Investigating Awareness and Usage of Electronic Information Resources by the Engineering Students of NMIMS (Deemed to be University), Mumbai

During Covid-19 restrictions, electronic information resources have become a prominent source in the library. Most of the university academic activities heavily depend on electronic resources because they are easy to share, refer and communicate to the audience. This study investigates the awareness and usage of electronic information resources subscribed to by the university library. The well-designed online questionnaire helps to collect data from Undergraduate, Postgraduate, and Integrated engineering programs. A total of 232 filled questionnaires were received for the study. The data analysis shows that 91.38 % of the respondents know that electronic resources are available in the library, and the internet speed (56.90 %) is a significant hindrance in using resources. The detailed analysis of this study was discussed, and suggestions were also given to improve the awareness and usage of electronic information resources.

An evolution of virtual training: implications for talent development in the post-pandemic period

PurposeThis study examines the effectiveness of virtual training programs in times of crisis at a public institution in South Africa for an enhancement of talent development via virtual training in the post-pandemic period.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a survey research design following a quantitative approach for data collection and analysis procedure. The respondents (employees receiving virtual training and the facilitators providing the training in times of crisis) were selected using a stratified random sampling technique. A structured questionnaire was designed and administered to 119 respondents in the participating public institution in South Africa. The data were analyzed using a variance-based structural equation modeling via SmartPLS, version 3.3.3.FindingsThe results showcased the impact of information technology and virtual training platform on the effectiveness of virtual training programs during the pandemic in South Africa.OriginalityThere is a dearth of literature on the evolution and effectiveness of virtual training in times of crisis in South Africa. The outcomes of this study contribute to the extant literature on talent development, virtual training, and HR effectiveness in the digital age.

Factors influencing intentions to use library social media marketing accounts: taking the example of WeChat

Purpose>This study aims to explore the factors influencing intentions to use library social media marketing accounts from users’ perspectives to help libraries use social media to provide targeted information services to users to meet their information needs.Design/methodology/approach>This study is based on the technology acceptance model and theory of planned behaviour and uses WeChat as an example to build the model of factors influencing intentions to use library social media marketing accounts. It takes college students as the research object, performing empirical research through questionnaire surveys and structural equation modeling.Findings>The results show that attitude, subjective norm and perceived behaviour control have a significant positive impact on library social media marketing – attitude exerts the most significant effect while the impact of perceived usefulness is nonsignificant. Notably, attitude completely mediates perceived usefulness and use intention, while perceived usefulness partially mediates perceived ease of use and attitude. However, birthplace plays a negative moderating role between attitudes and use intention.Originality/value>This study integrates the theory of planned behaviour and technology acceptance model, discusses the factors influencing intentions to use library social media marketing accounts from the users’ perspectives and proposes strategies and methods for the optimization of library social media marketing. The study helps enhance the effects of library social media marketing by improving the comprehension of current circumstances and influencing factors relevant to this issue.

Determinants of continuous usage of library resources on handheld devices: findings from PLS-SEM and fuzzy sets (fsQCA)

Purpose>This study aims to investigate the key factors that motivate learners to use handheld devices to access library resources. To do so, this study integrates the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the DeLone and McLean information systems success (D and M-ISS) model.Design/methodology/approach>The relationship between the causes and the outcomes may not be symmetrical. To test this proposition, data were collected from 210 respondents in a Gulf country and analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) and complemented by fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA).Findings>The SEM results revealed that three constructs – perceived ease of use (PEOU), service quality (SQ) and system quality (SEQ) are strong drivers of students’ continuous intention to use handheld devices to access library resources. However, perceived usefulness (PU) and information quality (IQ) do not significantly influence students’ intentions. Besides, SQ and PEOU are positively related to PU. Furthermore, fsQCA results show that two different conjunctions, PU*PEOU*IQ*SEQ and PEOU*SQ*IQ*SEQ, cause the students to show a continuous intention to use handheld devices to access library resources.Originality/value>Unlike previous studies on mobile library resource utilization, this analysis extends TAM to investigate the linear additive influence of two basic TAM constructs: PEOU and PU, and three constructs, namely, SEQ, SQ and IQ of the ISS model, on students’ library resource utilization. Furthermore, the findings of SEM were complemented by a set theory-based configuration method, fsQCA, to investigate the asymmetrical, equifinal and configurational causation leading to the desired outcome. The findings of this study have theoretical and practical implications.

