Assessing postgraduate students' awareness and usage of electronic library services: A case study of selected universities in Ghana

This article explores the use of e-government services from the perspective of digital divides. First, it aims to find out which socio-demographic, economic and geographical factors predict the use of e-government services. Second, the article aims to show whether these factors moderate the way in which the time spent on the Internet is associated with the use of e-government services. The article is based on survey data (N=612) collected in Finland in May–June 2011 and is analysed by using a logistic regression modelling. Results show that gender and income moderate the link between the Internet and e-government service use. The more that women use the Internet, the more they use the government's electronic services. However, among men, the use of e-services does not increase similarly with the use of the Internet. Regarding income indicators, results imply that e-service use increases with Internet use but only among the respondents with low income levels. Additionally, the article shows that education, children, income and the size of the place of residence have major effects on the use of the government's e-services. Lastly, the empirical results are briefly discussed in relation to the digital divide discussion and some policy implications are presented.

Perceived usefulness, personal experiences, risk perception and trust as determinants of adoption of e-government services in The Netherlands

This article compares the level of awareness, usage and characteristics of electronic databases amongst postgraduate students of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and University of Ghana. It assesses the level at which students from both universities are conversant with such databases and issues that surround their use through a questionnaire administered to 131 students at KNUST and 297 students at University of Ghana (UG). The results indicate a high level of awareness of electronic databases in both institutions, but KNUST students patronise slightly more. Factors like access, ease of use and full-text options are highlighted as key contributors to database utilisation. Improved advertisement and ease of use are called for to ensure effective utilisation of electronic resources by postgraduate students in Ghana. This study highlights the critical role of database promotions and user training in improving the effective utilisation of electronic resources. Recommendations include enhancing interface simplicity and resolving technical barriers to optimise postgraduate engagement in Ghanaian universities.

"Electronic services are information services in electronic format that are handled by a computer device and encoded for handling. The National Library of the world provides a wide range of electronic library services to users. Today, the National Library of Sri Lanka provides e-library services in addition to traditional library services. With the COVID pandemic, there has been a rapid increase in the number of Electronic library services provided by the National Library of Sri Lanka. Today, there are 33 Electronic services provided by the National Library. It remains to be seen whether users will benefit from these services. For this research, numerous studies have studied users' behavior, usage of print resources, evaluation of electronic library services, and evaluation of library services using serverQUAL and LibQUAL, analyzing national and global research publications and printed and electronic media. The primary objectives of this study are four-fold. Firstly, it aims to identify and catalog the various electronic services that have been introduced by the National Library. Secondly, the study seeks to conduct an in-depth analysis of the current usage and adoption of these E-services among library users. Thirdly, it aims to identify any potential vulnerabilities or shortcomings in the existing E-services to ensure their optimal functionality and security. Lastly, the study endeavors to propose practical and effective measures that can be implemented to expand and enhance the range and quality of E-services provided by the National Library. By pursuing these objectives, the study aims to contribute to the overall improvement and advancement of library services in the digital age. This study has used a web-based survey methodology to study what electronic library services are available to readers, using a list of 59 items. In addition, two online questionnaires have been submitted to National Library users and National Library staff to study the status and use of Electronic services provided by the National Library. Based on the web-based survey methodology and the dual questionnaires, the National Library identifies the weaknesses in the electronic services provided and presents the results in simple frequencies and percentages. The research revealed that the National Library of Sri Lanka provides 69.49% of Electronic library services. Research has shown that 72% of respondents use the Electronic services provided by the National Library, and 28% of respondents do not use the electronic library services provided by the National Library. The research proposes the introduction of state-of-the-art electronic library services, features for the website, publicity of library services among the people of the country, and workshops and projects for staff IT knowledge and development."

