i 
 
UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, LEGON 
DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES 
 
 
KNOWLEDGE AND USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA BY REFERENCE AND USER 
SERVICES LIBRARIANS IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN GHANA 
 
 
 
MICHAEL AHENKORAH-MARFO 
(10443374) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THIS THESIS IS SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, LEGON IN 
PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF MPHIL 
INFORMATION STUDIES DEGREE 
 
 
 
JULY 2015 
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DECLARATION 
I declare that this thesis is my own work and that all the sources I have used or quoted have 
been acknowledged by means of complete references. This thesis does not incorporate any 
material previously submitted for a degree or diploma in any university without 
acknowledgement. 
 
 
Michael Ahenkorah-Marfo            Date 
(Candidate)                                                                                                              
 
 
Supervisors: 
 
 
Prof. H. Akussah                                                                             Dr. E. Ankrah 
 
 
Date                  Date 
 
  
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DEDICATION 
This thesis would be incomplete without acknowledging the unwavering support and 
incessant prayers offered by my wife, Bernadette and my children Michael Jnr, Reginald, 
Kobby and Nhyira-Marie. They were a source of inspiration. My dearest friend, Kwabena 
Nti Sarpong Nyantakyi also offered encouragement throughout the course of this project. 
This thesis is dedicated to all these loving people. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
I owe a great deal of gratitude to my supervisors, Professor Harry Akussah and Dr. 
Ebenezer Ankrah. Their several pieces of advice and careful guidance were invaluable 
from the start to the finish of this thesis. 
Many thanks also go to those who accepted the invitation to participate in the research 
process-those who agreed to be interviewed and those who completed and returned 
questionnaire. But for their time and cooperation, this project would not have been 
possible. 
Special thanks to the entire faculty members of the Department of Information Studies, 
University of Ghana headed by Dr. (Mrs.) Perpetua Dadzie for their efforts, support and 
assistance, and also all course mates and colleagues who provided insightful information.  
Above all, I thank God for his sufficient grace throughout this project. 
Finally, I take full responsibility for all shortcomings, misinterpretation and weakness that 
may be identified in this work. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
DECLARATION .............................................................................................................................. i 
DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................. ii 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................ iii 
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................ iv 
LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................ viii 
LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................ ix 
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ......................................................................... x 
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... xii 
CHAPTER ONE .............................................................................................................................. 1 
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 1 
1.1 Background of the Study ....................................................................................................... 1 
1.1.1 Study Setting ................................................................................................................... 4 
1.2 Statement of the Problem ....................................................................................................... 6 
1.3 Purpose of the Study .............................................................................................................. 7 
1.4 Objectives of the Study .......................................................................................................... 7 
1.5 Research Questions ................................................................................................................ 7 
1.6 Scope of the Study ................................................................................................................. 8 
1.7 Theoretical Framework .......................................................................................................... 9 
1.7.1 Diffusion of Innovations Theory (DOI) .......................................................................... 9 
1.7.2 The Social Network Theory and the Diffusion of Innovation ...................................... 10 
1.7.3 Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) ........................................................................ 12 
1.8 Significance of the Study ..................................................................................................... 12 
1.9 Organization of the Study .................................................................................................... 13 
1.10 Chapter Summary .............................................................................................................. 14 
References .................................................................................................................................. 15 
CHAPTER TWO ........................................................................................................................... 19 
LITERATURE REVIEW .............................................................................................................. 19 
2.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 19 
2.2 Knowledge of Librarians in Social Media ........................................................................... 19 
2.2.1 Social Media Literacy ................................................................................................... 20 
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2.2.2 Level of Knowledge of the Librarian 2.0 ...................................................................... 22 
2.3 Adoption of Social Media in Libraries ................................................................................ 24 
2.3.1 Adoption of Social Media in Global Libraries .............................................................. 24 
2.3.2 Adoption of Social Media in Africa’s Libraries ........................................................... 25 
2.3.3 Adoption of Social Media in Ghana’s Libraries ........................................................... 27 
2.4 Types of Social Media used in Reference and User Services .............................................. 27 
2.4.1 Facebook ....................................................................................................................... 28 
2.4.2 Blogs, Microblogs and Wikis........................................................................................ 29 
2.4.3 Twitter ........................................................................................................................... 30 
2.4.4 Other Social Media Tools Used in Libraries................................................................. 32 
2.5 Perception of Social Media in Reference and User services ................................................ 34 
2.5.1 Perceived Benefits of Using Social Media Tools ......................................................... 36 
2.5.2 Traditional Methods versus Social Media..................................................................... 37 
2.6 Challenges Associated with Use of Social Media ............................................................... 38 
2.6.1 Lack of Awareness and Low Patronage ........................................................................ 38 
2.6.2 Bandwidth Problem and Unreliable Power Supply ...................................................... 39 
2.6.3 Technophobia and Fear of Losing Control over Resources .......................................... 40 
2.6.4 Lack of Training and Data on Effectiveness of Social Media Use ............................... 41 
2.6.5 Multiplicity of Social Media Tools and Other Attendant Challenges ........................... 41 
2.7 Chapter Summary ................................................................................................................ 43 
References .................................................................................................................................. 45 
CHAPTER THREE ....................................................................................................................... 51 
METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................................ 51 
3.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 51 
3.2 Research Design................................................................................................................... 51 
3.3 Selection of Cases ................................................................................................................ 53 
3.4 Selection of Subjects ............................................................................................................ 53 
3.4.1 Population ..................................................................................................................... 54 
3.4.2 Sample Size ................................................................................................................... 54 
3.4.3 Sampling Technique ..................................................................................................... 55 
3.5 Instrumentation .................................................................................................................... 55 
3.5.1 Quantitative Instrument................................................................................................. 55 
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3.5.2 Pre-testing of Questionnaire.......................................................................................... 56 
3.5.3 Qualitative Component ................................................................................................. 57 
3.6 Mode of Data Collection ...................................................................................................... 58 
3.7 Method of Data Analysis ..................................................................................................... 59 
3.8 Ethical Issues and Consideration ......................................................................................... 59 
3.9 Chapter Summary ................................................................................................................ 60 
References .................................................................................................................................. 61 
CHAPTER FOUR .......................................................................................................................... 63 
DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS .......................................................................................... 63 
4.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 63 
4.2 Quantitative Analysis and Findings ..................................................................................... 63 
4.2.1 Background Information and Response Rate ................................................................ 64 
4.2.2 Knowledge and Use of Social Media ............................................................................ 65 
4.2.2.1 Knowledge of Social Media ................................................................................... 65 
4.2.2.2 Knowledge of Social Media by Institution Status .................................................. 67 
4.2.2.2 Level of Knowledge of Social Media .................................................................... 68 
4.2.2.3 Source of Knowledge of Social Media .................................................................. 69 
4.2.2.4 Extent of Use of Social Media ............................................................................... 70 
4.2.3 Adoption of Social Media in Reference and User Services .......................................... 71 
4.2.3.1 Adoption Categories of Respondents ..................................................................... 72 
4.2.4 Support/Motivation from Libraries ............................................................................... 73 
4.2.5 Major Social Media Tools Used ................................................................................... 77 
4.2.5.1 Use of Social Media Tools by Type of Institution ................................................. 78 
4.2.5.2 Functions Performed with Social Media ................................................................ 85 
4.2.6 Perception of Social Media in Reference and User Services ........................................ 86 
4.2.6.1 Ease of Use of Social Media Platforms ................................................................. 88 
4.2.6.2 Usefulness of Social Media Tools ......................................................................... 89 
4.2.7 Challenges Associated with Use of Social Media......................................................... 91 
4.3 Qualitative Analysis and Findings ....................................................................................... 93 
4.3.1 Management of Social Media Platforms ....................................................................... 94 
4.3.2 The Role of Social Media in Reference and User Services .......................................... 96 
4.3.3 Policy on Use of Social Media ...................................................................................... 97 
4.3.4 Readiness of Libraries for Integration of Social Media ................................................ 98 
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4.3.5 Infrastructure and other challenges ............................................................................. 101 
4.4 Chapter Summary .............................................................................................................. 102 
References ................................................................................................................................ 103 
CHAPTER 5 ................................................................................................................................ 105 
DISCUSSION OF MAJOR FINDINGS ...................................................................................... 105 
5.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 105 
5.2 Knowledge and Use of Social Media ............................................................................. 106 
5.3 Adoption of Social Media in Reference and User Services ........................................... 107 
5.4 Support from Parent Libraries ........................................................................................ 107 
5.5 Types of Social Media Used in Reference and User Services ....................................... 108 
5.6 Perception on Social Media in Reference and User services ......................................... 111 
5.7 Challenges Associated with Use of Social Media.......................................................... 113 
5.8 Chapter summary ............................................................................................................... 115 
References ................................................................................................................................ 116 
CHAPTER SIX ............................................................................................................................ 119 
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................ 119 
6.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 119 
6.2 Summary of Findings ......................................................................................................... 119 
6.2.1 Knowledge of Social Media Tools .............................................................................. 119 
6.2.2 Extent of Adoption and Support for Use of social media ........................................... 120 
6.2.3 Major Social Media Platforms Used in Reference and User Services ........................ 120 
6.2.4 Perception of Social Media in Reference and User Services ...................................... 120 
6.2.5 Challenges Associated with Use of Social Media....................................................... 121 
6.3 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 121 
6.4 Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 122 
6.5 Suggestions for Future Research ....................................................................................... 125 
BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................ 126 
APPENDIX 1 ............................................................................................................................... 137 
APPENDIX 2 ............................................................................................................................... 147 
 
