An Analysis Of The Usage Of A Digital Repository In An Academic Institution

Abstract

The problem The ever evolving Internet platform and technological advancements in the area of information management offers innovative ways to information managers to use in the acquisition, storage, management and dissemination process of information. To this end, Institutions of higher learning libraries are always on the lookout to adopt new tools to improve their services to the users. Digital repositories are the new platform that libraries are adopting as additional digital resources and services on their portals. This requires additional investments towards the full creation and implementation of the institutional repositories. The assumption is that users are aware of the e-resources and will use it incrementally leading to increased usage of the resources. Efficient and effective services lead to satisfied users. In turn, this drives more users to the system that links to increased overall visibility of the organization on the Internet. This justifies the cost and payoff on the system. On the other hand, when users are not aware of the system and the system does not work for them, the users are put off and look for alternative service providers or other ways of getting information. Institutional repositories also known as digital libraries serve to provide services that support users in their tasks. This study investigates the usage of the digital resources and repository system in an academic institution of higher learning. The purpose The purpose of this research is to investigate the usage of the digital resources by the various user groups in the University of Nairobi with a specific focus on the digital repository. It analyses the usage of the digital repository from the user perspective of effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction, and awareness construct. Ultimately, it will find out the extent to which the users are utilizing the resources, barriers that exist and the options that exist to help increase usage.