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the nature of customer service in the academic library setting and ways in which its management can be best approached in the electronic environment.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a two‐phase methodology. First is a content analysis of the literature on customer service in libraries, focusing on electronic services, to identify main issues and strategies being used to address customer issues. This is followed by a qualitative data‐gathering approach to explore user perspectives on the quality of electronic services, focusing on customer service.FindingsThe findings reveal that the concerns of library customers in the web environment are similar to those in the traditional library environment. They are concerned about receiving online help for technical problems and also help to search and use information. Reference services are still highly in demand with an emphasis on the characteristics of the online librarian. Another major need is the ability to give feedback and receive a quick response from the library.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited to web‐based library customer service quality as perceived by postgraduate students at four research universities. Thus, it cannot be generalized to the whole academic library's clientele views, though it is applicable to electronic library services at other institutions. The subjectivity of the researchers' interpretations of qualitative data are also acknowledged.Practical implicationsThis paper will be helpful to academic libraries in managing the quality of electronic library services by focusing on what the customers require and deem important. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on electronic customer services in academic libraries.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the shortage of studies on the perceived quality of library electronic library services, as is evident in the literature.

Library resources play a critical role in supporting academic learning and research, particularly in health sciences education. Despite increased availability of both physical and digital library materials, the extent to which dental students utilize these resources remains uncertain. To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) related to library resource usage among undergraduate and postgraduate dental students at a single dental institution. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among dental students using a structured, self-administered questionnaire. The survey assessed students' awareness of available library resources, their attitudes toward library use, and their actual practices regarding both physical and digital resource utilization. Data were analyzed using Pearson chi-square test and a p value of ≤0.05. The study included 300 participants of which 221were undergraduates and 43 post graduates. While most participants acknowledged the importance of library resources for academic success, only a moderate proportion reported frequent use of these resources. Postgraduate students demonstrated higher awareness and usage of digital resources compared to undergraduates. Several barriers were identified, including lack of time, insufficient awareness of available resources, and limited digital literacy. Although dental students exhibit a positive attitude toward library use, there exists a gap between their knowledge and actual practices. Strengthening awareness programs, improving digital resource access, and integrating library training into the curriculum are recommended to enhance resource utilization and academic performance.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the awareness and use of library resources and services among the research scholars and post graduate students. The objectives are to know the awareness about library resources and services and to investigate the use of library resources, facilities and services. The study also highlights the various type of library resources and services used by the respondents. The study describes that the university library is providing both types of printed and electronic resources to the users. Moreover the study shows the various information searching techniques used by the respondents. The findings of the study show that majority of the respondents have adequate knowledge to use the library resources and services and large number of respondents accesses the electronic resources and services from the university library. Various types of problems and suggestions have been given by the users.

The purpose of this study is to measure the impact of electronic services management on local government. Thus, it aims to provide empirical evidence on the factors that influence citizens’ willingness to use e-services. This study analyses the role of factors such as: awareness of electronic services, poor infrastructure and technical problems (quality of electronic services) in using e-services. The study was conducted based on data collected through a self-administered questionnaire from 130 citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, in the Gjilan region, and from three managers who manage e-services in the municipality. Whereas, to analyze these data was used SPSS as statistical software. The results show that factors such as accessibility at any time, reduction of waiting time and quality of information are the most important factors that increase the importance and willingness of using e-services. In addition, the use of e-services is positively related to the management of electronic services, awareness about electronic services and the quality of electronic services offered. The study contributes theoretically and empirically, to the knowledge about the management of electronic services on local government. This work becomes relevant for policymakers to understand in depth the specific challenges faced by users of electronic services.

In most countries, the maturity of eService delivery is measured by the supply of electronic service delivery. However, in many countries there is a gap between the supply and demand of eServices. We studied the actual use of eServices and the potential use of eServices in the Netherlands. We found a gap between the actual and potential use of eServices. Main explanations for this gap are the lack of knowledge about the availability of eServices, the media use characteristics and the social characteristics of the (non)users. Conclusions of our study are that the potential usage is high and second, simply putting services online is not enough. People have to get to know the services and need the skills to use them. Implications for future research are that we need a deeper understanding of factors that underlie the use of eServices, since supply alone will not lead to use of eServices.KeywordseServicesservice usagecitizenselectronic service delivery

