An assessment of the provision of e-resources to users at Okahao community library

Abstract

The study assessed the provision of e-resources to users at Okahao Community Library. The objectives of the study were to: examine the e-resources available at Okahao Community Library; find out whether the Library had adequate infrastructure to accommodate e-resources for users; determine the level of ICT related skills for the users and library staff as well as investigate the perceptions of Okahao Community Library users towards access and use of e-resources. The study employed a concurrent mixed methods research approach to collect data. The population of the study included the users and the staff of Okahao Community Library. The researcher used convenience sampling to select an estimated number of 50 library users who happened to come and use the Library during the days of the data collection, and included all 3 library staff members. The instruments of data collection included a structured questionnaire and a semi-structured interview guide. The structured questionnaire consisted of close ended questions and the semi-structured interview guide had open ended questions. The researcher used Microsoft excel to analyze data for descriptive statistics, which was reported using bar graphs, pie charts, and tables. Data from interviews was analyzed using thematic analysis and presented using descriptive narrative. The study revealed that most of the library users were aware of the available e-resources and they made use of them. The study also revealed that the library did not have enough working computers, despite the lack of working computers, the study also shows that the library had Wi-Fi connection available and users were provided with the Wi-Fi password at all times. The study also revealed that there was an increase in the use of e-resources every year and that the users believed that e-resources contained a vast amount of information.