Use and Impact of Digital Library Services in Higher Education Institutions: A Survey of Faculty and Student Users
Keywords:
digital library services, higher education, user studies, information use, academic libraries, chi-square analysisAbstract
Digital library services have become a central component of the academic information environment, yet their actual use and impact among different categories of users in higher education institutions remain unevenly understood. The present study examines the awareness, frequency of use, perceived effectiveness, and impact of digital library services among faculty members and students of AICTE-approved engineering and management institutions in India. A descriptive and analytical survey design was adopted, and primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 270 respondents comprising 85 faculty members and 185 students selected through convenience sampling. Data were analysed using percentage analysis and the chi-square test of independence. The findings reveal that students use digital library services far more intensively than faculty members: more than half of the students visit the digital library daily or on alternate days, whereas faculty use is concentrated at weekly intervals. Although awareness of individual services such as e-journals, question banks, and literature search exceeds eighty per cent, actual utilisation of several services remains low. A statistically significant association was found between user type and reliance on web-based information retrieval (p < 0.05). Students overwhelmingly rated digital library services as superior to traditional services (91.35%), while faculty opinion was divided. The study concludes that sustained investment in infrastructure, user orientation, and technical support is essential to convert high awareness into effective utilisation.
References
Ansari, A. J., & Ali, P. M. N. (2023). Usage of digital library services during COVID-19 pandemic: A study of Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). Digital Library Perspectives, 39(1), 62–81.
Bansode, N. (2019). Digital libraries in the modern information environment: Advantages, disadvantages and services with reference to India. Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research, 6(4), 331–336.
Bharti, K. L., & Verma, S. (2021). Emerging technologies in university libraries: Status, obstructions and the changing role of library professionals. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal), 5866.
Bhaskar, P. (2024). Digital library adoption in higher educational institutions: The role of digital library quality, perceived usefulness and user satisfaction in continuous use intention. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 16(5), 1–18.
Chinnasamy, P., Ganesamoorthy, M., Selvakamal, P., & Srinivasan, R. (2023). Digital library services and its utilization among the students: A case study. Library Progress International, 43(2), 30–35.
Gruss, R., Abrahams, A., Song, Y., Berry, D., & Al-Daihani, S. M. (2020). Community building as an effective user engagement strategy: A case study in academic libraries. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 71(2), 208–220.
Hussain, A. (2022). Impact of big data on library services: Prospects and challenges. Library Hi Tech News, 39(5), 10–13.
Khan, A., & Ahmed, S. (2016). The impact of digital library resources’ usage on research productivity: A study among engineering students in Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Information Management and Libraries, 17, 174–183. https://doi.org/10.47657/201617906
Kirita, F. F., & Mwantimwa, K. (2021). Marketing library resources and services using social media: Experiences from Tanzanian universities. University of Dar es Salaam Library Journal, 16(1), 3–19.
Mehta, D., & Wang, X. (2020). COVID-19 and digital library services: A case study of a university library. Digital Library Perspectives, 36(4), 351–363.
Mensah, M., & Onyancha, O. B. (2021). Building and enhancing library services: Patrons’ awareness of, and engagement with social media in academic libraries in Ghana. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 53(4), 640–652.
Nedumaran, K., & Kavitha, T. R. (2024). Digital library services and its applications in the information age in India. GRT Journal of Education, Science and Technology, 2(1), 56–61. https://doi.org/10.26452/grtjest.v2i1.32
Obeidat, O. (2020). Perceptions of graduate students towards electronic library services in physical and virtual academic libraries: A focus group study. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal), 4370.
Oriogu, C. D., Ogbuiyi, S. U., & Oriogu-Ogbuiyi, D. C. (2020). Use of social media in improving library services in Nigerian libraries. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal), 3902.
Rafi, M., JianMing, Z., & Ahmad, K. (2018). Evaluating the impact of digital library database resources on the productivity of academic research. Information Discovery and Delivery, 46(4), 250–261.
Savić, D. (2021). Digital transformation and the future of library work. Grey Journal, 17(1), 33–39.
Stejskal, J., & Hajek, P. (2015). Evaluating the economic value of a public service: The case of the Municipal Library of Prague. Public Money & Management, 35(2), 145–152.
Syam, A. M. (2024). The effect of digital library service quality on student satisfaction at the State Islamic University of North Sumatra. Jurnal Ilmu Perpustakaan dan Informasi, 9(1), 45–56.
Tokiran, N. S. M. (2024). University students’ perceptions of digital library services: Information quality, system quality and service quality in relation to user satisfaction. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(6), 1120–1133.
Zotoo, I. K., Lu, Z., & Liu, G. (2022). Utilization of information and communication technology to enhance library service delivery: A comparative study of the University of Ghana and Jiangsu University libraries. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal), 6812.
Downloads
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 International Journal of Engineering Science & Humanities
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
