Informatics-driven optimization of electronic resources in multi-campus academic libraries: Evidence from Tanzania

<p>Electronic resources (ERs) in academic libraries have become a global phenomenon, and as libraries rely more on these resources managing them effectively becomes crucial. Electronic resource management (ERM) has consequently become a core function which many academic libraries around the globe appear to find challenging to implement effectively. Challenges of managing ERs are particularly pronounced in developing countries such as Ghana where the introduction of ICTs has typically been characterised by inadequate resources. Although there is an extensive literature on both the management and use of ERs, little research has studied how the two aspects could affect each other. Ineffective management of ERs could negatively affect their use; likewise, low usage of ERs could negatively impact on the management of these resources. Studying the concepts of management and usage of ERs together would result in better recommendations to inform practice and eliminate the challenges. In addition, the literature on the management of ERs is predominantly centred around libraries in the developed country context. Moreover, academic libraries in Ghana do not appear to be effective in managing ERs. There is a lack of understanding on how academic libraries in Ghana are managing ERs, and the ways in which this is affecting their usage and vice-versa. The study therefore fills the gaps by exploring the connection between the management and usage of ERs in academic libraries in a developing country context. Placed within a post-positivist worldview, this mixed-methods research employed a multiple case study approach, involving two public and two private universities in Ghana. Stakeholders included in the study were library staff, faculty, students, and consortium executives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with library staff and members of the governing council of the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Ghana (CARLIGH) concurrently with surveys of faculty and postgraduate students of the institutions investigated. These were supported by document analysis. To guide data collection and analysis, the Techniques for Electronic Resource Management (TERMS) framework (Emery & Stone, 2013), and an initial conceptual model of factors developed using constructs from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) (Venkatesh, Morris, Davis & Davis 2003) and the literature underpinned the study. The interview findings revealed inadequate planning for ERs in the case institutions owing to operational challenges including inadequate policies for ERs, inadequate funding, and understaffing. Although efforts were being made to follow standard procedures some components of ER workflow were absent in both public and private case libraries, whereas other aspects of the workflow were responsibilities of parties external to the libraries. The document analysis showed that, the total average completeness of collection development policies of case libraries was 25% which indicated the lack of vital elements in these policies. The survey findings showed a generally low awareness and usage of ERs by faculty and students due to inadequate promotional efforts by the case libraries, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of relevant content. Consequently, respondents had a negative perception on the usefulness of the ERs which may have caused the observed low usage. The study also found three main factors as affecting the management and usage of ERs in academic libraries in Ghana which were governmental, organisational and individual factors. Governmental factors such as regulations on staffing, inadequate funding, and nationwide rationing of electricity supply were hindrances. At the organisational level, an enabler was collaboration with stakeholders, whereas obstacles included inadequate policies, staffing challenges, resource-related factors, lack of investment for sustainability, centralised management structure, low institutional commitment, poor communication, and low usage of ERs. Enabling individual factors consisted of religious beliefs, social influence, oral information, and interest in IT. Hindering individual factors comprised negative effects of oral information, resistance to change, fear of speaking against authority, reluctance to submit contents to institutional repository, negative perception on the ERs and lack of time. The findings also established various ways in which the management and usage of ERs affected each other. Low user input in the selection of ERs, access related challenges, inadequate publicity, training, and evaluation of ERs negatively affected the usage of ERs. However, case libraries that occasionally allowed users to schedule training sessions observed increased attendance to training with a corresponding increase in ER usage, which provided a basis for institutional budgetary support. On the other hand, failure of users to attend training programmes after signing up, low referral of students to the ERs by faculty and low usage of ERs of the library negatively affected ERM particularly in the areas of budgeting for ER subscription and sustainability. However, faculty and students facilitated the management of ERs of the library in terms of creating awareness of the ERs among their colleagues and peers, and also accessing the resources using mobile devices to supplement the library’s inadequate computers. The TERMS framework and initial conceptual model of factors were revised based on the findings. The study adds to the Library and Information Science research relevant to the understanding of the management and usage of ERs, factors affecting both concepts and how these two concepts are related. In addition, the study contributes to practice by recommending strategies for effective ERM to encourage increased usage of ERs. It is also hoped that academic libraries in other developing countries can draw lessons from the findings. The study also provides advanced countries with a deeper insight to guide them in providing support to developing countries. The findings also have implications for policy and decision makers in terms of prioritisation and allocation of resources for effective ERM and usage in academic libraries as contemporary issues are revealed. Keywords: Academic institutions, Academic libraries, Electronic resources, Electronic resources in Africa, Electronic resource management, Electronic resource usage</p>