This study was on the availability, awareness and utilisation of information resources by staff and students of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK). It identify the types of information resources available in the Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK) Library, establish if staff and students are aware of available resources in the Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK) Library and examine the types of information resource utilise by staff and students of Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK) Library. Three research questions guided the study. The instrument used for data collection was a researcher self-developed observation checklist. The instrument was used to identify the availability of information resources in the library while the other was used to solicit information on users’ awareness and utilisation of the library resource. The study uses the descriptive survey with a population of 2181. The sample size of 436 was drawn using a simple 20% of the entire population. Data was analysed using simple percentage. From the finding it can be seen that the library has some information resources which can support teaching, learning and research as is obtainable in academic environments. The available resources include reference materials (Dictionaries, encyclopedias and others), textbooks, curriculum-based text, journals, newspapers, online catalogue, online data bases among others. On the other hand, awareness of available information resources by users, result revealed that users are aware of some available information resources in the library. Result also shows that the users (Staff and Students) utilise some of the available information resources. It was concluded that, the library have some useful information resources, that user are aware of some of the available resources and in the same vain utilises them. Finding also shows that users are not aware of some resources available in the library. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that; library should acquire more information resources especially ICT based ones, information access policies should be adjusted for more openness and the NSUK library should make deliberate efforts to make users aware of available information resource to encourage utilisation of available information resources.

The study assessed students’ satisfaction with the quality of library electronic information services during covid 19 pandemic at selected universities in Kenya. The study utilized a quantitative research design. A self-administered questionnaire with a five-point Likert-type scale was used to collect data from 360 undergraduate students from two selected universities in Kenya with a study population of 12000 undergraduate students. Data analyses were done using descriptive statistics, simple linear regression and partial correlation. The hypotheses were tested at 0.05 confidence level. The study findings demonstrate a significant positive relationship between SERVQUAL guided library electronic service delivery and student satisfaction, which means that an increase in electronic service quality will lead to an increase in customer satisfaction. The live chat service received a negative score but overall, electronic library services received a positive score which is an indication that library users appreciate the value of the electronic library services for their academic activities. The study identified smartphone as the most popular devise used to access electronic information services with 92% of the respondents using the device, the findings demonstrate the active role that smartphones are playing in formal learning and the various benefits students gain from smartphones. The study recommends design of mobile friendly library websites, transcription of the chart service to identify the frequently asked queries then create Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) feature on the library website to help respond to the information needs of the users more quickly and incase the FAQ page already exist explore ways in which the FAQ page could be automatically linked to users following each chat request. The study also recommends integration of information literacy training with the regular curriculum. The findings of this study may be used by educational institutions to enhance the role of libraries in distance and online education.

Despite the number of studies conducted on users’ satisfaction with library services, only a handful of reports was able to assess the level of users’ satisfaction with library electronic services. The review showed that previous studies measured the quality of services rendered by the federal university libraries with just a question or an extract from the ServQual instrument without proper application of the ServQual model. Identification of determinants of library users' satisfaction needs an in-depth investigation using different methods before librarians can work towards improving those identified factors for maximum utilization of library resources and services. This present study used the ServQual model for determining users' satisfaction with electronic resources and services provided in six federal university libraries. The instruments used for data collection were descriptive surveys, focus groups, observation, and interview designs. This study applied a multistage sampling technique to arrive at the 733 sample size that represented the registered postgraduate users for the selected federal university libraries from the six geo-political zones of Nigeria. Structural Equation Model and SPSS were used to analyze data collected from the respondents, it was found that the federal university libraries provided minimal (acceptable) electronic services with a beta coefficient of (β=0.66**) which showed a significant level of user satisfaction with electronic services. Determinants of users’ satisfaction were a conducive environment; good Internet connection; constant power supply; adequate computer systems; use of laptops either personal or loan; longer operating hours; remote access to eResources; adequate security measures, availability and accessibility of electronic resources, currency and adequacy of electronic resources. The study concluded that users were moderately satisfied with library services provision but libraries need to improve the quality of resources quality of services provided in the various universities. This paper recommended that, the library environment must be conducive to learning; good Internet connection is provided and sustained; have power backups; provide adequate computer systems; allow users to bring in their laptops to the library; increase their operation hours; provide remote access to e-resources; re-work the security systems and subscribe to numerous electronic resources to optimally satisfied users.

