Libraries for Tomorrow: The Use of ICT and Space Transformation in Some Academic Libraries in Ghana
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Date
2022
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Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine transformations in academic library spaces
in Ghana. A quantitative approach was adopted for this study. Data was
collected using Google Forms. A total of 98 librarians from five academic
libraries in Ghana, which represents less than 10% of all librarians in academic
libraries in Ghana, participated in the study. The data collected was analysed
using R4.0 programming software and is presented using charts and tables.
Eighty-one per cent (81%) of the participants agreed that their libraries were
moving from “book-centred” to “technology-supported and learning-centred”
libraries engineered by emerging technologies and the changing demand of
academic library users. It was found that the librarians in the study had moderate
to low skills in providing advanced technological support to users in creating,
capturing, editing, and sharing multimedia (video, audio, text, images) content
for their research, teaching, and learning purposes. The results from the
multinomial regression analysis with p values shows that the availability of
information technology (IT) facilities, their usability and the skills of librarians
were significant, revealing that they have effects on the levels of library space
transformation. The capabilities of librarians should be improved from
undertaking basic computing tasks to providing advanced support to their users.
Stakeholders and academic library management should encourage their young
librarians to further their education and engage in continuous professional
development programmes. Libraries should develop strategies to secure the necessary funding to integrate IT facilities. The study used quantitative methods
to study transformations in academic library spaces, a grey research area in
Ghana.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
information technologies, learning commons, digitisation, e-resources, academic libraries