The proliferation of electronic resources (e-resources) arguably brings several benefits to libraries, including instant, from-anywhere access for patrons and automated workflows for technical services that are potentially more efficient. However, it also brings new challenges. One of these challenges is licensing the many e-resources offered through the contemporary library. Halaychik and Reagan address this challenge in Licensing Electronic Resources in Academic Libraries: A Practical Handbook. This resource primarily covers three license-related topics in five chapters. Chapters 1 and 3 discuss the basics of licensing and licensing law. Chapters 2 and 4 address the licensing process through the full life cycle of licenses. The final chapter discusses negotiating licenses.

PurposeThis study examined the role of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in facilitating the accessibility and usability of electronic resources (e-resources) in academic libraries.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed a quantitative descriptive survey to collect data from library users. The population targeted was sampled using a purposive sampling technique. A total of 427 (58%) participated in this study.FindingsMost respondents preferred electronic journals (e-journals) among the e-resources stored in academic libraries. Chatbots were identified as preferred AI tools for accessing and enhancing the usability of these resources. Strategies mentioned included the potential for integrating AI tools across various e-resources. However, among the challenges reported was the inability to integrate AI tools with the existing library management systems. Improving e-resource discovery and access can significantly enhance the effectiveness of AI tools in academic libraries.Originality/valueOriginality in the context of AI applications in academic libraries refers to the unique approaches, innovative tools and creative solutions that enhance the accessibility and usability of electronic resources. By focusing on unique solutions that enhance the accessibility and usability of e-resources, these libraries can better serve their diverse user populations and adapt to the evolving landscape of information needs.

Contents Introduction * Building the Digital Library Infrastructure: A Primer * The Carnegie Mellon/Sirsi Corporation Alliance * To RFP or Not to RFP: That Is the Question * The Technology Vendors' Conference: An Information Technology Planning Success Story * Sharing the Load: A Planning Checklist for Consortial Database Use * Chauffeured by the User: Usability in the Electronic Library * Using Outcome-Based Education in the Planning and Teaching of New Information Technologies * A Heuristic Approach to Selecting Delivery Mechanisms for Electronic Resources in Academic Libraries * Beneath the Surface: The Unintended Consequences of Information Technology * Index * Reference Notes Included

PurposeThe purposes of this paper are as follows: first analyze and visualize the price-changing pattern of common electronic resources; second, provide predictions for future price changes at the vendor level; third, discover any potential cause of such price changes; and fourth assess the practice of skills and techniques used for statistical analysis and data visualization.Design/methodology/approachStatistical analysis and data visualization of library’s expenditure data were conducted using business intelligence tools, in this case, Microsoft Excel and IBM SPSS.FindingsThis study reports the price changes of electronic resources over the past few years, as well as future prediction until 2018.Originality/valueOverall, this research combines statistics analysis and data visualization to unveil current price-changing trends of E-resources, provides price prediction of near future and offers unique, while valuable, reference for future evidence-based acquisition decisions.

