Department of Information Studies

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Browsing Department of Information Studies by Subject "Academic libraries"

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    Conflict Management in Academic Libraries in Ghana: A Comparative Study of Sam Jonah, Osagyefo and John Kofi Borsah Libraries
    (University of Ghana, 2018-07) Koufie, C.
    Academic libraries, like any other organizations, are likely to encounter conflicts. This survey identified common, causes and types of conflicts encountered by Sam Jonah, Osagyefo and John Kofi Borsah Libraries and examined the conflicts management techniques employed in managing them. The sample for this study was made of two hundred and sixteen respondents selected from three academic libraries through the census sampling method. The study was a descriptive survey. A validated questionnaire and an interview guide were designed and administered to collect data on the occurrence of conflicts and conflicts management strategies. The data collected was analyzed using frequency counts and percentages and content thematic analysis. The findings revealed that the main sources of conflicts were sharing of limited library resources, different interpretation of an individual‟s roles or responsibilities, poor communication channels, lack of respect because of position or rank, resistance to change at workplace, refusal to perform workplace duty, unrealized expectations, pressure to finish work on time, few people taking decisions for the staff, performing duty alone or one man‟s work or “good face”, unclear lines of authority, territorial encroachments, interaction patterns, and lack of job experience by the supervisors. Again, the study revealed that the library management and the members of staff of the academic libraries most often employed avoidance, accommodation, collaboration, compromise and competition as conflict management strategies, though some strategies were more dominant in particular academic library. Based on the findings, it is recommended that academic libraries should give prompt attention to causes of conflicts and their management strategies.
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    Digital Reference Service in Academic Libraries: A Study of Selected Academic Libraries in Ghana
    (University of Ghana, 2018-07) Amofah-Serwaa, N.
    The deployment of technological innovation in libraries has been one of the underlying impetus for the use of Digital Reference Service (DRS) in academic libraries. DRS is where patrons employ Internet technology to communicate with librarians without being physically present. The purpose of the study is to examine the extent to which Digital Reference Services supports user needs in academic libraries in Ghana. The main objectives of the study were to investigate the level of awareness and use of DRS by librarians and library users training of librarians and users on DRS, the availability of infrastructure and technologies for DRS, and the challenges in the implementation and management of DRS. The mixed method design was used to gather data from three hundred and thirteen (313) respondents comprising three hundred (300) DRS users and thirteen (13) library professionals from the University of Ghana (Balme Library), the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Prempeh II Library) and the University of Cape Coast (Sam Jonah Library). The theoretical framework adopted for the study was the general digital reference model by Pomerantz, Nicholson, Belanger and Lankes (2004). Even though the original model concentrated on five components, this study expanded the model by integrating users, librarians and evaluation in DRS processes. The findings revealed that there is adequate infrastructure, technologies and training facilities and programs available to both DRS librarians and users. The findings of the study indicated that some of the librarians were aware of DRS yet they resisted being part of the service. It was recommended that users’ and librarians’ awareness must be increased to boost the number of DRS users, and to get more librarians on board to provide prompt responses to users. The study again suggested that libraries must develop policy and guidelines in the use of DRS as well as evaluation.