Making Academic Electronic Information Resources Accessible in a Comfort Zone: Exploring Students’ Awareness of Resources at Ashesi University Warren Library

Abstract

The Ashesi University Warren Library has, over the years, applied innovative technologies and creativity in making academic information resources accessible to students. The library’s resources are accessed through webpages, URLs and QR codes on laptops and handheld devices, such as Android phones, iPads and Tablets and in the users’ comfort zones. This paper examines students’ awareness, use and experiences using the library’s resources, sources of awareness, and suggestions for improved awareness-creation strategies. Monthly statistics of students’ use of the OPAC and E-Library systems show lower usage as against student population. This is a widespread problem for academic libraries. The researcher used the constructivism paradigm with qualitative investigation approach and interview survey based on the study variables. Convenience sampling of the nonprobability sampling techniques was used to select six participants who were interviewed based on their consent and readiness to participate in the research. The descriptive design was used to analyse the collected user statistics and interview data presented in tables, figures and word cloud. The study was interpretive and subject to the students’ responses on their awareness, use and experience of using academic information resources. The responses were not generalised to the entire university population but based on the opinions of the students interviewed. The findings are that ten resources were used out of the 30 available resources. Three resources were mostly used and four were less used. The respondents mentioned that they are aware of the academic information resources, but two out of those interviewed mentioned that they are unaware of all the resources. The respondents mentioned that they use the subscribed resources, but two of them use other course-related resources that are unsubscribed. The respondents mentioned that their experiences of using the resources were satisfactory, but two of them had unsatisfactory experiences. The findings suggest strategies to expand the scope of awareness creation of the subscribed resources for very high user statistics, experiences and satisfaction. The study will add to knowledge on the best strategies to create awareness of the subscribed academic information resources.