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LIST OF TABLES 
Table 3.1:       Ranking of Universities----------------------------------------------------------53 
Table 3.2: Population of Reference and User Services Librarians----------------------54 
Table 4.1: Knowledge of Social Media Concept------------------------------------------66 
Table 4.2: Knowledge of Social Media by Institution Status ---------------------------67 
Table 4.3: Support/Motivation from Libraries ---------------------- ---------------------74 
Table 4.4: Support from Libraries by Type of Institution -------------------------------76 
Table 4.5: Use of Social Media by Respondents -----------------------------------------77 
Table 4.6: Use of Facebook by Type of Institution---------------------------------------79 
Table 4.7: Use of Twitter by Type of Institution------------------------------------------80 
Table 4.8: Use of Blogs by Type of Institution -------------------------------------------81 
Table 4.9: Use of YouTube by Type of Institution ---------------------------------------82 
Table 4.10: Use of RSS by Type of Institution ---------------------------------------------83 
Table 4.11: Use of Delicious by Type of Institution ---------------------------------------84 
Table 4.12: Functions Performed with Social Media---------------------------------------85 
Table 4.13: Perception of Respondents on Use of Social Media-------------------------87 
Table 4.14: Level of usefulness of Social Media -------------------------------------------90 
Table 4.15: Ranking of Challenges-----------------------------------------------------------93  
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LIST OF FIGURES 
Figure 4.1: Level of Knowledge of Social Media-------------------------------------------68 
Figure 4.2: Sources of Knowledge of Social Media----------------------------------------69 
Figure 4.3: Extent of Use of Social Media --------------------------------------------------71 
Figure 4.4: Number of Years Respondents have used Social Media---------------------72 
Figure 4.5: Ease of Use of Social Media ----------------------------------------------------88 
Figure 4.6: Challenges of Using Social Media----------------------------------------------91 
  
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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS 
AAU  - Association of African Universities 
AUC  - Ashesi University College 
CARLIGH - Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Ghana 
DOI  - Diffusion of Innovations 
FREQ  -  Frequency 
GLA   Ghana Library Association 
GTUC  - Ghana Technology University College 
JISC  - Joint Information Systems Committee 
KNUST - Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology 
MIT  - Massachusetts Institute of Technology 
NAB  -  National Accreditation Board 
RSS  - Really Simple Syndication 
RUSA  - Reference and User Services Association 
RIN  - Research Information Network 
SDI  - Selective Dissemination of Information 
SNT  - Social Networking Theory 
SPSS  - Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 
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TAM  - Technology Acceptance Model 
UCC  - University of Cape Coast 
UG  - University of Ghana 
VVU  - Valley View University 
  
