Awareness And Utilization Of Electronic Information Resources By Academic Staff At The University Of Eldoret

Abstract

There have been tremendous changes in technology over the years that have greatly changed how information is accessed, stored and disseminated. Whereas information provision in academic libraries was previously based upon the collection of physical library materials, it is now increasingly the case that academic libraries are moving from print to virtual libraries. Recognizing the fact that the use of ICT opens new avenues for better services in new found digital environment, academic libraries are adapting to new technologies by subscribing to electronic information resources facilitated by consortiums. Despite the above effort, the situation of electronic information resources awareness and use at the University of Eldoret Library is still low. A lot of money is allocated to the subscription of electronic journals yet statistics generated by KLISC consortium indicate low usage of the same resources at the institution. This research aims to study the level of awareness and utilization of electronic information resources by academic staff with special reference to the University of Eldoret. The study embraced survey design. Specifically the study sought to establish which electronic information resources are at the university, find out the level of awareness and utilization by academic staff of these resources, explore the outcomes on teaching productivity and find out the challenges they experience in accessing these resources. The literature review is enriched by the objectives. The study is informed by Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). The target population of the study is 120 academic staff of which 48 were sampled for the study. Data collection was by way of questionnaires, observation and document analysis. Data analysis was done, and presented by use of excel, graphs, and charts. The findings of the study were used to make informed decisions by policy makers and the academic staff on how to effectively utilize electronic information resources to improve learning outcomes in the University. The study found that the levels of awareness and utilization of electronic resources by the teaching staff at the University of Eldoret were low based on statistics given by KLISC hence the need for more sensitization. It was also noted that they faced challenges of lack of proper search skills, lack of awareness of which resources existed and lack of proper infrastructure.