Information Retrieval Vis-a-Vis Information Seeking Behaviour: A Study of Users of the Libraries of Academic Institutions

The present human society is living in an information age and as a consequence, man has become more and more information conscious. More and more people deliberately and consciously seek information and it has become an integral part of human activity especially in the area of education, research and development, production and marketing of goods, all of which have contributed to the improvement of the quality of life. World War I and II accelerated research and development activities resulting in information explosion. The information so produced is recorded and reported in a variety of documents-printed and nonprinted documents.The nature of information is not easy to describe. Perhaps the most explicit definition in the literature defines information as recorded experience that is used in decision-making. Information is the primary agent of action and change. A person seeks information to make sense of the world, getting across a barrier, solve a problem and to fill the gap in the knowledge. Information has to be integrated with knowledge to be used and applied appropriately. It means that information needs knowledge and experience to solve problems.