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ABSTRACT 
Trends in global information communication have necessitated that academic libraries, 
whether public or private, resort to the employment of web 2.0 technologies such as 
Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Wikis, RSS feeds, YouTube, etc. in their services. Indeed the 
knowledge and use of such platforms has become critical for the survival of academic 
libraries globally. For this reason, this research focused on investigating the knowledge 
and use of social media by reference and user services librarians. The main objectives were 
to determine the level of knowledge, extent of use, the major social media platforms used, 
as well as the perceptions librarians held about employment of social media in reference 
and user services.  
A mixed methods research approach employing Likert type questionnaire and interviews 
was used in soliciting the views of 105 librarians from UG, KNUST, UCC, AUC, VVU 
and GTUC on their knowledge and use of social media. The findings of the study indicate 
that majority of the librarians were knowledgeable and used social media for both personal 
and work-related purposes. They, however, lacked the skill needed to use the array of social 
media platforms available to make a difference in service delivery. As a result, though 
librarians had a very good perception of social media, they still found the traditional mode 
of service delivery more comfortable. 
Some of the challenges that bedeviled the practice of social media were lack of interest and 
skill on the part of librarians, low bandwidth and poor internet connectivity, and more 
importantly lack of policy to guide social media application in libraries. The study 
therefore, recommended re-training and re-orientation of librarians in the use of social 
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media by e-resources and reference departments, sensitization workshops by 
GLA/CARLIGH to whip up interest in librarians to use social media, and adoption of 
policy document to guide the practice of social media in libraries. 
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CHAPTER ONE 
INTRODUCTION 
1.1 Background of the Study 
Academic libraries with their mother institutions are integral part of the larger society. 
They operate within certain social norms but guided by their individual mandate, which 
generally has to do with connecting users with their information needs. Libraries cannot 
afford to remain static in delivering this mandate and are thus susceptible to changes that 
occur in the general society around them. Trends in global information communication 
have dramatically changed as a result of the ever changing digital landscape. The change 
has reached an extent that threatens the very survival of academic libraries, unless they 
respond positively to contemporary mode of information delivery. This is mainly because 
other knowledge and information facilitators have also emerged that have the tendencies 
to employ the emerging technologies to outclass librarians. Thus the earlier librarians 
responded to these evolutionary trends, the better their chances of remaining relevant in 
their own institutions.  
 
In the advanced countries like United Kingdom and United States of America, librarians 
have adopted what is referred to as Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs, wikis, Facebook, 
Twitter, RSS feeds, YouTube/Flickr, podcast and others that allow them to provide 
improved services. Mavodza (2010) points out that “the use of Web 2.0 technologies in 
libraries means personalization of information service as users choose what they want and 
get the opportunity to participate or collaborate in information flow." This also, according 
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to Williams et al., (2004) encourages recreation of content and sharing of information and 
knowledge. The response of academic librarians in Africa to this evolution in global 
information provision is keen to their survival in universities and colleges, and need to be 
looked at with all seriousness. Such a response is even more critical for reference and user 
services librarians.  
 
Reference and user services, severally called information service, customer service, 
research service, help desk or any other popular name (Tyckoson, 2011) is central to 
academic work in universities globally. RUSA (2003) defines reference and user services 
librarians as “librarians who assist, advise and instruct users to access all forms of recorded 
knowledge.”  The assistance, advice, and instruction include both direct and indirect 
service to patrons. These librarians link users to information sources, and by the nature 
of their work, they believe that access to information is a human right.  They would, 
therefore, do all within their professional capabilities to ensure that users are connected 
with the information they need. In addition to helping users to find their information need, 
they also teach them to become self-sufficient library users. Traditionally, they employed 
face-to-face conversation with users. Of late, the service environment increasingly 
demands digital reference service both synchronous and asynchronous. Digital reference 
service for remote users earlier employed email, fax, chat, and instant messaging (Bopp & 
Smith, 2011). The digital landscape has changed so rapidly that it has become necessary to 
employ other alternatives such as social media. Social media evolved from web 2.0, a term 
Abram (2005) characterizes by open communication, participation, collaboration, and 
content creation. Web 2.0 was first defined by Tim O’Reilly and Dale Doherty in 2005 
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(O’Reilly, 2005). Since then, Web 2.0 has become the platform on which social media is 
based.  
 
JISC (2010) defines social media as “innovative online tools designed to enhance 
communication and collaboration” In simpler terms, it is media for social interaction 
whose content is consumer-generated and highly interactive. Social media consists of 
innovative online tools designed to enhance communication and collaboration. The term 
social media “encompasses any internet-based or mobile application which operates for 
the purpose of collaboration, where participants can connect, create, comment, view, 
share, rate, discover, profile and exchange user-generated content” (Bradley & 
McDonald, 2011; Hanna, Rohm, & Crittenden, 2011; Rheingold, 2002). According to 
Dagan and Hogan (2013), social media is a revolution that started in the late 1990s and 
keeps growing, and that librarians can take advantage of social media to provide dynamic 
services.  Social media is also synonymous with social networking, a term that can be 
defined as the creation of profile with the purpose of building a personal network to connect 
with others (Lenhart & Madden, 2007). According to Kaplan & Haenlein (2010), social 
networking is always mentioned in conjunction with social media. 
 
