INFORMATION SOURCES AND SERVICES FOR PREPARATION OF COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS: A STUDY WITH REFERENCE TO LIBRARIES OF HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE OF KAMRUP (METROPOLITAN) DISTRICT OF ASSAM

This research explores how much information is available to students preparing to take competitive exams, how well they are using that information, and how effective the information has been for their purpose. This research is specifically focused on students attending colleges in Kamrup (Metropolitan), Assam. To achieve these goals, the study was conducted to find out what type of information these students need and what type of information-seeking behaviors they exhibit, to evaluate whether the resources and services provided by the libraries meet the needs of these students, and to evaluate how effective the colleges' career guidance and information services are in assisting students preparing to take competitive exams. To obtain the data to support the study's findings, a survey methodology was used. A questionnaire was created and distributed to competitive exam aspirants to collect the research data. From the research results, it has been found that competitive exam aspirants are increasingly relying on digital and electronic sources of information, while continuing to rely on hard-copy materials such as guidebooks, question bank books, newspapers and magazines. There are gaps in the library's collection of current and up-to-date materials, and many career-oriented areas lack adequate materials, and there is insufficient ICT infrastructure available. Therefore, the research has identified an urgent need for colleges to be involved in providing additional support to their students preparing to take competitive exams by improving the collections provided by college libraries, by integrating ICT within these libraries, and through user education and collaboration with career counselling cells.