Use Of Digital Library Resources Research Articles

Investigating the Predictors of Digital Library Engagement: A Structured Literature Analysis

Digital library is no longer considered a lavish use of technology but rather a mandatory need for users, especially postgraduate students. Each year, public and academic libraries invest a lot of money to subscribe to various digital resources, such as online databases, electronic books, electronic journals, and electronic magazines. However, many of these organizations have difficulties justifying their digital library investment due to lack of usage among the users. This underutilization of digital libraries is credited to the lack of digital library engagement among the users. Digital library engagement is defined as a deep and long-time use of digital library resources. Some researchers equate engagement to usage; however, engagement goes beyond the generic term of usage and may include multiple dimensions such as affective, cognitive, and behavioral. Previous works on the digital library have mostly focused on the generic definition of use instead of engagement. Researchers believe that the lack of study on digital library engagement causes the underutilization of digital libraries' resources. Despite the rising interest in the digital library, no research has studied digital library engagement predictors. Therefore, this paper aims to discuss the predictors of digital library engagement at the conceptual level. A structured literature review methodology was adopted; a total of 135 pieces of literature were included in this study. In total, 30 predictors of digital library engagement were identified, and these predictors were grouped into four factors: technological, individual, organizational, and contextual factors. Grounded on the previous literature on the digital library, the contributions of this paper are as follows: first, this paper identified a list of predictors of digital library engagement from past digital library literature, second, this paper categorized the predictors into four factors, and finally, this paper proposed a conceptual model for further validation of the predictors.

Provision and Awareness of Digital Library Resources in a Multi-Mode University: Perspectives of Distance Learners and Librarians.

The purpose of the study was to explore the extent to which digital library provision affects awareness and use of digital contents, digital reference services, and information literacy among stakeholders in distance education at a large multi-mode public teacher education university in Ghana. The study makes use of the concurrent mixed-method design. The population of the study was 1,834 distance students with a sample size of 641 distance learners reading programmes in Basic Education in three distance education Centres of the University of Education, Winneba namely Winneba (247), Kumasi (276) and Asante-Mampong (118). A total of 453 (70.67 percent) distance learners, selected randomly, completed a 31-item questionnaire. Also, the population consisted of four librarians from three Campuses in the vicinity of the Centres. A combination of probability and non-probability sampling methods were used for this study. The study found that awareness and use of digital library resources in the three distance education Centres were very low, if not non-existent. The findings revealed that for all the three main classes of digital library resources and services; digital contents, digital reference services and educative services, provision was very poor or non-existent for the distance learning community. This negatively impacted awareness and use of these resources. Among others, the study recommends a regular collaborative needs assessment of distance learners; establishment of dedicated library services for distance education; and the development of embedded library services which can appreciably raise the visibility of digital library resources in distance education. Keywords: Digital library provision; distance learning community; awareness; multi-mode; academic libraries in Ghana.

Ability to identify extent of information need and access information as correlates of utilization of digital library resources by lecturers

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between lecturers’ ability to identify the extent of information need, access information and utilization of digital library resources in Federal Universities, Southern Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachCorrelational research design was adopted. The population of the study comprised 6,653 lecturers’ with a sample size of 665 selected through proportionate stratified random sampling technique. Instruments for data collection were cognitive test and questionnaire used for utilization of digital library resources. Kuder–Richardson method was used to establish the internal reliability coefficient, yielding the score 0.77, 0.78, respectively, and Cronbach alpha for questionnaire yielding 0.81. Data collected were analyzed using the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient. In testing the hypotheses, p-value was used to determine the level of significance at the 0.05 alpha level.FindingsThe results show low positive relationship between abilities to identify the extent of information, access information in the utilization of digital library resources. The hypotheses were rejected, indicating a positive relationship between abilities to identify extent of information need, access information and utilization of digital library resources.Originality/valueThe findings of this study provide novel facts that help to clarify existing uncertainties and ambiguity in the link between some elements of information literacy and the use of digital library resources in developing economies such as Nigeria.