There are many types of social media. The most popular ones with respect to libraries 
according to Xie and Stevenson (2014) are Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, RSS feeds, YouTube, 
and wikis. Interactivity is the trump card of social media and according to Zabel (2011) 
one of the best ways of making a library popular is to make it interactive. This way, a 
library will be able to mingle with its users and help them in every way possible.  
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In terms of specific library and information service functions, social media provides useful 
additional platforms. For example, information discovery and access can be facilitated 
through the use of social book-marking and blogging, instruction and related activities can 
benefit greatly through the inclusion of YouTube videos and podcasts. News and current 
awareness services have greater immediacy and reach when relayed by library Twitter 
accounts and blogs. There is the need, therefore, for academic libraries whether public or 
private, to integrate social media in their services. 
 
1.1.1 Study Setting 
The study was situated in the public and private university setting in Ghana, where 
ownership of universities was the prerogative of the state until 1979. Three of the private 
universities and three of the public universities were selected for this study based on their 
ranking. The universities include University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of 
Science and Technology, University of Cape Coast, Valley View University, Ashesi 
University College and Ghana Technology University College. In Ghana, public 
universities are typically run under the supervision of the state or government. They are 
funded either in part or in full by tax payer’s money and they enjoy subsidies from state 
and other public institutions. There are currently about nine national public universities in 
Ghana (NAB, 2014). The premier of the public universities, University of Ghana was 
established in 1948. This was followed by Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & 
Technology in 1951 and the University of Cape Coast in 1961. The University for 
Professional Studies was established in 1965, University of Education, Winneba and 
University for Development Studies were both established in 1992, and the University of 
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Mines and Technology was founded in 2001. Quite recently in 2011, the University of 
Health and Allied Sciences was established and a year later in 2012, the University of 
Energy and Natural Resources. The public universities offer bachelor, masters, and 
doctoral programmes, and have a combined student population of about 100,000. 
Private universities on the other hand are run by private organizations, individuals and 
corporate as well as religious bodies. Until the late 1970’s, Ghana had no record of private 
university establishment. The first private university college and currently Ghana’s only 
full-fledged private university, Valley View University was founded in 1979. Since then, 
Ghana has seen the establishment of several university colleges about 37 of which are 
accredited by the National Accreditation Board. 
  
Academic libraries are the heart of academic work in universities. They facilitate access to 
all forms of recorded knowledge on the various curricula run by universities. Traditionally, 
all interactions between librarians and users were carried out within the confines of the 
library building. Escalating enrolment figures, distance learning exploits, and mobile 
agility of students have necessitated that academic libraries employ new trends in 
information delivery in order to meet the information needs of their patrons. The public 
and the private universities under this study have strong ICT infrastructural base. Their 
libraries have access to the internet and they all participate in CARLIGH which enables 
them to facilitate access to online resources for their numerous users. 
  
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1.2 Statement of the Problem 
Social media has gained popularity among people from diverse cultural and institutional 
backgrounds and the academic library is not an exception. The literature reveals that 
libraries generally and reference services in particular have a lot to do with social media 
(Bell, 2007). Reference and user services librarians who do not appreciate the importance 
of social media in their services are likely to encounter problems in providing access to 
information for their users everywhere.  
 
In several university libraries internationally, social media has been adopted not only for 
communication but also for collaboration in research. Notable libraries that have employed 
social media in their services include Cambridge University in Britain, Yale Science 
University, Adelphi University, Carnegie Mellon University libraries in the United States 
of America, and Norwegian University of Science & Technology in Norway. Ohio 
University for instance has created Biz wiki subject guide with links to business resources 
and this allows collaboration between academic librarians and students.   
 
Though the use of social media in academic libraries has been studied, very little is found 
in literature that focused on use of social media by reference and user services librarians 
who are the target for this study. Neither has any in-depth analysis been made on the impact 
of social media on reference and user services, especially in Ghana.  Again most of the 
studies on the application of social media available in the literature have been done 
employing quantitative approach (Dickson & Holley, 2010; Ayiah & Kumah, 2011). In 
most of these studies, researchers suggested the need for qualitative studies to provide 
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richer information that will lead to in-depth analysis and more revealing findings. This 
study sought to fill these gaps. 
 
1.3 Purpose of the Study 
The purpose of the study was to investigate the knowledge and use of social media by 
reference and user services librarians in selected Ghana’s public and private universities. 
1.4 Objectives of the Study 
The study specifically sought to do the following: 
1. To determine the level of knowledge of librarians in the use of social media; 
2. To find out the extent of adoption of social media in academic libraries; 
3. To examine the level of support offered by parent libraries; 
4. To find out the types of social media platforms that are used;  
5. The find out the perception of social media use in reference and user services; 
6.  To identify the challenges associated with the use of social media in reference and 
user services; and 
7. To make recommendations to improve on the use of social media. 
1.5 Research Questions 
The specific questions that needed to be answered in order to address the research problem 
included the following: 
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1. What is the level of knowledge of reference and user services librarians in the use 
of social media? 
2. To what extent have academic libraries in Ghana adopted social media? 
3. What is the level of support/motivation from libraries on the use of social media? 
4. What types of social media platforms have been integrated in reference and user 
services? 
5.  What is the perception of librarians on social media use in reference and user 
services? 
6. What are the challenges encountered in the employment of social media in 
reference and user services? 
7. What is needed by librarians in order to improve the use of social media in reference 
and user services? 
 
1.6 Scope of the Study 
The study was limited to reference and user services librarians in the six selected public 
and private universities in Ghana. They included all professional and paraprofessional 
library staff in University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and 
Technology, University of Cape Coast, Valley View University, Ashesi University College 
and Ghana Technology University College, with the exception of those in the technical 
services departments. This was because they were deeply involved in assistance, advice 
and instruction. The study was also limited to social media tools such as Facebook, Blogs, 
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Twitter, Delicious, YouTube, and RSS. This was because a cursory observation of the 
activities of the academic libraries in Ghana and information gathered from the literature 
indicated that they were the most popular with library users. 
 
