E-Resources: Efficiency & Utility |

ABSTRACT:

Today availability of e-resourcesin a university library is very common. But the proper and maximum use is a matter for discussion. Many researchstudies have focused on how people use electronic resources or on theirfeelings about electronic and print resources in the library in the lastseveral years.  These usage studies drawmany conclusions about the behavior and preferences of library users, althoughsometimes the conclusions are contradictory or unclear. This studies use avariety of research methods, including observation, surveys, interviews,experiments and transaction log analysis. Some surveys or interviews ask questions about preference, including howusers feel about the library or about specific media; others ask questions thatprovide information on user behavior. Observations, experiments, and logs also show what users do, but do not alwaysreveal preferences or motivations.  Eachof these methods allows different types of conclusions and it is only when theyare taken together that we can get a full picture of what users actuallydo,  what they would prefer and what theyare likely to do in the future. The findings confirm the importance ofe-resources to partner institutions, as they are used daily by staff in allareas of their work.  We also found thatthere are many areas of good practice and innovative use of these resources foradministrative, marketing and teaching and learning purposed.  There is also a considerable amount ofresearch based on the use of e-resources, particularly in the specialistcolleges.  Most institutions have eithera formalized e-learning leader; or all institutions offer staff training inthis area.  There are two areas ofe-resource use that are particularly well developed; firstly the use of socialnetworking sites (Facebook and Twitter) as well as the Youtube website, e.g.for marketing and as a learning and teaching aid.