Use of Digital library Resources by Madras University

Use of Digital library Resources by Madras University

Factors Influencing the Use of Digital Libraries in Distance Education in Ghana

Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which individual factors such as academic tasks, preference for print sources and information skills influence distance learners’ use of digital libraries in a teacher distance education programme at the University of Education, Winneba in Ghana. The population of the study consisted of 1,834 distance students and from a sample size of 641 distance learners spread across three distance study centers, namely, Winneba (247), Kumasi (276) and Asante-Mampong (118). A total of 453 (70.67 percent) distance learners, selected randomly, completed a 31-item questionnaire. In addition, 30 distance education tutors, four coordinators and four librarians were purposively selected to participate in the study. The findings showed that academic tasks of distance learners did not require them to use digital library resources, which resulted in low or no academic use of digital libraries. The findings also pointed to a high preference for print resources among distance learners which resulted in the low use of digital library resources. Finally, it was noted that even though most of the distance learners possessed basic ICT skills, this did not result in their of use of digital library resources. To improve digital library use in distance education, it is recommended that academic librarians seek and foster collaboration in teaching information literacy and library instruction in distance education, an approach which must be backed by a policy that mandates the use of (digital) library scholarly resources in teaching and learning in distance education. It is also recommended that the Centre for Distance Education and the University Library collaborate to offer training programmes in specific digital resources and general information literacy courses for all distance education stakeholders in the university to boost digital library use.

The impact of digital library resources usage on engineering research productivity: an empirical evidences from Pakistan

PurposeThe role of digital library resources (DLRs) in accelerating academic and research productivity has been acknowledged worldwide. The purpose of this study is to empirically explore the use of DLRs as a predictor of satisfaction and research productivity in the context of Pakistan to examine its impact on engineering research productivity.Design/methodology/approachGiven the research objectives, the most suitable methodology for this study is survey. The tool used for gathering the research data on the frequency of usage, purpose, satisfaction level and impact of DLRs usage on research productivity was questionnaires.FindingsThe findings of this study showed that the frequency of use of DLRs and purposes of DLRs significantly contributed to the research students’ satisfaction and research productivity. In addition, a significant relationship was found between the predictors (DLRs purposes, DLRs frequency) and outcome variables (users’ satisfaction and research productivity). Thus, all five hypotheses are supported. The findings of this study further suggested the provision of information sources by university libraries to support research efforts and make a scientific knowledge-based society in the country. The findings are also significant for Higher Education Commission (HEC) authorities, university library administrators, Library and Information Science professionals/information providers to develop e-resources and formulate effective usage policies through which they could make effective use of DLRs.Originality/valueThe rationale of the present study is to fill the gap by empirically investigating the association of users’ satisfaction and research productivity with two dimensions of DLRs, namely, DLRs usage frequency and purposes of DLRs usage.

Awareness and Use of Digital Library Resources by Faculty Members of Engineering College Libraries in Warangal District, Telangana: A Study

Today, the quality of engineering institutions is measured in terms of digital collections, E-resources, networking component, Information and Communication Technology tools and many more. The electronic resources are playing an imperative role in information distribution in contemporary librarianship. With the advancement of technology, the libraries are moving towards digital resources, which are found to be less expensive and more helpful for easy access. The engineering institutions in Telangana are investing huge amount for digital resources. The present study describes the awareness and use of digital library resources by the faculty members of engineering college libraries located in Warangal district, Telangana

Examining user‐driven factors for intentions to use video digital libraries

ABSTRACTThe purpose of the present study is to examine potential influences of certain user‐driven factors on the intentions to use or target video digital libraries. The overarching objective of the study is to present a validated research model which depicts such phenomenon between users and video digital libraries. A total of 229 respondents participated in an online survey, which included questions for seven distinct variables: retrieval functionality, user interface characteristics, user support, collection quality, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and intention to use. Multiple regression and correlation coefficient were used to analyze the collected survey data and test the hypotheses for validating the proposed research model. The preliminary results show that both perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness are determinant factors of users’ intention to use video digital library resources. In addition, retrieval functionality, user support, and collection quality significantly affected users’ perceived ease of use of digital library resources. Further study of additional variables is currently in progress in order to assess influential factors that affect use of digital video libraries and ultimate adoption of such tools.

