Changing the face of reference and user services

Ahenkorah-Marfo, Michael; Akussah, Harry

doi:10.1108/rsr-01-2016-0001

Cited by 12 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The problem, however, is that most private university libraries in Ghana have no professional development policies and hence zero budgetary allocation; this only results in lagging. In the same vein, the authors in [40] found that many library professionals in Ghana are educated and make use of social media platforms for personal and job-related purposes. However, their skills are not enough to use social media tools sequentially to improve library service and hence are resistant to change.…”

Section: Academic Library Industry Challenges and Their Underlying Camentioning

confidence: 94%

Research Data Management (RDM) Strategy for Academic Libraries in Ghana: Setting a National Development Agenda

Zotoo¹

2019

OALib

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Academic libraries have in tandem, gradually assumed a superior role in a nation's development. Academic library policies and practices over the world have therefore advocated holistic research data management in a physical and virtual landscape. These dynamics have posed challenges and consequences for socioeconomic development for academic libraries in Ghana. This study analyses and assesses research data management policies and practices in academic libraries in order to develop a strategic and comprehensive framework that depicts real time coordination among stakeholders for socioeconomic development, thus setting a strong agenda for national development in Ghana. Using ethically professional research methods, this study adopted the purposive sampling techniques to select its sample size, scooped both quantitative and qualitative data from survey-based secondary data sources and modifies existing research data management theories and models to unravel and explain its findings. The Ghana Library Board (GLB), the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Ghana (CARLIGH), and the Ghana Library Association (GLA) are key policy formulation agencies in Ghana's academic library industry with a goal of negotiating licensing agreements and play leadership roles to reinforce research data management. Poor level of collaboration between researchers and librarians, lack of research data management skill, lack of technological innovation and financial constraints are key challenges of academic libraries in Ghana. Surely, academic libraries in Ghana have exhibited potentials for revitalizing research data management in the areas of health, education, employment, land and housing, governance, water and sanitation, agriculture, energy, urbanization, youth and gender studies, and the environment. The recommended national research data management policy framework with an embedded enterprise wide research management information system will assure the world's academic library in

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Section: Academic Library Industry Challenges and Their Underlying Camentioning

confidence: 94%

Research Data Management (RDM) Strategy for Academic Libraries in Ghana: Setting a National Development Agenda

Zotoo¹

2019

OALib

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“…Hamad et al (2017) reported the high social network awareness and substantial utilization for professional development in Jordan libraries. Ahenkorah-Marfo and Akussah (2016) reported that the majority of academic librarians are well-versed in social media and utilize it for both personal and professional purposes. Williams (2018) based on their study of six academic university libraries in Belgium and South Africa reported the increased adoption of social media in these libraries despite financial and infrastructure-related issues.…”

Section: Theoretical Background and Research Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social networking sites adoption among entrepreneurial librarians for globalizing startup business operations

Gupta

Rubalcaba

Gupta

et al. 2022

LHT

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PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify the factors leading to adoption of social networking sites (SNS) by librarians of entrepreneurial libraries to provide support to business community in their market research. Identification of these adoption factors will help to design SNS in the way that led to their seamless diffusion in university libraries, making them capable of providing reliable and useful market knowledge to the business community.Design/methodology/approachTo meet the research objectives, this study is based on the technology adoption model (TAM). The survey was conducted with 50 librarians of various universities across Europe, Asia, America, Africa and Australia, sampled through non probabilistic sampling techniques-purposive and snowball sampling. The collected data are analyzed through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to estimate the formulated structural equation model using SmartPLS 3.2.9 software version.FindingsThe results indicate that university librarians have high perception about usefulness and ease of using SNS for meeting their business objectives. The perceived usefulness (PU) is solely based on the prolonged adoption of SNS technology in personal lives of the librarians. The perceived ease of use (PEU) is triggered by the increasing quality of evolving SNS technology, especially user friendliness. The prolonged use of technology, increasing market entry of brands and improving quality of SNS will overcome librarian resistance to use SNS for market research related support to business community. Evolving technologies are more likely to be adopted seamlessly in entrepreneurial libraries.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has implications for librarians, entrepreneurs and technology providers. Librarians should have flexible technology adoption policies in place to keep technology adoption synchronized with changing market conditions. Entrepreneurs should share clear and accurate business needs as well as practicing ethical and lawful business practices. They should also help libraries to gain new skills to make future adoption easier. Technology providers should focus on improving the quality of their technology by increasing their functional utilities, performance and reliability as well as making them more user-friendly.Originality/valueThis study investigates technology adoption of SNS in libraries from the perspective of providing market research related services to entrepreneurs rather than just digitalizing library services for student users.

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“…Notwithstanding, from the interview with librarians, it was noted that the library does not have any form of communication service with distance learners and this includes digital reference services. Consequently, it may be concluded that distance education stakeholders and the library has no means of communication, a situation that may lead to distance learners making use of less authoritative information sources (Ahenkorah-Marfo & Akussah, 2016;Ahenkorah-Marfo & Nikoi, 2019). Chawinga and Zozie (2016) found that among three major sources of information for distance learners at a Malawian University, library sources placed last among a list that included lecture notes and internet sources.…”

Section: Distance Learners' Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

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

Owusu-Ansah¹

2020

ANUJAT

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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.

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Changing the face of reference and user services

Cited by 12 publications

References 18 publications

Research Data Management (RDM) Strategy for Academic Libraries in Ghana: Setting a National Development Agenda

Research Data Management (RDM) Strategy for Academic Libraries in Ghana: Setting a National Development Agenda

Social networking sites adoption among entrepreneurial librarians for globalizing startup business operations

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

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