Information and communication technology skills among library and information science professionals: A predictor of enhanced library services

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to measure the information and communication technology (ICT) skills of library and information science professionals considering it as a predictor of enhanced library services. The study also finds out which ICT skill is the best predictor for better library services. A questionnaire was designed to collect data from librarians at university libraries in Punjab, Pakistan. Four constructs – computer skills, information storage skills, information retrieval skills and online utility software skills – were taken as the independent variables and a construct measuring library performance was taken as the dependent variable. After checking all assumptions, a multiple regression was run to predict the dependent variable from the independent variables. Further, comparison among the independent variables was made to check the level of contribution towards library performance. The regression model shows that the explanatory power of ICT skills for enhanced library services is slightly high, which indicates that a higher level of ICT competency among librarians is important for enhanced library services. Furthermore, the beta coefficient illustrates that the contribution of information retrieval skills towards enhanced library services was relatively high compared with the three other ICT skills. The study concludes that ICT skills are a prerequisite for better library services and the professional development of librarians.