Purpose The relationship between citizens and government has been gradually changing from government centered to citizen centered. These changes can be understood from the public value perspective, which is a promising way to foster the use of electronic services (e-services) by citizens. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how key drivers for public value creation can enhance adopting electronic public services by citizens. The use of e-services as a basis for applying smart technologies is also discussed. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative study based on both a systematic literature review and a case study of an e-service provided by a Brazilian state government. Findings The study identifies that creating public value happens only after adopting e-services and that public value can be perceived directly by those who use the service or indirectly by the observation of people who have adopted it. A two-dimensional framework showing the direct and indirect factors that drive public value creation is proposed based on the data collection and literature review. Research limitations/implications The proposed conceptual framework remains untested and the data collection in the Brazilian context might be a limitation. Other studies could gather data based on the collective uses of e-services. Originality/value The framework can be used in other studies concerning public value creation. Public managers might consider its drivers when planning e-services as a way to link them to social, political and collective issues in addition to smart technologies.

Hybrid learning, which integrates the face-to-face classroom-based teaching with an online mode, is at its incipient stage in Africa. A study exploring institutional support services provided for students and informal peer support among peers of hybrid learning is a very significant academic exercise since it has implications for sustainability of hybrid teaching and learning in Africa and Ghanaian universities in particular. This study empirically examined 21 postgraduate students’ views of an institutional support system and peer support they received and the challenges associated with blended learning at University of Ghana (Legon) in the 2013/2014 and 2015/2016 academic years. First-year PhD students ( n = 7) were all interviewed. Besides, all the 14 Master of Arts (MA) students were available for an in-depth interview. A case study design was used. Judgmental sampling was employed because it was found to be suitable for the research context. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis. The findings revealed that learner support had made a positive impact on the postgraduate blended learning students, although students also lamented over unpleasant challenges. Appropriate learner-support elements such as power supply, fast Internet connectivity, expert advice on the use of a particular Learning Management System, accessible e-library materials and workshops that address students’ needs were recommended for students on blended learning engagement.

У статті розглянуто перспективи розвитку цифровізації України, створення системи державних електронних послуг та проблеми правового регулювання у сфері електронних послуг. Проаналізовано законодавство України, що регулює правовідносини, які виникають під час використання електронних сервісів.
 У процесі порівняльного аналізу з'ясовано, що вітчизняне законодавство по-різному трактує поняття «електронна послуга» у нормативних документах Кабінету Міністрів України, Міністерстві юстиції України, Пенсійного фонду України та Законі України «Про електронні довірчі послуги».
 Зазначено, що, за оцінками фахівців, нині спостерігається недовіра громадян до електронних сервісів через низький рівень правової обізнаності й інформаційної гігієни більшості населення. Недовіра сформувалася через недостатню захищеність інформаційних систем від несанкціонованого втручання, передусім від неправомірних дій посадовців, наприклад, незаконних дій з даними Державного реєстру прав на нерухоме майно.
 Українська законодавча система, що регулює юридичну і технічну сфери застосування електронних послуг, електронних довірчих послуг і електронних підписів, є досить розвиненою та насиченою нормативно-правовими актами. Неузгодженість численних правових норм та нормативно-правових актів, що регулюють сфери інформаційних технологій, стимулювала модернізацію багатьох напрямів правового регулювання. Отже, нині у структурі даного законодавства йде активне формування нової нормативно-правової бази. Розвиток інфраструктури електронних послуг потребує кореляції з відповідною нормативно-правовою базою. У цьому сенсі українські правознавці та фахівці інформаційного права й інших галузей права повинні забезпечити ефективну модернізацію національного законодавства у сфері регулювання електронних послуг.
 Запропоновано рекомендації та пропозиції щодо вирішення проблем, пов'язаних із застосуванням електронних послуг та електронних довірчих послуг.