Ghanaian Library and Information Science Professionals' Conceptions of Digital Libraries: A Phenomenographic Study

Boamah, Eric

doi:10.1142/9789814299701_0035

Cited by 3 publications

(12 citation statements)

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“…From the definitions provided, it appears that the concept of digital libraries is quite complicated. Various communities view it from their different professional perspectives (Boamah, 2009). There are certain common elements, however, that run through the various terms.…”

Section: Digital Library Conceptions: a Western Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The reason for grounding this conceptual paper in this component of the DOI theory is that digital libraries, being an innovation, appears not to be uniformly-understood within the library fraternity in Africa. Consequently, the viewpoints of librarians and LIS researchers on digital libraries are still subject to various personal, professional and experiential interpretations (Boamah, 2010; Ondari-Okemwa, 2016). This approach towards the conceptualisation of this paper extends our understanding of the contextual factors shaping digital libraries as innovations in Africa (Khan and Qutab, 2016; Lusigi, 2019; Maull et al , 2011; Moorthy et al , 2019; Nazari et al , 2013).…”

Section: African Conceptions Of Digital Libraries Based On the Attributes Of Innovationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: African Conceptions Of Digital Libraries Based On the Attributes Of Innovationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a study of 10 LIS practitioners and faculty members on their conceptions of digital libraries in Ghana, Boamah (2010) found that among both groups, they conceptualised digital libraries as, etc., “resources and content”. Their conception of digital libraries as a resource and content suggest the provision of educational content through digital libraries (Boamah, 2010). This conception is compatible with the traditional workflow of most librarians in Africa as they have the opportunity to provide the same content, which was previously in print in the digital mode to their clientele and, besides, enhance access to the information through enabling technologies (Lusigi, 2019).…”

Section: African Conceptions Of Digital Libraries Based On the Attributes Of Innovationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Librarians’ conceptions of digital libraries have also been defined by their collaborative and inter-library cooperation activities. Boamah (2010) found that some librarians and information professionals in Ghana conceived of digital libraries as a tool for collaboration to meet the information needs of their users. In a similar, but enhanced, vein, inter-library cooperation in the digital (library) era has led to significant improvement in access to information resources for national development (Chiparausha and Chisita, 2020).…”

Section: African Conceptions Of Digital Libraries Based On the Attributes Of Innovationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Conceptions of digital libraries: an African perspective

Owusu-Ansah

2020

DLP

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Purpose The purpose of this paper was to explore African conceptions of digital libraries from the perspective of the historical literature. This paper argues that the concept of digital libraries is a western creation and that there was a need for developing societies to develop their own conceptions to guide their own digital library development agenda. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a literature review. The paper makes use of publicly-available literature on the theme of digital libraries from both the Western and African perspectives. The search terms used were “digital libraries”, “Africa digital libraries”, “electronic libraries”, “information communication technologies/libraries” and “institutional repositories”. A total of 89 publications were examined for this purpose. Findings The analysis revealed that most of the initial digital library initiatives in Africa emanated from the west with African countries benefiting from international initiatives to expand access to information resources to bridge the global digital divide. However, due to a number of contextual challenges such as lack of sustainable funding and inadequate capacity and strategy, the development of digital libraries was hampered. Thus, even though digital libraries enjoy considerable goodwill, there remain negative conceptions of digital libraries in Africa. Practical implications Information institutions in African countries must evolve a unified conception of digital libraries as this would largely drive the direction of digital library development towards achieving the developmental goals of the continent. Originality/value The study applies the attributes of innovation to explain contextual factors shaping African conceptions of digital libraries.

