A model for measuring levels of end-users' acceptance and use of hybrid library services and its applicability to universities

Abstract

This study concerns the acceptance and use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) services in libraries with particular reference to universities in developing countries. It is recognised that for information systems to be of value to an individual or groups of individuals the system should be accepted and used. The fairly recent shift in developing countries from mainly paper-based library services to electronic library services (e-library services) using ICT infrastructure has raised questions regarding their acceptance and utilisation. Whereas there is published evidence of the acceptance of use of technologies, there is a lack of similar evidence for e-library services. Most studies on acceptance and use of technology have been carried out in settings found in developed countries which have different contextual factors present in developing countries such as low technological development, low level of awareness and low resource capacity such as finance and human resource. This makes it inappropriate to extrapolate the findings from Developed countries to Developing countries (DCs). The opportunity to modify and adapt some of these models for groups in developing countries exists and this study builds on the work by Venkatesh et al. (2003) which capitalized on commonalities of the best aspects of each of some existing models to develop a model called “The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology” (UTAUT). Using UTAUT as a foundation, this study set out to design a model for measuring levels of end-users‟ acceptance and use of e-library services in university settings in Uganda, as a representative of other developing countries.

A cross sectional survey design was used to collect data from eight universities in Uganda to design an Electronic Library Services Acceptance and Use Model (ELSAUM). The study data was examined for the mean, standard deviation, skewness, Kurtosis, and Shapiro-Wilk test statistic with the corresponding level of significance. The designed model has four independent constructs of performance expectance, relevance, social influence and facilitating conditions; four moderator variables of gender, age, experience and awareness and together influence the dependent constructs of behaviour intentions, usage behavior and expected benefits. The model was validated using data extracted from the main survey of 445 respondents. Results show that university communities have intentions to use e-library services. The findings show that major determinants of end-users behaviour intentions and usage behaviour of e-library services were relevance, social influence and facilitating conditions

Some of the recommendations of the research are that: Governments should support Universities with the provision of ICT services; Librarians in the DCs should use validated instruments with the provision of ICT services; The need to merge the two professions of Information Systems and Library Science, because it appears that currently both professionals do almost similar functions with regard to ICT services. This research contributes to technology adoption and library science literature, as well as to e-library practice; its emphasis was on Developing Countries. Many avenues for future research have been opened.