Information seeking modes are changing rapidly due to advancements in portable devices such as smartphones. The functionality of smartphones is helping individuals to enhance their online learning experiences. The study was conducted to assess the readiness level among students towards the adoption of mobile learning at The Islamia University of Bahawalpur. A survey method of research was used to collect data for this study. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed through convenience sampling among the enrolled students of The Islamia University of Bahawalpur. Of the 183 respondents, the majority of 118 (64.5%) were female. Overwhelming, 170 (92.9%) respondents' usage frequency was 'daily' for accessing information through mobile. Stages of change model indicated that most of the respondents were at the 'maintenance stage' indicating that they were regularly using mobile for learning. The main barriers to mobile learning included: 'mobile learning causes sore eyes', and 'mobile screen size makes it difficult to concentrate on contents. The study concluded that a high level of readiness exists among students towards adopting mobile learning as they are regularly using smartphones to access the information from online resources to fulfill the requirements of formal learning. A statistically significant difference was found in the readiness level as female students are more likely to adopt m-learning than male students. The study's findings are useful for librarians, faculty members, IT experts, and policymakers of the participating university in designing mobile-related services for students to enhance learning communications and collaborations.

This study investigated the topic of the academic integrity among medical students and postgraduate trainees in the teaching hospitals of South Punjab, Pakistan. A cross-sectional survey was conducted involving 318 medical students and postgraduate trainees of teaching hospitals. The results found that medical students of pre-clinical years engaged in unethical behaviour, that is, exam cheating and plagiarism to cope with internal and external evaluation and the range of subjects needed to be studied. For postgraduate trainees, results showed trainees unintentionally engaged in the practice of plagiarism due to lack of understanding about what constitutes plagiarism, coupled with externally perceived pressures associated with expectations of research publication, promotions and tenured positions. To address these concerns, it is recommended that information literacy sessions for undergraduate and postgraduate medical students on plagiarism prevention and ethical practice be designed and facilitated by medical librarians in collaboration of faculty members.

PurposeThis paper aims to measure the adoption of big data analytics (BDA) to achieve sustainability in services being offered in university libraries in Pakistan.Design/methodology/approachThe study applied a unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) as a framework and used quantitative data collection and analysis method. In total, 246 university library professionals were surveyed using a questionnaire consisting of UTAUT factors. The gathered data were analyzed using partial least structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe results showed that performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE) and social influence (SI) significantly impacted the behavioral intention (BI) to adopt BDA. Facilitating conditions (FCs) have a statistically significant influence on the adoption of big data in libraries, while BDA has a statistical influence on the sustainability of library services (SLS).Practical implicationsBDA assists libraries in making better decisions about demand-driven collection creation, library space management, usage tracking, and quality maintenance in routine and repetitive library tasks such as cataloging, indexing, archiving, administration, preservation and representation. BDA supports libraries in making more cost-effective, innovative, user-oriented services, resource transferring, social identity, resource utilization, healthier user experience, strategic planning, informed decision-making and state-of-the-art infrastructure.Originality/valueThe foundation of this study is based on information gathered from various sources and university libraries in Punjab to better understand the challenges associated with using BDA for the SLS in Pakistan.