Technical English (TE) proficiency is crucial for the future careers of polytechnic students. While Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools offer significant potential to enhance language learning, their effectiveness relies on student acceptance and use. There is limited understanding of what drives polytechnic students to adopt these tools specifically for TE. This study aims to identify the key factors influencing polytechnic students' acceptance and use of AI tools in this context and employ a quantitative approach based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze survey data collected from 100 Polytechnic Kota Bharu (PKB) students enrolled in TE courses. The research investigates core antecedents, primarily perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU), and their impact on students' behavioral intention (BI) to use AI tools. The potential influence of external factors such as social influence and lecturer support are examined. The study found PEOU was identified as a critical antecedent, which significantly positively affected PU and BI. The study reaffirmed the significant predictive power of BI on AU, indicating that students' stated intentions reliably translate into their subsequent usage behaviour. This research will offer practical recommendations for educators seeking to integrate AI tools effectively into TE instruction. Theoretically, this study contributes to understanding technology adoption within the specific domain of technical and vocational language education, providing valuable insights for leveraging AI to improve essential communication skills for aspiring technical professionals.

The rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have significantly transformed various domains, including education, by introducing innovative tools that reshape teaching and learning processes. This research investigates the perceptions and attitudes of students towards the use of AI tools in their academic activities, focusing on constructs such as perceived usefulness, the perceived ease of use, security and privacy concerns, and both positive and negative attitudes towards AI. On the basis of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the General Attitudes towards Artificial Intelligence Scale (GAAIS), this research seeks to identify the factors influencing students’ behavioral intentions and actual adoption of AI tools in educational settings. A structured survey was administered to students at Multimedia University, Malaysia, capturing their experiences and opinions on widely used AI tools such as ChatGPT, Quillbot, Grammarly, and Perplexity. Hypothesis testing was used to evaluate the statistical significance of relationships between the constructs and behavioral intention and actual use of the AI tools. The findings reveal a high level of engagement with AI tools among University students, primarily driven by their perceived benefits in enhancing academic performance, improving efficiency, and facilitating personalized learning experiences. The findings also uncover significant concerns related to data security, privacy, and the potential over-reliance on AI tools, which may hinder the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Research under the name “Librarians’ Attitudes regarding the Usage of Social Media (SM) for the Promotion of Services and Resources in Academic Libraries in Delta State” explores how librarians approach SM platforms to advertise library offerings. The research established three specific objectives which included investigating gender-based variances in SM attitudes among librarians together with examining how attitudes influence SM engagement and measuring overall SM utilization for resource advertisement purposes by librarians. The research adopted a correlational design because it examined variable relationships without changing any of the variables as described by Babbie (2016). The total research population encompassed 197 academic librarians working in libraries located in Delta State in Nigeria. The research selected all members of the population through a total enumeration sampling method. The researchers distributed the Librarians’ Attitude and Usage of SM to Promote Resources/services Questionnaire (LASMPRSQ) for data collection purposes. Each response allowed a selection from four predefined points on a rating scale. Expert review validated the instrument after research assistants conducted a timely recovery of questionnaires to maintain high response rates. The analysis based on descriptive statistics evaluated general attitudes (research question 3) and used PPMCC to establish relationships (research question 2) while independent sample t- tests detected gender variances (research question 1). The study results demonstrated that male and female librarians held similar attitudes concerning SM usage and this indicates that standard training efforts should be implemented. A positive relationship emerged between librarians’ SM interaction levels and their attitudes regarding using these platforms creating higher promotion effectiveness. Librarians expressed predominantly favorable attitudes concerning SM which prompted them to adopt it for expanding their library outreach initiatives. The study concludes that no gender variance in the attitudes of Delta State librarians concerning their keenness to usage social media platforms (SMPs) to advertise library resources/services. Optimizing SM engagement requires cultivating positive attitudes through technical assistance and professional development. Standardized SM training, frequent workshops to increase confidence, and ongoing IT support are some of the recommendations to improve librarians' usage of SM to advertise library services.

Purpose The use of the internet and World Wide Web to source information is now an emerging practice in developing countries and seems to be obscuring the use of printed resources in libraries. This paper aims to investigate the impacts of internet services on the use of prints in academic libraries in Nigeria.

