.

Would be of value to library administrators considering how to determine level of use, type of information accessed, assessment of library's communication tools, problems encountered when using electronic resources and ways to improve the provision of electronic information.

The study stressed the important role of top management in an organization and examined the possibilities, challenges and constraints posed to librarians in the provision of quality service to the university community in Ghana. Using a case study approach, the study concluded that top management were fairly committed but were too financially handicapped to fulfill all the strategies and policies outlined.

The aim of this study is to investigate the personal information management (PIM) practices of students and its implications for library services at the University of Ghana.

This was a survey research, and questionnaires were administered to 150 students across their various programs of study. Questionnaire design was based on the literature reviewed and research objectives.

Results showed that, format, skills, size of collection, memory, and habits accounted for diverse PIM practices among students. Among the major drawbacks were inadequate skills, information fragmentation, inappropriate habits, and imperfect memory. These aspects when improved, would enhance the effectiveness of students' PIM practices tremendously.

The study adopted the PIM framework developed by James and Teevan and focused on the core activities of PIM namely: keeping, organizing and re‐finding. In order to provide a fair rounded picture of the PIM situation of students, it is expected that subsequent studies would cover the remaining variables notably‐ information maintenance; selection and implementation of a scheme; managing privacy and the flow of information; matters of security; measurement and evaluation; and making sense of things.

The study concludes that, through comprehensive information literacy training programmes offered by libraries; student‐oriented PIM researches; the formation of PIM clubs spearheaded by librarians and supported by university administrators, benevolent organizations and individuals, the PIM practices of students can be made better. PIM efforts should aim at shaping, improving, integrating and supporting students' PIM habits, skills, personal information collections and memories respectively.

PIM practices of students is among the least explored topics in the field of library and information studies in Ghana. This research would not only create awareness about PIM practices, but would also draw attention to the efforts that can be made to improve PIM practices of students in Ghana.