Abstract
The development of digital libraries has changed the handling and access to information. Using such a library involves a computer-human interface as well as commands and search strategies to retrieve information. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a digital library in an institution of higher education that serves approximately 75,000 students. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from a total of 206 participants (structured interviews, popup questionnaires and transactional log analysis). Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used for quantitative and qualitative data. Online journals were the most commonly used resources while reference resources were least used. The usability and information retrieval capacity of the library was good. However, there was a need to improve the user interface of the digital library, create more awareness and subscribe to more online journals to meet the information requirements of the users.
Highlights
The library together with the information sector has undergone tremendous changes in recent years
A digital library can be defined as a collection of digital objects, such as text, images video or audio, which can be accessed through the internet or CD-ROM (Lyman, 2017)
The focus of this study is to evaluate the digital library in terms of patterns of use, usability and information retrieval
Summary
The library together with the information sector has undergone tremendous changes in recent years. These changes involve the collection and arrangement of information. Libraries can offer their services without confinement to geographical borders. Advances in information and communication technologies have revolutionised the type, subject matter, design and perception of libraries (Harris, 2017). Al-Amri the increasing information needs of users. Most libraries all over the world are moving towards the “digital” mode. A digital library can be defined as a collection of digital objects, such as text, images video or audio, which can be accessed through the internet or CD-ROM (compact disk read-only memory) (Lyman, 2017)
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