1.7 Theoretical Framework 
According to Creswell (2012), theoretical framework can be defined as a collection of 
theories or models from the literature which underpins research. It is a fundamental part of 
of research as it explains the research questions or hypotheses. He continues that theories 
provide an explanation for behaviours and attitudes, and are also used to explain cause and 
effect. The study of social media is an emerging one and lacks one coherent and 
methodological approach. Various researchers have resorted to some theoretical concepts 
on adoption of new technologies. Among these, the integration of the following were 
adopted for the study: 
 Diffusion of Innovations Theory (DOI); 
 The Social Network Theory (SNT); and 
 Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). 
 
1.7.1 Diffusion of Innovations Theory (DOI) 
According to Roger’s (2005) Diffusion of Innovations Theory, “the adoption of 
innovations [like social media] does not happen simultaneously in a social system.” While 
some may be on board early, others may catch it late. The theory establishes five adopter 
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categories namely, innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards. 
This however, does not happen by chance.  Some factors influence the adoption of 
innovation and the extent to which these factors influence adopters put them in various 
adopter categories. The factors include: 
 The degree to which an innovation is seen as better than the idea, program or 
product it seeks to replace or support 
 How consistent the innovation is with the values, experiences, and needs of the 
potential adopters 
 The extent to which the innovation can be tested or experimented with before a 
commitment to adopt is made 
 The extent to which the innovation provides tangible results 
 How difficult the innovation is to understand and/or use 
The adoption, perception, types of platforms used, relative importance of social media and 
the challenges associated with the use of social media were analyzed based on the theory 
to determine which categories reference and user services librarians in Ghana’s libraries 
belong. 
 
1.7.2 The Social Network Theory and the Diffusion of Innovation 
The diffusion theory centers on four main elements. These include the innovation, 
communication of the innovation, the time span over which the innovation is adopted, and 
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the members of the social system, who are considered as adopters. Clearly from the theory, 
the adoption or rejection is hinged on the decision or the behaviour intentions of individuals 
(Valente, 2006), and their organization has very little to do with it. This is mainly so 
because the diffusion theory has individuals as subject of analysis (Rogers, 2005).  
Vanywnsberghe et al., (2014) are, therefore, right when they question the applicability of 
the diffusion theory to an organization such as the library.  In order to take care of this, 
Rogers suggests a social network approach to the diffusion of innovation theory, where 
diffusion focuses on the interaction and exchange of resources between individuals and not 
just the behaviour intentions of the individuals. 
 
Frank, Zaho and Borman (2004) also extend the social network approach to social process 
approach to take care of the role played by organizations such as the library to influence 
the adoption or rejection of innovations like social media. Two main roles are identified; 
"social pressure and informal help". Social pressure is characterized by the provision of 
knowledge, social and psychological rewards as well as access to resources, training in the 
use of social media tools, and other incentives. This is to help individual members of the 
organization to adopt or reject an innovation in order to achieve a common goal. The other 
leg of the social process, according to Gallivan, Spitler and Koufaris (2005) is the valuable 
help that comes from the informal social interaction among workers of the organization.  
The social pressure and the informal help have been combined by social media theorists 
such as Korupp and Szydlik (2005) as social capital theory, and has been used to support 
research on the adoption of information and communication technology. Hence it was 
adopted in this study. 
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1.7.3 Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) 
Earlier in the background, it was indicated that social media is an online technology. Thus 
incorporating social media in one’s work is akin to accepting to use a new technology. The 
technology acceptance model theorizes that “the behavior intention to use a system is 
determined by two beliefs, namely: 
 Perceived usefulness, that is the extent to which a person believes that using a 
system will enhance his job performance 
 Perceived ease of use, defined as the extent to which a person believes that using a 
system will be free of effort” (Venkatesh & Davis, 2000). 
The theory also adds that perceived usefulness is influenced by perceived ease of use. 
Guided by the theory, the research also aimed at establishing how perceived usefulness and 
ease of use influenced the use of social media in reference and user services.  
 
1.8 Significance of the Study 
It is anticipated that academic libraries in Ghana would find the findings of the study useful 
in planning for improved library services. Libraries in general would also find the results 
of the study useful in developing policy guidelines for the use of social media in libraries. 
In addition, the findings would help change the perspectives of reference and user services 
librarians about the nature of reference work.  Beyond these, higher education policy 
makers in Ghana and elsewhere would find the results useful in decisions on the types of 
social media platforms to use in universities and colleges.  Policy makers are additionally 
expected to find the results useful in the planning and delivery of resources to academic 
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libraries in Ghana. Finally, the study was intended to add to the body of knowledge in the 
field of social media. 
 
1.9 Organization of the Study  
The report was structured into six (6) chapters.  
Chapter One is the introduction and captures the background of the study. It gives a general 
background and continues by defining the problem and providing the study setting. The 
research objectives and questions are also outlined. The purpose of the research, the 
theoretical framework underpinning the research, and the significance are also outlined in 
this chapter.  
Chapter Two is the review of the literature of closely related studies.  
Chapter Three explains the research plans and methods. It focuses on the methodology that 
was adopted for the study.  
Chapter Four presents the analysis of data and findings of the study. 
Chapter Five is the discussion of the major findings. 
Chapter Six comprises the summary of findings, conclusion, and recommendations made 
from the findings of the study.  
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1.10 Chapter Summary 
In chapter one, the background of the study was given, clearly defining the research 
problem and subsequently outlining the research questions and objectives. The study 
setting and the importance of the research were also established. 
  
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Abram, S. (2005). Web 2.0-Huh?! Library 2.0, Librarian 2.0. Information Outlook, 9(12), 
44. 
        
Ayiah, E. M., & Kumah, C. H. (2011). Social networking: A tool to use for effective service 
delivery to clients by African libraries. Proceedings of IFLA Conference, 13 – 18 
August, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Available at: http/conference.ifla.org/ifla77 
[Accessed: 10/12/2014] 
 
Bell, S. (2007). Building better academic libraries with web 2.0 technology tools.    Library 
Issues, 28(2), 1-4. 
 
Bopp, R. E., & Smith, L. C. (Eds.) (2011). Reference and information services: An 
introduction, 4th ed. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO 
 
Bradley, A., & MacDonald, M. (2011). The social organization. Boston, Massachusetts: 
Harvard Business Review Press. 
 
