October 31, 2019 to November 1, 2019
Madagascar
Africa/Blantyre timezone

Digital collaboration tools in providing library services: the case of higher learning institutions

Oct 31, 2019, 3:00 PM
20m
Madagascar

Madagascar

Presentation UbuntuNet-Connect 2019

Speaker

Wulystan Mtega (Sokoine University of Agriculture)

Description

Libraries in higher learning institutions remain to be the knowledge management platforms. These libraries support universities in performing their core roles of teaching, learning, research, consultancy and outreach. This study is set to investigate how digital collaborative tools and services assist academic libraries in provision of their services for supporting the teaching, learning, research and consultancy and outreach services in higher learning institutions. Specifically the study: determined activities in academic libraries requiring collaborations, identified digital collaborative tools and services commonly used in academic libraries, determined how digital collaborations between academic libraries and patrons were made, determined factors influencing adoption of digital collaboration tools and services in academic libraries, investigated the impact of digital collaborations in access of services of academic libraries, and compared the level of adoption of digital collaborations between academic libraries in developing and developed countries. The study involved publications with empirical evidences on use of digital collaborative tools and services in academic libraries from developing and developed countries. The study used a systematic review methodology. Through this methodology, all empirical evidences on use of digital collaboration tools and services in academic libraries were collated basing on pre-specified eligibility criteria in order to a specific research question. The criteria were set so as to eliminate bias and improve objectivity. Empirical evidences on usage of digital collaboration tools and services in academic libraries were summarized in a data collection form by research question. Findings indicate that collaboration tools and services help academic libraries meet more patrons than could be through traditional techniques. Moreover, most of the library routine roles can be facilitated through collaboration tools and services. Findings indicate that more academic libraries in developed countries use collaboration tools in provision of their services than it is for academic libraries in developing countries. Illiteracy among library patrons on how to use some digital collaboration tools and services and limited ICT infrastructure within academic libraries and inadequate access to ICT facilities among user is found to hinder the usage of digital collaboration tools. It is recommended that academic libraries in developing countries should optimize the use of digital collaboration tools and services so as to keep a warm relationship with their patrons and increase the usage of the services they provide. It is concluded that the digital collaboration tools and services in academic libraries is essential for supporting core higher learning institution’s roles of teaching, learning, research, consultancy and outreach.

Primary author

Wulystan Mtega (Sokoine University of Agriculture)

Presentation materials