Framework for enhancing students’ smartphone learning ability: a case study of Nigerian public Universities

Purpose>The importance of smartphones in enhancing students learning, research and development is well-established in many published studies. Nevertheless, due to numerous challenges, Nigerian students are yet to reap from the benefits of smartphones in terms of accessing vital information for learning and development. Therefore, this study aims to develop a framework that will enhance Nigerian students’ ability to use smartphones for learning.Design/methodology/approach>The SERVQUAL Theory Framework is adapted to actualize the research aim. Moreover, a qualitative (in-depth interview) research approach was used to interview 60 students from 3 public universities in Nigeria. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the interviewees, and the interview data were analysed using thematic content analysis.Findings>The findings identified the critical constraints that deter Nigerian students from reaping the full potential of smartphones for learning. The constraints are categorized into three groups which include telecommunication companies’ hiccups, such as high cost of internet, poor network services and coverage;government obstacles, such as high tax policies, insufficient electricity supply and lack of basic infrastructure;and university barriers, such as unavailability of Wi-Fi connection for students, lack of equipped university libraries and poor management.Originality/value>Thus, a holistic Framework for Enhancing Students Smartphones Learning Ability was established to provide fundamental recommendations to the Nigerian Government, telecommunication companies in Nigeria and Nigerian universities to tackle the pressing issues hindering Nigerian students from using their smartphones for learning. This will enhance the smartphone learning experience of Nigerian students.

Examining the Teaching Needs of Engineering Faculty: How the Library and Librarian Fit In

Teaching is a common responsibility among many subject librarians [1], as is supporting faculty in their own teaching pursuits [2]. However, what this support looks like can vary greatly depending on the academic area, the course, or the specific faculty member. This study aimed to understand the needs of engineering faculty members, especially those who had not worked directly with the engineering librarian for library resource instruction. The study was modeled after a similar multi-site study conceived and organized by Ithaka S+R, a not-for-profit organization that provides guidance and support for academic and cultural communities, that explored the teaching needs of business faculty members [3]. Interviews were conducted with faculty members from the departments of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering and Industrial & Systems Engineering in the summer of 2020. This paper examines the main teaching themes that emanated from the analysis of the interview transcripts: course materials needed and created by engineering faculty, how library research skills are introduced to engineering students, and how COVID-19 impacted the way engineering faculty approached course preparation for the fall 2020 semester. Recommendations for additional research and future faculty outreach are also prescribed. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2021

What Drives Digital Library User’s Satisfaction Behavior? Investigating the Level and Its Determinants

Novel Coronavirus 2019 or COVID-19 has shifted the traditional face-to-face interaction into digital interaction, whereby people are meeting through online;education is no longer confined within the four walls of the classroom. Subsequently, this transformation also affected the service delivery provided by the library. Recent studies show that the usage of digital libraries increases in the aftermath of COVID-19. However, there is currently scarce literature on the factors that drive the increase of usage and its impact on users’ satisfaction behavior. Therefore, the purpose of this study is twofold;first, to investigate the level of digital libraries satisfaction in the aftermath of COVID-19 and second, to examine the factors that influence user’ satisfaction behavior on digital libraries. A quantitative research methodology was adopted;the instrument was developed by adopting previous research studies. The instrument was pre-tested, expert reviews, pilot-tested before actual data collection. Data was collected from one of the universities on the east coast of Malaysia. A total of 358 valid responses were received;responses were performed for data cleaning and coding. The findings were then analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 and were analyzed based on descriptive and inferential analysis. The result shows that two hypotheses were accepted;digital resources quality and digital library affinity were found to have a significant and positive relationship with user’s satisfaction behavior, while digital library generic usability did not have a substantial and positive relationship with the user’s satisfaction behavior. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.