Cook, T., & Hopkins, L. (2006). Social media or “how I learned worrying and love 
communication”: An introduction to the power of Web 2.0. Available at: http: 
www.leehopkins.net/2006/10/30/social-media-for-business-101-free-white-paper/ 
[Accessed: 10/12/2014] 
 
Creswell, J. W. (2012). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods,    
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. 
 
Dagan, A., & Hogan, L. (2013). Reference services and social networking – being on the 
cutting edge of engagement. Available at: 
www.slidesshare.net/Ancientties/reference-services-social-networking-25697714 
[Accessed: 10/12/2014] 
 
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Dickson, A., & Holley, R.P. (2010). Social networking in academic libraries: The 
possibilities and the concerns. New Library World, 111 (11/12), 468-479 DOI: 
10.1108/0307480/011094840 
 
Frank, K. A., Zhao, Y. & Borman, K. (2004). Social capital and the diffusion of innovation 
within an organization: The case of computer technology in schools. Sociology of 
Education, 77(2), 148-171. 
 
Gallivan, M. J., Spitler, V. K., & Koufaris, M. (2005). Does information technology really 
matter? A social information processing analysis of coworkers’ influence on IT 
usage in the work place. Journal of Management Information Systems, 22(1), 153-
192. 
 
Ghana National Accreditation Board (2014). Public universities. Available at: 
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Hanna, R., Rohm, A., & Crittenden, V. L. (2011). We’re all connected: The power of social 
media ecosystem. Business Horizons, 54(3), 265-273.  Doi: 
10.1016/j.bushor.2011.01.007   
 
JISC (2010). Activity by topic: Web 2. 0 Available at 
www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/topics/web2.0.aspx   [Accessed: 10/12/2014] 
 
Kaplan, A., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and 
opportunities of social media. Business Horizons, 52(1), 59-68. 
 
Korupp, S. E. & Szydlik, M. (2005). Causes and trends of the digital divide. European 
Sociological Review, 21(4), 409-422. 
 
Lenhart, A., & Madden, M. (2007). Social networking websites and teens: An overview. 
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websites-and-teens.asp   [Accessed: 10/12/2014] 
 
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Mavodza, J. (2010). Knowledge management practices and role of an academic library in 
a changing information environment. The case of the Metropolitan College of 
New York: (PhD thesis), University of South Africa. 
 
O’Reilly, T. (2005). What is Web 2.0: Design patterns and business models for the next 
generation of software?  Available at: 
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2.0.html?page=1 [Accessed: 10/12/2014] 
 
Rheingold, H. (2002). Smart mobs: The next social revolution. Cambridge, Massachusetts: 
Perseus Publishing 
 
Rogers, E. M. (2005). Diffusion of innovations, 5th ed., New York: Free Press 
 
RUSA Task Force. (2003). Professional competencies for Reference & User Services 
Librarians. Available at: www.ala.org/rusa/resources/guides/professional   
[Accessed: 10/12/2014] 
 
Tyckoson, D. A. (2011). History and functions of reference service, in Bopp and Smith 
(Eds.), Reference and information services: An introduction, 4th ed. Santa Barbara, 
CA: ABC-CLIO, p3. 
 
Vanywnsberghe, H., Bouldry, E., Vanderlinde, R., & Verdegem, P. (2014). Experts as 
facilitators for the implementation of social media in library? A social network 
approach. Library Hi Tech, 32(3), 529-545 
 
Venkatesh V., & Davis, F. D. (2000). Final version of Technology Acceptance Model 
(TAM). Management Science, 46(2), 186-204. 
 
Williams, A., Guise, N., Koonce, T., Kou, Q., & Guise, D. (2004). Using knowledge 
management practices to develop a state-of-the-art digital library. Medical 
Information, 11(1), 99-103.  
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Xie, I., & Stevenson, J. (2014). Social media application in digital libraries. Online        
Information Review, 38(4), 502-523. 
 
Zabel, D. (Ed.) (2011). Reference reborn: Breathing new life into public services 
librarianship.     Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited. 
 
  
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CHAPTER TWO 
LITERATURE REVIEW 
2.1 Introduction 
Review of the literature offers a researcher the opportunity to explore the results of other 
studies that are largely related to the study being undertaken. According to Creswell (2012), 
the literature relates a current study to the larger ongoing dialogue in the literature about a 
topic, filling in gaps and extending prior studies. A research is supposed to add to existing 
knowledge. It would therefore be difficult, if not impossible to do a research without 
reference to other scholars. Literature on the world, African, and Ghanaian views of the 
use of social media in reference and user services in libraries was reviewed. The literature 
was reviewed along the following subheadings: 
 Knowledge of librarians in social media; 
 Adoption of social media in academic libraries; 
 Major social media platforms used in reference and user services; 
 Perception of social media use in reference and user services; and 
 Challenges associated with the use of social media in reference service. 
 
2.2 Knowledge of Librarians in Social Media 
Social media is an emerging field of study. Limited study has been conducted on the 
knowledge of librarians in social media. A study by Chu & Du (2013) indicates that 71.1% 
of librarians in the UK were knowledgeable in social media and used it in their work while 
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13.1 percent planned to use it in the future.  Choi’s (2012) study also indicate that 92% of 
academic librarians in Australia were knowledgeable in social media, and were prepared 
to engage users with it. Olajide and Oyenira’s (2014) study revealed that Nigerian 
librarians were knowledgeable in the use of social media but that most of them used social 
media for personal instead of library services. According to Hendrix et al., (2009), most 
librarians are knowledgeable in social media tools and they use them in pushing out 
announcement, marketing their libraries, posting photos, providing chat reference and 
establishing presence in social networks. Among the social media tools that librarians are 
knowledgeable in include Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, YouTube, Wikis, and RSS. These 
empirical findings suggest that knowledge in social media is keen to practice of social 
media in libraries. 
 
