A study of non-users of digital libraries: the case of the Capes digital library in Brazil

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the reasons that hinder the use of digital libraries. Design/methodology/approach This study analyzed data obtained through a web survey sent to 14,763 faculty members in Brazilian universities. Of the 6,689 respondents, 1,075 (16.1%) reported not using the Capes digital library and 1,017 answered the questionnaire for non-users. Findings Results showed that the main reasons for non-use are lack of knowledge of the existence of the Capes digital library, use of other resources, preference for printed journals and difficulty of access. Eight factors of non-use were elicited: insufficient dissemination, inadequacies in contents, in infrastructure, in access policy, in training and in the interface, personal constraints and personal attitude. The reasons and factors for non-use were categorized as intrinsic and extrinsic to the digital library. Intrinsic reasons relate to characteristics of the Capes digital library. Extrinsic factors are influenced by user characteristics. The chi-square test demonstrated that the variables: area of knowledge, age, hours dedicated to research and computer skills influence non-use. Originality/value This study has contributed to research about non-users of digital libraries, differing from previous research by surveying a large-scale population and by investigating in a single work the reasons for non-use, other electronic sources used by non-users, advantages of using the digital library and intention of non-users to become users if barriers were removed. Qualitative data complemented the quantitative data collected which allowed a more complete picture of the respondent’s positions.

A quantitative study on utilizing electronic resources to engage children’s reading and learning: parents’ perspectives through the 5E instructional model

“…In a future study, more parents of different types of schools and other Asian countries, as well as various types of electronic resources, such as e-news (Yu et al , 2021) and e-magazines (Wang et al , 2016), will be studied. It is also interesting to study the personality of parents and children in using digital resources (Sanjeev et al , 2022) and the obstacles to using digital libraries (Fernandes and Cendón, 2021) for children. Future studies should also analyse how parents’ reading habits and their use of digital resources impact their children’s reading skills with more respondents recruited.…”