A qualitative study of the academic, social, and cultural factors that influence students’ library use in a rural Ugandan village Valeda F. Dent* University Libraries, Long Island University, 720 Northern Blvd, Brookville, New York, NY 11548, USA Available online 2 July 2013 Abstract The Kitengesa Community Library in rural Uganda is unique in that provides tailored collections and services for the community. This library, which was built in 2002, serves a small but diverse population including a large number of secondary school students who live in the area. Previous research on the impact of this library on the surrounding community revealed that the library influences reading habits, reading culture development, and the availability of locally relevant information. This is especially true for young adults, who represent Ugan- da’s fastest growing population. Only 18 percent of girls and 20 percent of boys are enrolled in secondary school, rendering this group of students (ages 13e17) particularly vulnerable to a wide range of social and economic challenges. School libraries in Uganda are rare, and in this case, the Kitengesa Community Library serves as a de facto school library. Previous research by Dent and Yannotta (2005) revealed that secondary school students are among the heaviest users of the Kitengesa Community Library, and this qualitative study represents an attempt to characterize students’ library use experiences across academic, social, and cultural do- mains. Findings suggest that the student experience consists of five factors e personal improvement, reading culture development, academic support, learning independence, and reducing isolation. There is a growing network of rural village libraries in Africa and the findings from this study will be used to inform development of additional library services and resources to better support student learning and interpersonal growth. ª 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Introduction In rural Uganda, there are few opportunities to access prin- ted materials. Students who are fortunate enough to afford schooling costs work with few resources inside the classroom and typically have little access to supplemental learning and reading materials outside of the classroom (Kevane & Sissao, 2004; World Bank, 2008). This presents a challenge for these students as they face their studies. Dent and Yannotta (2005) identified students as the largest user group of the Kitengesa Community Library, a small community library in rural Uganda. The Kitengesa Community Library was built in 2002, but the original idea crystalized in 1999 with humble * Tel.: þ1 516 299 2307. E-mail address: Valeda.dent@liu.edu. 1057-2317/$ - see front matter ª 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.iilr.2013.05.001 Available online at www.sciencedirect.com journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/iilr The International Information & Library Review (2013) 45, 37e49