2.2.1 Social Media Literacy 
Kaplan and Haenlin (2010) classify social media into six categories. These are 
collaborative projects, blogs and microblogs, content communities, social networking sites, 
virtual game worlds, and virtual social worlds. The unifying term for these categories is 
web 2.0, a term that is characterized as being “user-centered, open, participatory, 
interactive and knowledge sharing” (Gu & Widen-Wulff, 2011). Due to its ability to 
support collaborative creation and dissemination, social media has become the toast of 
students, academics and other researchers who constitute the patrons of the library. 
Currently, social media is also purported to be used at almost all stages of the research 
process – from definition of problem to dissemination of results (RIN, 2010). Some level 
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of social media literacy is, therefore, needed by today’s reference and user services 
librarian. 
 
“Social media literacy is defined as the practical and critically cognitive competencies 
possessed by users of social media as well as the motivation to employ these media 
effectively and appropriately for social interaction and communication on the web” 
(Vanywnsberghe & Verdegem, 2013). The competencies of academic librarians in the use 
of social media has not been well established.  Anttiroiko & Savolainen (2011) state that 
although there seems to be much literature on the use of social media in libraries, the actual 
application of social media can be said to be in its infancy.  This could be the reason most 
of the literature available is on potential use of social media in libraries and competencies 
required of librarians to use social media (Huvila et al., 2013).  While it is a positive 
development for researchers to use of social media, it is equally prudent for reference 
librarians to employ the use of social media. This is mainly because librarians are the ones 
that help facilitate access to information needed by most researchers. Can this however, be 
said of academic librarians? 
 
As the world around the library evolves at a rapid rate and patrons of the library become 
more and more technologically informed, innovative ways need to be explored to meet the 
ever changing needs of the sophisticated users. In the face of this evolution, Loo et al., 
(2014) maintain that reference and user services librarians’ central mandate remains 
unchanged, that is, “connecting information seekers and information sources together”. 
They only need social media literacy and this can be obtained through continuing 
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professional development designed to train librarians in the use of new technologies and 
innovations.  In 2013 for instance, the National Library Board and the Institute of Public 
Administration and Management (Singapore), knowing that social media has become a 
way of life for many today, organized a workshop for librarians on the following topics: 
 Writing and communicating in social media; 
 Harnessing the potential of new media communication; 
 Increasing traffic to your website; 
 Facebook for effective communication and engagement (Loo et al., 2014). 
There is no doubt such conferences and workshops equip reference and user services 
librarians with knowledge of social media.  
 
2.2.2 Level of Knowledge of the Librarian 2.0 
Earlier, web 2.0 was defined to characterize activities that enable content creation, 
participation, collaboration, communication, and sharing.  According to Kroski (2007), the 
evolution of social networking tools in libraries is traced to the emergence of web 2.0.  As 
social media became more and more popular, academic libraries and other types of libraries 
also joined in order to promote their services and this led to what is commonly referred to 
as Library 2.0 (Dickson & Holley, 2010). Thus, library 2.0 is a product of web 2.0, and 
librarian 2.0 a by-product of web 2.0. Waiske (2011) simply describes librarian 2.0 as “a 
new brand name for a master of information age who strives to understand the power of 
the social media opportunities and not only practices it but is also able to connect users to 
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expert discussions, conversations, and participation”. In his view, “successful librarians in 
social media environment need to be aware of this emerging technology, understand the 
social paradigm and information contexts that are emerging within web 2.0, and play active 
role in facilitating online resources made available from social media.” 
 
O’Dell (2010) posits that the librarian’s knowledge of social media has given a boost to 
outreach capabilities of academic libraries. According to O’Dell, though library outreach 
programs cannot be said to be innovation, the approaches introduced by the use of social 
media tools like Facebook, Twitter, online video (YouTube), RSS feeds, etc. have brought 
a lot of innovations and enhanced services not only to students but also academics, 
especially those who cannot be physically present in libraries to access services. The 
reference librarian’s knowledge of social media, therefore, needs to be constantly known 
and steps taken to upgrade it. 
 
In a study to determine the levels of knowledge of social media among Nigerian librarians, 
Olajide & Oyenira (2014) reveal that about 90% of respondents were highly 
knowledgeable in the use of social media, and that majority of them acquired their 
knowledge of social media from professional workshops. While this revelation is a positive 
development and quite refreshing, the same study reveals that though librarians were quite 
knowledgeable in the use of social media tools they employed them mostly for personal 
communication among friends and acquaintances instead of official library work. This 
revelation is a worrying one that needs to be studied further. 
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2.3 Adoption of Social Media in Libraries 
Only few academic libraries had adopted social media by 2009 (Xu, Ouyang & Chu, 2009). 
The number, however, kept increasing. Mahmood and Richardson’s (2011) study reveals 
that Facebook and Twitter had become very popular with academic libraries only two years 
later. The only worrying situation according to that study is students’ attitude. Students 
thought that social media was for only communicating among friends.  
 
2.3.1 Adoption of Social Media in Global Libraries 
It is interesting to note that earlier studies in the United States suggest that library services 
had no business dealing with social media (De Rosa et al., 2007). Directors of libraries, 
librarians, and sponsors thought that social media as an innovation was not consistent with 
services of the library and did not see the need to engage in their use. Social media was 
thought to be unsuitable at this stage for reference and user services and could not be used 
to replace or even augment the traditional face-to-face reference services. Later, however, 
the possibility of using social networking sites in libraries were demonstrated by the use of 
Facebook and Myspace (Chu & Nalani-Meulemans, 2008) as many librarians were 
identified online and reached by patrons for synchronous services. This ensured that 
patrons, especially remote users did not have to travel distances to access information from 
the premises of the library as it used to be in the past. This way, social media attempted to 
give the fullest meaning to automation in libraries. For what would be the essence of 
reducing the staff intervention in check in/check out when patrons cannot do it in remote 
places using the social media sites linked the library’s website? 
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The adoption of social media technologies has changed the librarian-patron relationship 
dramatically. O’Rielly (2005) who coined social media as web 2.0 technologies states that 
social media “involves services, not packaged software, with cost effective stability, 
control over unique, hard to recreate data sources that get richer as more people use them, 
trusting users as co-developers; harnessing collective intelligence; leveraging the long tail 
through customer self-service……….” Users are allowed to participate in library services 
and not just be served. Bosque, Leif and Skarl (2012) indicate that users participate in 
library cataloguing through folksonomy, and also make comments on books and nature of 
services through blogging.  While the literature reveals that social media has actually been 
adopted in library services of many universities in the advanced countries, it is interesting 
to note that the same could be written of libraries in Africa. 
 
