Utilization of electronic resources

 

5.3 Electronic resource utilization 

(2003). They reported high usage of Internet re

sources. Some of the reasons 

services in the University. Librarians interviewed revealed that some students 

integral part of learning therefore, such students have not been exposed to 

enabling the positive, and successful use of the electronic res

USING A SMART PHONE TO GET INFORMATION

ources while at 

Some students arrive at Mbarara University with computer utilization skills, while 

that library staff has not done much to sensitize students on the value and 

journals and web resources. Findings revealed that some of the respondents 

others come with no computer skills. One librarian interviewed had this to say: 

“you have students that rush in on the first day saying where the facilities for e

attributed to this high usage of the Internet are the freely available access, the ease 

school. Therefore, information professionals at MUST need to pay more 

indicated that they use e- resources in the library while some did not use them. 

by e-mail. This concurs with a study carried out by De Vicente., (2004) Falk, 

This is an indication that some students do not use e-resources and this calls for 

environment with poor learning facilities that do not include the library as an 

USING A TABLET TO GET INFORMATION

were not effectively utilizing the eresources because they lack computer skills. 

information technologies and information sources. This partly provides an 

strategies among others so as to promote the use of electronic information 

another enquiry to find out what other alternatives students use in meeting their 

al. (2007) argue that the students’ ability to find and retrieve information 

effectively is a transferable skill useful for their future life in addition to 

It is increasingly an important function of academic libraries today to provide 

students saying I don’t know anything about email, eresources”. This reveals 

resources are, I would like to send an e-mail, and on the other side you have 

information in electronic formats including indexes, full-text articles, complete 

explanation why some students do not use the e-resources in the library. Tella et

importance of e-resources. Internet search engines were the most used followed 

academic work. 

attention to make every user aware of various available e-resources and search 

The study agrees with Nlyidizi (2005) that most students come from rural 

of use and the currency of resources. 

2.5 Strategies adopted for e-resource utilization 

that will enable them to exploit the massive eresources that are in existence 

and those from less developed countries as a way of developing information 

literacy skills which will enable students to acquire information retrieval skills 

out collaborative joint projects between professionals from developed countries 

today. According to Katundu (2000), information literacy in the curriculum has 

One solution that was recommended by Pejova (2006) is launching and carrying 

not received much attention due to the factor that only librarians are engag

USING A LAPTOP TO GET INFORMATION

he teaching of the library discipline. Many authors such as Heseltine (2000) and 

libraries in developing countries. In the opinion of Dai et al (2000), there is a 

purpose of identifying and addressing common needs arising from development in 

made to relate information sources to various courses, thus rendering it functional 

technology applications. This strategy would improve on e-resource utilization, as 

participants that will be charged with executing and monitoring programs 

inter-library lending. 

and activities. 

information technology, especially the growing importance of the internet and the 

The study used utilized a crosssectional survey design with quantitative and 

easy description and interpretation of people’s opinions, the interview guide was 

and more meaningful to students.

•Identifying the necessary infrastructure for electronic access to resources. 

useful in this regard. A quantitative research design was used in determining 

Rader (2000) agree that a successful information literacy programme can be well 

•Selecting a coordinating agency to work on behalf of the entire group of 

library staff. A qualitative research design was used to bring the researcher and 

World Wide Web. According to Bedi and Sharma (2008) the strategies in this 

Libraries in Africa. Libraries the world over are forming alliances for the 

This will enable financially weak University libraries to contribute to a general 

percentages and frequencies. It was also useful in drawing tables and pie charts 

aggregators to provide access in which purchase is done by consortia. 

library staff would be expected to provide leadership in computer applications 

delivered when it is integrated within curriculum. This is the only way that can be

the respondents together and help the researcher to have indepth understanding 

 Omoniwa (2003) observes that power will rest largely on staff that possesses 

problems of managing, organizing and archiving the electronic resources (Bedi 

&Sharma, 2008). Therefore consortia are imperative towards the improvement of 

into a greater ability of students to exploit the massive technologies in academic 

resources of various institutions available to it is in a better position to resolve the 

of the variables under study. According to Bailey (1987) such a design allows an 

qualitative approaches to assess electronic information resources utilization by 

pool that would ensure the utilization of jointly acquired ICT facilities as a means 

multiple skills. Employment of librarians for instance, should be based on skills in 

3. Methodology 

need for a library consortium that will ensure collective acquisition of e-resources. 

 Such an arrangement has made it possible for users to access and download 

•Identifying and negotiating with the potential publishers/vendors or 

of gaining easy access for the users. A consortium with the collective strength of 

the required materials without even going through the elaborate process of 

such as Internet and CD-ROM technologies among others. This would translate 

direction include among others: 

students in MUST. Using this design, data was collected from both students and 

that brought out the study results. 

Stratified random sampling strategy was applied and the population was divided 

4.1 Demographic characteristics 

Female 97 36.3 

n=266 

Table 1: Shows Gender of respondents/students 

constraints because interviews would be difficult to arrange for students. 

Male 169 63.7 

Age Frequency percentage

and usefulness. The responses were checked for legibility. EXCEL was used to 

into four strata and a sample from each Faculty was randomly selected. Busha 

 . 

advantage of enabling respondents to give their opinions independently 

perform descriptive statistics. Tables and pie charts were used in the data analysis 

tabulated. Through editing, the raw data was checked for accuracy, completeness 

Data analysis was mainly done by use of qualitative and quantitative methods. 

the research interest. 

of the researcher (Moser &Kalton, 1997). Secondly, questionnaire also had an 

4. Findings 

The demographic characteristics are summarized in tables, 1, 2,3, and 4 

 Frequency Percent 

Table: 2: Shows the Ages of respondents/students 

 

representative sample with less variation. Data was collected mainly with a 

(Sarantakos 2003). 

questionnaires was the most appropriate method for students because of time 

USING A TAB TO GET INFORMATION

structured questionnaire because questionnaires provide an opportunity for 

The study targeted three hundred forty eight (348) respondents/students to fill in 

and Harper (1980) assert that stratified sampling strategy ensures a more 

The raw data was organized in such a way that it was edited, classified and 

Gender n=266 

respondents to give frank and anonymous answers is not affected by the presence 

processes to show the trends of events and to compare two or more variables of 

the self-administered questionnaires. However, out of the 348- targeted students, 

the researcher managed to get back 266 (76%) responded. Nonetheless use of 

19-20