The Contribution of Effective Library and Information Services to Academic Achievements at Some Selected Universities in Ghana

Libri ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mac-Anthony Cobblah ◽  
Thomas van der Walt

AbstractThis paper, which is largely based on the findings of my doctoral study, investigated the contribution of effective library and information services to academic achievements at universities in Ghana. The main objective of this study was to assess and explore the effectiveness of library and information services and establish its contribution to efficient academic work. The researchers adopted a mixed methods approach in which both qualitative and quantitative research approaches are used in a single study. This study used a survey research design because of the large and wide-spread population involved. The results of the study established that there is a correlation between effective library and information services and academic achievements at the universities in Ghana. The study also establish that library users were generally satisfied with the services provided by the university libraries and the provision of study space, book lending and Internet services turn out to be the most effective and highly patronized services. The findings on the challenges facing the delivery of effective library and information services clearly indicate that inadequate staff training programmes were affecting the ability of library staff to deliver effective library services. Finally, this paper has made recommendations on how to improve upon the effectiveness of library and information services to enhance academic work at universities in Ghana.

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (14) ◽  
Author(s):  
José Segoviano Hernández ◽  
Miguel Ángel Palomo González

Abstract: This paper presents the results of a documentary search about factors that motivate the use of university library. Literature about these factors was not found, either not standards or indicators used to measure those factors’ impact. On the other side, evidence was found about the decrease in library attendance, reported by the university libraries themselves; however, no evidence about the causes of this phenomenon was found. In sucha context, this article presents a research project that will be applied in 3 universities at Northeast Mexico, in which a methodology to identify and analyze motivation in students to use the university library is proposed.Keywords: academic library, library use studies, library users, motivation, library services, user satisfactionResumen: En este trabajo se presentan los resultados de la revisión documental sobre el tema de los factores que motivan el uso de la biblioteca universitaria. No se encontró literatura sobre estos factores y tampoco se encontraron normas o indicadores de referencia que permitan medir su impacto. Por otro lado, se encontró evidencia de un descenso en la asistencia reportada por las bibliotecas de las instituciones de educación superior, pero no se encontró evidencia de sus causas. Ante este escenario, en el presente artículo se plantea unproyecto de investigación que se aplicará en 3 universidades del noreste de México, en el cual se propone una metodología para identificar y analizar los factores que motivan, a sus estudiantes para utilizar la biblioteca universitaria.Palabras clave: biblioteca universitaria, estudios de uso de biblioteca, usuarios de biblioteca, motivación, servicios bibliotecarios, satisfacción de usuarios.


Author(s):  
Manisha B. Mane ◽  
Bhausaheb Panage

ABSTRACT: In today's modern digital information environment, a well-defined e-platform is needed to organize, store, retrieve and dissemination of information effectively. A library portal is highly beneficial tool for web-enabled information services. Most of the university libraries are adding e-resources to their collection. The utility of these e-resources will be limited in the absence of an effective library portal that facilitates the users to exploit these to the maximum extent. Web portals are the tools that enhance access to the e-resources by providing visibility to various e-resources. This paper highlights the role of a library portal in providing effective library services in electronic environment. An attempt has been made to explain the term ‘library portal', need of university library portal, Role of Librarian in designing library portal and development of library portal literature study at national and international level.


Author(s):  
Manisha B. Mane ◽  
Bhausaheb Panage

In today's modern digital information environment, a well-defined e-platform is needed to organize, store, retrieve and dissemination of information effectively. A library portal is highly beneficial tool for web-enabled information services. Most of the university libraries are adding e-resources to their collection. The utility of these e-resources will be limited in the absence of an effective library portal that facilitates the users to exploit these to the maximum extent. Web portals are the tools that enhance access to the e-resources by providing visibility to various e-resources. This paper highlights the role of a library portal in providing effective library services in electronic environment. An attempt has been made to explain the term ‘library portal', need of university library portal, Role of Librarian in designing library portal and development of library portal literature study at national and international level.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lana Munip ◽  
Leigh Tinik ◽  
Steve Borrelli ◽  
Gabriella Reese Randone ◽  
Eun Jung Paik

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the evolving ways library users engaged with services and resources and how library services adapted to meet their needs, in order to improve practice post-pandemic.Design/methodology/approachDuring Fall 2020 and Spring 2021, nine studies were conducted which examined the usage of space, services and resources; and employee and student perspectives. Findings from these studies were synthesized for this investigation through a process of qualitative meta-synthesis.FindingsThe themes from this meta-synthesis point to an ongoing need for streamlining services and processes, to improve efficiency as well as enable the Libraries to be prepared for the next crisis.Originality/valueWhile change takes time for large organizations, the existence of system-wide processes and services enabled library employees to continue assisting users across all Penn State campuses, demonstrating that the University Libraries could be considered a model for the “One Penn State” vision that the university strives to achieve by 2025.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 61-64
Author(s):  
Zainab Mohammed Abdullahi ◽  
Abbas Lamido Gora Adamu ◽  
Abubakar Mohammed

