Panic at the Library: Origins and Manifestations of Library and Technology Anxiety in High School Sophomores

Constance Mellon formally identified library anxiety in the mid-1980s. Library anxiety can result in students avoiding the library, its resources, and its staff. Students with library anxiety perform worse on academic tasks than their more comfortable peers. Library anxiety causes procrastination on assignments and undermines academic success. Technology anxiety has evolved with library anxiety changing as new information technology becomes available. This exploratory research investigated to what extent library and technology anxiety manifests among sophomore students, the relationship between library anxiety and technology anxiety, and the perception of online services at Maple Bluff and Scarlett Woods High Schools. This study used a mixed-methods approach. Four quantitative data sources were used: the modified version of the AQAK Library Anxiety Scale, the Abbreviated Technology Anxiety Scale (ATAS), an Online Services Survey, and a student demographic questionnaire. The quantitative data from the survey were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman’s correlation. Semi-structured interviews were used and analyzed with thematic analysis. The results of this study showed that the participants suffer from no to mild library and technology anxiety. There is a positive correlation between library anxiety and technology anxiety. Participants who completed the Online Services survey reported that they found the online databases useful for research tasks but preferred physical books for any pleasure reading. The qualitative data found that students are often the most anxious at the beginning of a research task, but this anxiety resolves once they have a clear topic and direction in mind. Participants did not express so much technology anxiety as technology frustration due to devices, printing, and internet access. Implications to address library and technology anxiety are discussed.