Factors influencing undergraduate use of e-books: A mixed methods study

Leveraging social media in digital scholarship: Perspective from developing country students

Albeit the increasing relevance of digital scholarship in contemporary educational settings, the onset of global pandemics like COVID-19 has necessitated the need for academic institutions to rely on social media for digital scholarship. Digital native students are leveraging on social media for digital scholarship to enhance communication and information dissemination. However, a study from higher institution in a developing country is missing from the global discussion on leveraging social media for digital scholarship. This study seeks to examine students' knowledge level in the use of social media for digital scholarship and the challenges associated with the use The study adopted stratified and non-probability voluntary response sampling methods because of the flexibility of these techniques. Data was collected from both undergraduate and postgraduate students of University of Cape Coast in Ghana. Students possess more than the average knowledge in social media for digital scholarship activities. However, students use of social media was for video presentations, online class, information sharing, publication of articles, search for academic related information, building proficiency in the search for information and making connections with individuals. Additionally, the conventional notion still holds that social media as a digital scholarship is susceptible to poor internet connection, jamming of digital systems and lack of adequate information on how to use digital scholarly platforms. The information literacy department of higher institutions are recommended to revise the content of their curriculum and incorporate mechanisms to leverage social media for digital scholarship to efficient disseminate scholarly outputs.

Seven information practices for alleviating information vulnerability

Purpose

This literature review aims to identify conscious, intentional, repetitive and transferrable information-related decisions and activities (i.e. information practices) for individuals to alleviate their information vulnerability. Information vulnerability refers to the lack of access to accurate, affordable, complete, relevant and timely information or the inability to use such information, which can place individuals, communities or society at disadvantage or hurt them.

Design/methodology/approach

Conceptual literature review.

Findings

This review presents seven conscious, intentional, repetitive and transferrable information practices to alleviate information vulnerability.

Practical implications

Due to the transferability potential of the seven information practices, diverse populations in varied contexts could refer to, adapt and benefit from appropriate combinations of information practices and their manifestations. The framework can be used by individuals for alleviating information vulnerability. Thus, this paper responds to the call for conducting action-driven research in information science for addressing real-world problems. Information professionals can help individuals select and implement appropriate combinations of seven information practices for alleviating information vulnerability.

Originality/value

We propose (1) a parsimonious, episodic framework for alleviating information vulnerability, which depicts the inter-relationship among the seven information practices and (2) a three-dimensional plot with information access, use and value as three axes to map the manifestation and outcome of alleviating information vulnerability.

E-book data mining: real information behavior of university academic community

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the evidence-based use patterns of Higher Education Commission (HEC) subscribed e-books databases by the academic community at institutions of higher education in Pakistan. The study also investigates the differences in usage based on points of access, scholarly disciplines and gender of users.

Design/methodology/approach

A transaction log analysis (TLA) method was used to explore the use patterns of HEC e-books databases at the University of the Punjab, utilizing the SAWMILL analytical software and MS Excel.

Findings

The results of the study showed that the use of e-books was at a growing stage at the university. Male boarding students of the university were more active users of e-books as compared to their female counterparts. The Central Library of the University of the Punjab, the Department of Zoology and the Institute of Communication Studies were the most frequently used access points for the e-book users, and the Faculties of Sciences, Life Sciences, Economics and Management Sciences had the most active e-book readers. Furthermore, it was found that the HEC e-books databases were only being used during the four months of summer vacations at the university.

Research limitations/implications

The study provides only descriptive use frequencies rather than a deep log analysis of e-books usage.

Practical implications

This research provides important practical implications for examining the evidence-based use patterns of e-books databases' users at the higher educational level. The research suggests that HEC should maintain subscriptions of the most required e-books databases and that the information professionals should conduct orientations and information literacy programs to enhance the utilization of these subscribed databases among female boarder students and those faculties where they were being used less frequently.

Originality/value

The study is the second part of the first phase of a Ph.D. project. This is the first large scale study conducted in a developing country which reports the close to actual, approximate use patterns of e-books based on raw transaction logs of local cache servers at the higher academic level.

Proposing an information value chain to improve information services to disabled library patrons using assistive technologies

Information services offered by academic libraries increasingly rely on assistive technologies (AT) to facilitate disabled patrons’ retrieval and use of information for learning and teaching. However, disabled patrons’ access to AT might not always lead to their use, resulting in the underutilization of information services offered by academic libraries. We adopt an inward-looking, service innovation perspective to improve information services for disabled patrons using AT. The open coding of qualitative responses collected from administrators and librarians in 186 academic libraries in public universities in the United States, reveals 10 mechanisms (i.e. modified work practices), which involve searching, compiling, mixing, framing, sharing, or reusing information, and learning from it. Based on this information-centric reorganisation of work practices, we propose an ‘information value chain’, like Porter’s value chain, for improving information services to disabled patrons using AT in academic libraries, which is the major theoretical contribution of our study.

Best practices for managing innovations in public libraries in the USA

Public libraries serve as anchors for thousands of communities across the United States. Innovations are critical for the survival and relevance of public libraries in the country. Few studies, if any, identify the best practices for managing innovations in public libraries based on the experiential guidance shared by administrators of public libraries that are recognized for their innovations. This empirical study fills in the gap by identifying the challenges and solutions for managing innovations in public libraries in the USA. A thematic content analysis of qualitative responses collected through an online anonymous survey of 219 administrators of 211 innovations in 106 urban public libraries awarded for their innovations revealed 30 unique challenges to planning and implementing innovations and an equal number of solutions, which were then organized into five clusters: strategy, finance, organizational behavior, human resource management, and communication. Administrators and staff in public libraries need to develop competencies in these five areas to better manage innovations in the future. Other public libraries can learn, apply, and benefit from these best practices. The best practices for managing innovations, if applied, can enhance the perceived and real value of public libraries to their local communities.