Abstract:
Paraprofessional staff in academic libraries play a vital role in providing
efficient services to library readers. Their job satisfaction directly influences
the quality of services offered by the library. This study explored the level of
job satisfaction among the paraprofessional staff at the University of Jaffna
Library and examined the main factors impacting their job satisfaction.
Further, the study examined the influence of the selected demographic
characteristics of the paraprofessional library staff members on their job
satisfaction level. A survey research method was employed in this study. Self-
administered pre-developed questionnaire served as the research tool for data
collection. The total population of paraprofessional staff in this library was
twenty-eight, all of whom were considered for the study. The collected data
was analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics such as the
Wilcoxon Signed Rank test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, and Mann-Whitney U. The survey evaluated various aspects of job satisfaction and how these
different facets affect overall job satisfaction. Findings revealed that the study
participants were moderately satisfied (x̄ = 3.12) with their current job. The
facet ‘Nature of the Work’ received the highest satisfaction level, with a mean
value of 3.61 (SD = 0.79). This was followed by ‘Supervision’ (x̄ = 3.50, SD
= 0.48) and then ‘Coworkers’ (x̄ = 3.38, SD = 0.77). The lowest-scored facet
(x̄= 2.64, SD = 0.50) was ‘Operating Procedures in the Library’. The facets
‘Rewards’, ‘Pay’, ‘Promotion’ ‘Opportunities’, and ‘Operating Procedures’
scored below the neutral mean value (3.00), suggesting dissatisfaction and
requiring attention. The study identified a significant difference in ‘Pay’,
‘Benefits’, and ‘Rewards’ among different experience levels of the
participants (p< 0.05). The analysis further revealed that other demographic
factors, such as gender, age, and educational and professional qualifications,
do not influence any of the assessed nine facets of job satisfaction (p>0.05) of
the paraprofessionals working at University of Jaffna Library. The findings of
the study would be helpful to administrators in identifying areas of concern
and implementing strategies to enhance the job satisfaction of
paraprofessional staff.