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Section: Digital Library Conceptions: a Western Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: African Conceptions Of Digital Libraries Based On the Attributes Of Innovationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: African Conceptions Of Digital Libraries Based On the Attributes Of Innovationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: African Conceptions Of Digital Libraries Based On the Attributes Of Innovationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: African Conceptions Of Digital Libraries Based On the Attributes Of Innovationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Conceptions of digital libraries: an African perspective

Owusu-Ansah

2020

DLP

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Digitising University Libraries in Ghana: How Technology Is Facilitating Access to Digital Content and Services

Dadzie¹,

Walt²

2016

Mousaion

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The study investigated the extent to which technological advances are affecting the development of digital libraries in universities in Ghana. Using the case study approach, interviews were conducted with university librarians and information technology (IT) officers of three public universities in Ghana. In all, six staff members (i.e., two representatives each from the three libraries at the University of Ghana (UG), the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and TechnologyÂ (KNUST), and the University of Cape Coast (UCC)) were interviewed.Â Their views on the available information communications technology (ICT)Â infrastructure which would enable access to digital content and services, suchÂ as online databases, institutional repositories, online public access cataloguesÂ (OPACs) and World Wide Web (www) resources, were obtained. The findingsÂ revealed that all three universities have the basic ICT infrastructure to enableÂ users to access digital content. However, there was restricted access to theÂ OPAC; lack of visibility of the library website; and inadequate use of Web 2.0Â tools in some of the libraries. Therefore, the study recommends the hiring ofÂ more multi-skilled librarians who would provide the necessary support for digitalÂ resources and services.

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Towards effective management and preservation of digital cultural heritage resources: an exploration of contextual factors in Ghana

Boamah¹

Self Cite

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<p>In today’s world of digital technologies, cultural heritage institutions, particularly in developed countries, are seeking ways to create national digital memories for the future of the citizenry. However, rapidly developing technologies and their concomitant technological obsolescence put future memories at risk. The challenge is enormous in developing countries that, when compared to their developed counterparts, lack adequate resources and technologies for effective digital resources management and preservation. As a developing country, Ghana appears ready to face the challenges of effective digital resources management. The country has developed programmes and a national policy on information and communication technologies (ICTs) for accelerated development. However, Ghana does not appear to be effective in managing or preserving digital cultural heritage resources. An interpretive case research design involving 27 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders from 23 institutions was used to explore the various contextual factors influencing the management and preservation of digital cultural heritage resources (or DPM). Rogers’ (2003) “diffusion of innovation” (DOI) theory and Davies’ (2000) “policy, strategy and resources” (PSR) troika model provided a basis for a preliminary model of factors to guide the research. Although the DPM innovation was not fully diffused in Ghana, related activities at the base, middle and higher levels of the Ghanaian social system were unintentionally fostering the adoption process. Four main clusters of contextual factors that were influencing the DPM adoption process in Ghana were identified: attitudinal, resources-related, policy-related, and managerial factors. Key stakeholders perceived the design of appropriate strategies, adequate resource allocation, and proper implementation of policies as key enabling factors for effective adoption of DPM in Ghana. However, a general lack of interest in cultural institutions (libraries, archives and museums) and in information management on the part of decision makers and the Ghanaian stakeholders as a whole was found to hinder DPM adoption. This study extends Information Systems (IS) research involving DOI theory and the PSR troika model into a developing country context. Attitudinal-based complexities involving misunderstandings among various tribal groups in Ghana, and resources-based complexities surrounding technology access and use, were found from the interview data and were added to the initial model which was expanded to aid in understanding the various contextual factors that influence DPM adoption in Ghana. In addition to the study contributing to theoretical understandings in IS research, it provides Ghanaian policy developers with an empirical base for accelerating adoption of DPM in Ghana. It also provides New Zealand and other digital preservation advanced countries with a deeper understanding from which to provide contextually designed advisory services to other developing countries (particularly in the Pacific Island regions) as it enables the contextual understanding of the factors from Ghana.</p>

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Ghanaian Library and Information Science Professionals' Conceptions of Digital Libraries: A Phenomenographic Study

Cited by 3 publications

References 12 publications

Conceptions of digital libraries: an African perspective

Conceptions of digital libraries: an African perspective

Digitising University Libraries in Ghana: How Technology Is Facilitating Access to Digital Content and Services

Towards effective management and preservation of digital cultural heritage resources: an exploration of contextual factors in Ghana

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