This study aims to examine the relationship between university students’ views of distance education system and their computer self-efficacy in terms of some variables using Information Systems Success Model (ISSM) and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The study is important since the studies on the distance education system made with Unified Learning Style Model (ULSM) are limited in the COVID-19 pandemic period when distance education has become widespread. The views of university students on distance education and computer self-efficacy were examined in the study in accordance with the causal-comparative design, taking into account the variables of gender, year of study and academic achievement. Then, the correlation between the Technology Acceptance Model, participants’ achievement levels and computer self-efficacy was explained. 895 students attending Necmettin Erbakan University Faculty of Applied Sciences undergraduate program participated in the study. While gathering data, previously tested Technology Acceptance and Information Systems Success Model Integration and Computer Self-efficacy scales were used by combining the components from both models.

The self-built e-reserve database (SED) has still been considered an essential e-reserve service in Chinese academic libraries to resolve the issue of insufficient library copies and to support the future digital learning model. This study aims to examine the factors influencing users’ continuance intention to use SED in university libraries based on an integrative model that includes the Information System Success Model (ISSM), the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Post-Acceptance Model of Information System Continuance, and the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model. A total of 384 valid responses were collected through a questionnaire-based survey across Chinese colleges and universities. The findings confirmed the direct influence of perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), and personal innovativeness in IT(PIIT) on continuance intention to use SED. Additionally, the study highlighted the different mediating roles of the organism (i.e. PEOU, PU, and PIIT) between the stimulus (i.e. information quality, system quality, service information quality, and social influence) and continuance intention. Specifically, information quality and social influence were identified as the two primary antecedent variables influencing continuance intention through the mediating effects of PU and PIIT. This study could help library administrators identify areas of improvement and explore ways to increase the use and relevance of e-reserve services.

The KBN (Korea Biobank Network) BRIDGE (Biobank Research Information and Digital image Exchange) platform enables Korean biobanks to standardize and upload clinical data based on the KBN Common Data Model (CDM), and allows access to data from their own institution or consortia led by their institution. This study assessed user acceptance using the Technology Acceptance Model and Information Systems Success Model. Information quality and perceived usefulness showed strong positive correlations with satisfaction. Experienced users reported significantly higher satisfaction and service quality compared to less experienced users.

This article aims to find the determinants that affect patient satisfaction regarding the Mawiidi public portal in Moroccan public hospitals and assess its outpatient online booking system effectiveness using a model that integrates the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with the Information Systems Success Model (ISSM) while adopting a quantitative research methodology. The analysis was conducted using 348 self-administered questionnaires to analyze eight key constructs, such as information quality, patient satisfaction, perceived ease of use, and privacy protection, among others. The results of PLS-SEM verified six out of eleven hypotheses tested, which reflected that information quality has a positive influence on perceived ease of use, which again enhances patient satisfaction. The major factors influencing the satisfaction and trust of patients in online appointment scheduling systems at public hospitals are highlighted. Indeed, privacy protection enhances patient satisfaction and trust. Service quality positively affects satisfaction but to a lesser degree. Website-related anxiety impacts perceived ease of use, although it has a limited influence on satisfaction. Such findings can inform suggestions for the managers of hospitals and portal designers to increase user satisfaction. This study uses a model from the TAM and ISSM frameworks, including cultural and socioeconomic aspects that apply to Morocco’s healthcare context.

This article has three main objectives: i) to describe the use patterns of electronic and traditional resources in Portuguese academic libraries; ii) to estimate the value of the Portuguese electronic scientific information consortium b-on by using two alternative valuation methodologies; iii) to relate the use patterns with the valuation of b-on. We estimate the value of the Portuguese electronic scientific information consortium b-on by using two alternative evaluation methodologies: a) the value of the time saved by using this electronic resource; and b) the contingent valuation method to estimate how much the user is willing to pay for the service. Our results show wide differences in use patterns, with professors, researchers and PhD students having a more intense use of digital library services than undergraduate and masters students. Moreover, the benefit-cost ratios computed using the two valuation techniques indicate that the value of the electronic scientific information consortium b-on is well above its costs. Finally, the study shows that the valuation of b-on is higher for the user groups with higher percentage use of digital services.

Artificial intelligence tools utilized in nursing education: Incidence and associated factors