Antecedents of acceptance and use of a digital library system

Acceptance of e-library and support services for distance education students: Modelling their initial perspectives

Within the academic landscape, distance education is progressively gaining global attention and recognition, and many institutions are committing resources to make it a success. Global enrollments show a steady increase in distance learning. However, the availability of support services and students’ technological competence are critical to the success of distance education. One of the important support systems for maintaining effective online education is libraries and information services. As a result, this study investigated the acceptance of e-library and support services. The study was led by the UTUAT model and its accompanying theories, such as the innovation diffusion theory and the theory of planned behaviour. The census technique was used to sample 2003 graduate distance students. The data was examined using multivariate structural equation modeling approach. The study found a negative association between strategic and operational skills and students’ intents to use the e-library and support services. However, students’ inclination to use the e-library and support services was found to be strongly predicted by social influence. The study concludes by underlining the necessity for distance education institutions to host courses that increase students’ operational and strategic skills so that they can properly utilise e-library services.

Student use of digital libraries during COVID-19: structural equation modelling in Indonesian and Malaysian contexts

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the determinants that drive digital library use by university students in Indonesia and Malaysia during COVID-19. A proposed model based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology model-2 was implemented.

Design/methodology/approach

A pilot study was conducted prior to the main data collection to examine the reliability of the instrument. For the structural model assessment, 1,168 responses were analysed through partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and importance and performance analysis (IPMA). A t-test was also conducted to support the main findings.

Findings

Most hypotheses are confirmed by the significant results reported through the PLS-SEM. The strongest determinant of behavioural intention is habits. Digital library use is most significantly predicted by behavioural intention. Through IPMA, habits are reported to be the most important determinant for behavioural intention. Performance expectancy obtains the highest performance in the IPMA procedure. Behavioural intention and digital library use are significantly different based on the respondents’ location.

Originality/value

This study addresses the research gap (comparative studies between two countries) by evaluating digital library use among students in two universities in Indonesia and Malaysia during COVID-19. Findings could facilitate policymakers with insights into digital library use determinants and initiate effective and efficient policies to improve digital library use, especially during school closures due to certain situations or conditions.

Generation Z and intention to use the digital library: does personality matter?

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate the role of personality in digital library systems (DLS) adoption intention among Generation Z (Gen-Z) students. The study uses the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology-2 and the five-factor model to investigate personality’s influence on Gen-Z’s DLS adoption intention.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is a descriptive causal investigation based on primary data collected through a self-administered survey using pre-validated tools. The study uses structural equation modeling to investigate personality dimensions’ direct and moderating effect on the dependent, independent variables and their relation.

Findings

The study results indicate that personality has no significant influence on Gen-Z’s DLS adoption, suggesting the ubiquity and inevitability of technology in current times. Also, only performance expectancy had a considerable impact on DLS adoption among Gen-Z going to college – a deviation from past studies where multiple independent variables have influenced DLS adoption when examined from different technology adoption model angles.

Research limitations/implications

The current research is done on Gen-Z, and thus the results are ideographic to the cohort.

Practical implications

The results of the study can be used to effectively design and communicate technology-enabled information solutions among the Cohort.

Social implications

The results of the study help better understand the factors affecting the technology adoption intentions of Gen-Z. Such understanding can help in better design and implementation of technology-enabled solutions for the cohort, maximizing such system adoption and its effective and efficient utilization.

Originality/value

The study explores the impact of personality on DLS adoption intentions, hitherto unexplored. The research also focuses on Gen-Z – a cohort born in a technology-enabled world whose attitude and preferences towards technology might differ. The study’s findings will help understand the influence of personality on DLS adoption among the Gen-Z and can be used to design, promote and evaluate such systems.

Research on the drivers of undergraduates' intention to use university digital libraries: affinity theory as an additional construct of information system success model

Purpose

This study aims to examine the factors influencing undergraduates' intention to use university digital libraries by integrating the information system success model and affinity theory.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the 265 valid responses gathered through a survey, the structural equation modelling (SEM) technique was employed to test the research model and hypotheses.

Findings

The results indicated that system quality and digital libraries (DLs)' affinity significantly affect undergraduates' user satisfaction. However, information quality and service quality does not. User satisfaction has significant impact on undergraduates' intention to use university digital libraries.

Practical implications

Librarians and service providers should focus on enhancing the system quality of digital library and DLs' affinity, to improve the undergraduates' user satisfaction, further motivating undergraduates to use university digital libraries.

Originality/value

The information system success model is enriched by affinity as an additional construct.

Determining the factors influencing the level of awareness and usage of open source digital repository software by academic librarians in India

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the level of awareness and usage of open source digital repository software (DRS). The paper also studies the factors, which influence the level of awareness and usage of different open source DRS by academic librarians in India.

Design/methodology/approach

The study administered an online questionnaire to academic librarians in India to know their level of awareness and usage of open source DRS. The questionnaire aimed to gather the awareness and usage of open source DSR. In total, 374 complete responses were collected from academic librarians in India and the collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Moreover, Fishers’ exact test was used to identify whether factors i.e. qualification and participation in workshop/seminar influence the level of awareness and usage of open source DRS.

Findings

The results of the study reveal that the level of awareness and usage of open source DRS, namely, DSpace (Mean = 2.92, SD = 0.906) and Greenstone digital library software (GSDL) (Mean = 2.18, SD = 0.699) are high amongst the academic librarians in India. In total, 33.4%, 11.5% of the participants are using DSpace and GSDL, respectively, on regular basis. Fishers’ exact test shows that factor(s) i.e. qualifications and participation in workshop/seminar affect the level of awareness and usage of open source DRS. The results show that there exits strong relation between participation in workshop/seminar and awareness and usage of DSpace (Fishers’ exact test = 13.473, p < 0.05).

Originality/value

This paper is the new type of study exploring level of awareness and usage of open source DRS by academic librarians in India. It identifies the factors that affect the awareness and usage of open source DRS. It is the first study to analyze the statistical significance between Indian librarians’ participation in workshop/seminar and their level of awareness and usage of different open source DRS.

Ensuring continued use of a digital library: a qualitative approach

Purpose

This paper aims to identify the factors affecting continued use of digital libraries in a military context.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews with four focus groups consisting of 21 respondents, who are military education instructors and librarians, were carried out. This qualitative approach study adopted content analysis methods that were designed to contrast and make comparisons based on the participants’ responses. The valid responses were analyzed using NVivo 12 Plus.

Findings

Using semi-structured interviews, this study presents five dimensions of critical success factors generated from the analysis of the content of the qualitative data. The dimensions highlighted are as follows: perceived quality factors; perceived instrumental support; perceived ease of use; users’ expectation and users’ satisfaction; and net benefits and perceived usefulness.

Research limitations/implications

This study is only focussing on military education instructors and librarians in the vicinity of four regions in Peninsular Malaysia. For practical implications, it provides an understanding of how the organization could sustain the continued use of a military-context digital library (DL).

Practical implications

This study makes a new practical contribution to DL information systems’ successful implementation practices in a military context. This study also serves as a guideline for the organizational stakeholders to have a better understanding of their knowledge and the digitalization environment. The findings of this study provide an understanding of how the organization could sustain the continued use of digital libraries in a military context.

Originality/value

This study fills the void in the literature by investigating the DL use in the context of a military setting.