Electronic books (e-books) are vital information resources in every university library as they are utilised by users in search of information for conducting research activities, teaching, learning and assignment. This study investigated the relationship between utilisation of e-books and users’ satisfaction in university libraries in North East Zone, Nigeria. Correlational research method was used. The population of the study comprised of five thousand three hundred and seventy nine (5,379) registered library users spread across the five sampled university libraries under study. Stratified random sampling technique was used in drawing the samples and the sample size for this study was one thousand three hundred and seventy two (1,372) registered library users drawn using Krejcie and Morgan (2006) table. Questionnaire was used as the research instrument. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics to answer the two research questions, while, inferential statistics of Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMC) was used to test the formulated null hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. Findings from the study revealed that users’ utilisation of e-books and users’ satisfaction with utilisation of e-books for research, learning, assignment and information in university libraries in North East Nigeria were generally moderate. The study also established that there was significant relationship between utilisation of e-books and users’ satisfaction in university libraries in North East Zone, Nigeria. The study recommended teaching of information literacy for library users, acquisition of adequate and relevant e-books in the university libraries as well as discouraging users from using information obtained from online sources such as Google and other search engines as they are mostly ineffective for their research activities, teaching, learning and assignment.


Author(s):  
Anjaline C. ◽  
Sheba Priskkillal C.

Recent surveys on usage of library services reveal that nearly one third of the user population uses the library resources effectively to fulfill their information requirements. The remaining two thirds are either under-utilizing or using at minimal level. The reasons for non-usage of library resources include the anxiety towards the information system. Library anxiety is a kind of psychological fear experienced by the users while using information services or accessing the ICT-based information resources in a library. Library anxiety is characterized by negative emotions including tension, fear, feelings of uncertainty and helplessness, negative self-defeating thoughts, and mental disorganization that are experienced in the library setting. It is a kind of psychological barrier that hinders the effective usage of library-based information resources. It is more prevalent among the beginners than others. This chapter highlights anxiety, types of anxiety, different types of library users, causes of library anxiety, and the remedial measures to overcome library anxiety.


2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (04) ◽  
pp. 1850039 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cyprian. I. Ugwu ◽  
I. J. Ezema

The main reason for the failure of many knowledge management (KM) projects is the absence of a well-defined framework or strategy to guide KM implementation. This paper is an attempt to determine the planning needs of the KM deployment process and propose a framework that could be used specifically by the federal university libraries in Nigeria to guide the KM implementation process. Quantitative research approach was adopted in this study and the design was a descriptive survey. A total of 300 librarians responded to the survey that sought their opinions on the planning needs for KM implementation process. The survey instrument was a questionnaire, and it was used to collect data from the respondents. Data collected were analysed using mean, standard deviation, ranks and percentages obtained with the aid of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results of the study revealed the planning needs for KM implementation as consisting of the goals which the university library intends to achieve through KM, the KM process, skills and tools required as well as the type of partnerships needed. Based on these needs, this study proposes a KM framework made up of strategies and tactical moves to guide the KM implementation process.


2009 ◽  
Vol 29 (91) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Middleton

The University Library and Learning Service (ULLS) already measure their performance by the usual parameters - recording various usage and performance indices, including a user satisfaction survey. By endeavouring to measure 'impact' however, this project offered ULLS a different opportunity - to gain a deeper understanding of the complex interaction between library users and library services and resources.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 143
Author(s):  
Clare Louise Trowell

Comics and cartoons are valued in twenty-first century popular culture and are increasingly used as ‘Applied Comics’ to help communicate key messages and information in society. However, there is less evidence of cartoons and comics being used to communicate with and engage library users in learning, information literacy (IL) and research support. This paper explores case studies of how several different projects have utilised comics as a medium to deliver key messages about library services to support teaching and research at Cambridge University Libraries. The paper examines the use of comics and cartoons in a library context framed in a theory of comics and visual learning. The reception and output of the comics and cartoons with different audiences at Cambridge University Libraries is explored and the paper proposes that further research could be done to examine the potential of comics in communication and IL.


Mousaion ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Badamasi Babangida Mohammed ◽  
Francis Garaba

This paper investigates the challenges faced by the rural dwellers in seeking and using information from public libraries in the North West zone of Nigeria. A quantitative research method was employed in the study. The population of this study consisted of 5 directors of state library boards and 10 574 registered library users as rural dwellers which comprised both literate and illiterate users. All five directors were chosen to form part of the sample size of the study. Similarly, a sample of 370 was drawn from the registered library users of the libraries under study. Semi-structured interviews were used for the directors. Two sets of questionnaires were used to collect data for the study. These included the English version and the Hausa version for the literate and illiterate library users respectively. The qualitative data were analysed using thematic and content analysis techniques. The quantitative data were also analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer software and descriptive statistics. Among the major challenges faced by the rural dwellers in seeking information from public libraries were the centralisation of the library services at the local government headquarters, the absence of library services in the rural communities, inadequate information resources, the absence of community information resource centres in rural communities, and the high illiteracy level among the rural dwellers. The study recommends adequate funding of public libraries to provide relevant and adequate information sources and effective services in various formats and languages among others.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document