Knowledge and Use of Digital Library Resources by Engineering Faculty Members Affiliated to JNTUH, Andhra Pradesh, India

An attempt has been made to determine the present status of knowledge and use of digital resources. It was observed that use of digital resources is still inadequate among the engineering faculty of the universities in the developing countries. This paper presents the findings of a survey to about the knowledge and use of digital resources by faculty members through CD-ROM databases, online databases, online journals, Online public access catalog (OPAC) etc. available in the engineering college libraries. The subjects chosen for this study were engineering faculty members affiliated to Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad (JNTUH), Andhra Pradesh, India. For evaluating study questions and data collection, the questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of 160 faculty members. The result of this survey are presented and discussed in this paper.

The impact of digital library resources on scholarly communication: challenges and opportunities for university libraries in Pakistan

Purpose – This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of HEC digital library resources and services in the public sector universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan on the basis of research scholars' satisfaction and its impact on their research progress. Design/methodology/approach – A descriptive survey research method was adopted in order to achieve the objectives of this study. A stratified random sampling technique was used to solicit data from both genders. Research scholars of MS/MPhil and PhD from 14 public sector universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were selected as sampled for this study. A structured questionnaire was developed to collect data and a five-point Likert scale was used to know the purpose and the satisfaction level of respondents with digital library resources. The impact of digital library on research and problems faced by them while using these resources was also measured by using a five-point Likert scale. Findings – The results of this study indicate that near to one-fourth of the respondents used digital library resources two to three times a week for article writing and thesis or dissertation purposes. The study concluded that digital library provides effective resources and services to research scholars and also found a significant impact on their research progress at these universities. However, research scholars were not satisfied with the support of library professionals regarding the use of digital library resources. The study has identified several problems encountered by respondents in the use of digital library resources and services. Practical implications – The findings of this study and their implications will be helpful for HEC authorities, universities libraries administrators, decision and policy makers and LIS professionals both in Pakistan and in other places. They should benefit from considering the experience of research scholars with digital library resources. This experience can help future subscriptions, training and use of these resources to maximize research scholars' success and achievement in their research activities. Originality/value – The study is the first of its kind and an important source for knowing the effectiveness of digital library resources on research scholars' progress at Pakistani universities.

Perceptions of usability and usefulness of digital libraries

This paper provides an overview of a case study research that investigated the use of Digital Library (DL) resources in two undergraduate classes and explored faculty and students' perceptions of educational digital libraries. This study found that students and faculty use academic DLs primarily for textual resources, but turn to the open Web for visual and multimedia resources. The study participants did not perceive academic libraries as a useful source of digital images and used search engines when searching for visual resources. The limited use of digital library resources for teaching and learning is associated with perceptions of usefulness and ease of use, especially if considered in a broader information landscape, in conjunction with other library information systems, and in the context of Web resources. The limited use of digital libraries is related to the following perceptions: 1) Library systems are not viewed as user-friendly, which in turn discourages potential users from trying DLs provided by academic libraries; 2) Academic libraries are perceived as places of primarily textual resources; perceptions of usefulness, especially in regard to relevance of content, coverage, and currency, seem to have a negative effect on user intention to use DLs, especially when searching for visual materials.

College students' misunderstandings about copyright laws for digital library resources

Purpose – This paper has two primary purposes: to explore common copyright‐related problems that arise when librarians promote the use of digital library resources; and to investigate college students' misconceptions of copyright laws that arise when the students use these resources.

Impact of research cultures on the use of digital library resources

AbstractCurrently, there exists little evidence concerning how various characteristics of research cultures are associated with patterns of use of electronic library resources. The present study addresses this gap by exploring how research‐group membership, across‐fields scattering of literature, and degree of establishment of research area are related to patterns of digital library use. The analytic dimensions are derived from Richard Whitley's (1984) theory of the social and intellectual organization of academic fields. The article represents a first attempt to operationalize Whitley's concepts in a large‐scale study of e‐resources use. The data used in the study were gathered in 2004 by the Finnish Electronic Library (FinElib) through a nationwide Web‐based user questionnaire (N = 900). Membership in a research group significantly increased searching in journal databases, the importance of colleagues as sources of information about electronic articles and journals, and the use of alert services. A significant interaction effect was found between degree of across‐fields scattering of relevant resources and degree of establishment of research fields. A high degree of across‐fields scattering of relevant literature increased the number of journal databases used mainly in less established research areas whereas it influenced the use of journal databases less in established fields. This research contributes to our picture concerning the complex set of interacting factors influencing patterns of use of e‐resources.