The trend on usage of ICT based modern library and information service facilities: a case study at Wayamba University of Sri Lanka

Abstract

Technological applications have transformed the roles of academic libraries and they provide “higher-end-support” and play key role reforming education in academic institutions in the blooming information society. The paper will focus particularly on ICT based library service facilities and the usage of those facilities in the library. The objectives of this study were to identify the usage of the modern facilities of the main library, to find out the trend of users information seeking behavior in ICT based library facilities and to reveal the major reasons of using ICT based modern facility area of the main library, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka (WUSL). The case study was carried out gathering data on the statistics of the usage of ICT based modern library and information service facilities. The data were collected for the period from 2010 to 2015 as the application of ICT into library service is still in primary stage. The study found that the usage of modern facility area has gone up significantly more than the latter part of the period. The undergraduate students’ trend was to access the modern facilities in the library as the way of building bridges for fulfilling their information needs. The usage of the library has recognized the ICT as fast information generated source. So, the existing space should be expanded and increased number of access points with infrastructure facilities for activating expected targets. In addition to that the library must move and focus by creating good relationship with user community and adopt information management skills in order to provide sustainable library and information services to achieve academic mission of the university.