2.3.2 Adoption of Social Media in Africa’s Libraries 
The practice, requirements and expectation of academic libraries are similar globally. They 
facilitate the information needs of their patrons including faculty, students, and other 
researchers. Academic libraries in Africa are, therefore, expected like their counterparts in 
the developed world, to respond to the needs of their patrons by employing efficient and 
interactive social media technologies. This will ensure that today’s patrons of academic 
libraries in Africa can also participate in the services of the library and not just be served. 
 
The literature on the adoption of social media in Africa’s academic libraries, however, 
indicates a gap between the African situation and that of the rest of the world. While social 
networking sites have been employed to deliver effective and efficient reference and user 
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services to clients in most international university libraries, collaborate and connect 
librarians to users, the same cannot be said of many academic libraries in Africa. Earlier 
study by Ayiah and Kumah (2011) reveals that quite a number of the 180 universities from 
30 countries then making the AAU did not have social media sites.  There is, however, a 
phenomenal growth in the adoption of social media in reference and user services currently. 
Information gathered from the websites of African universities indicate that South Africa’s 
universities such as University of Pretoria, University of South Africa, and University of 
Witwatersrand are among the leaders in the use of social media.  
  
Mutula (2011) reports that “the most popular social media in Kenya’s libraries is Facebook, 
followed by Twitter, RSS, SlideShare, YouTube, Flickr, and blogs in that order”.  He 
continues that some academic libraries [and their librarians] have social media accounts 
but they are dormant.  This is mainly because they do not perceive social media to be a 
very important tool in reference and other user services.  Some of the services rendered 
with social media include easy updating of information and services to users (Johnson, 
2001), enhanced interaction between users and librarians, empowering users to contribute 
library content, and allowing users to participate in management of libraries through 
suggestions (Mutula, 2011).  
 
African librarians need to embrace social media in reference and user services. This is 
because it offers a level platform for sharing resources among academics, librarians, 
students and other patrons. It is important to find out if librarians in the academic libraries 
in Ghana are also typical of the African situation. 
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2.3.3 Adoption of Social Media in Ghana’s Libraries  
Currently in Ghana the use of social media in reference and user services is gradually 
catching up with librarians in academic universities. Observation of the websites of 
universities in Ghana indicate that quite a number of universities, including those under 
this study and their libraries are linked to at least two social networking sites. Whether they 
are accessed by the patrons remain another matter for investigation. It is, however, an 
improvement on Ayiah and Kumah’s earlier study which revealed that no social 
networking site was linked to any of the webpages of the academic libraries in Ghana. It is 
imperative for librarians to build on the new positive development with respect to adoption 
of social media in reference and user services. 
 
2.4 Types of Social Media used in Reference and User Services 
There are basically six types of social media. These are; Social Networks, Bookmarking, 
Social News, Media Sharing, Microblogging, and Blog Comments and Forums. The social 
media examples under the study can be categorized under the various types as follows: 
 Social Networks- Facebook, YouTube 
 Bookmarking - Delicious 
 Social News - RSS 
 Microblogging -Twitter 
 Blog Comments and Forums -Blogs 
Dickson and Holley (2010), studying social media in academic libraries observe that 
Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Second Life, Delicious, Blogs and wikis are but some of the 
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most used social networking tools in the library. The most used according to the same study 
is Facebook which has been found to capture about 85 percent market share of college 
students globally, and especially in the Unites States. 
 
2.4.1 Facebook 
Primarily, Facebook is used to support outreach programs of the library. It is used to market 
the library, advertise hours, location and website. Farkas (2007) as reported in Dickson and 
Holley (2010), states that by linking Facebook to the library’s webpage all the available 
resources at the library can be marketed. More importantly, Farkas reveals that libraries 
can embed subject guides within Facebook pages so as to provide reference services such 
as “ask a librarian’, ‘chat’ and instant messaging. A typical example is what is found at the 
Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library of the University of Michigan where a Facebook page 
incorporates a catalogue search function, ask-a-librarian, lib guides, a world cat search and 
links to all essential library webpages (Dickson Holley, 2010). Within Facebook a user has 
access to all available services in the library web page.  Through Facebook, librarians are 
able to interact with patrons in order to know their information needs and help them meet 
the needs. Facebook can also forge collaboration among librarians, helping to know one 
another better. 
 
Research has revealed that Facebook in particular is engaging to students and according to 
Graham (2009), Facebook had been used to facilitate the development of professional 
relationships in and beyond libraries. 
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2.4.2 Blogs, Microblogs and Wikis 
Blogs consist of web pages with user supplied content in chronological order (Boxen, 
2008). Romero (2011) observes that blogs offer varied types of information exchange. 
They include recommendations of books, activities of a library, news bulletins, cultural 
activities, notices of workshops, and many others. He continues that blogs can be used to 
market activities and services rendered with other social media platforms such as Twitter, 
Facebook, Flickr, Delicious and chat.  Blogs allow librarians to post messages, share 
information on particular subjects or issues and expect instant reaction from patrons. Blogs 
allow users to provide feedback on the information they are served with. They are mostly 
used to create subject guides. This is suitably so because they allow frequent updates to 
reflect the most current sources of information in a particular subject area.  College students 
would usually want to create their own blogs so they are very popular with blogging. 
Libraries can therefore take advantage of blogging to improve on service to student users. 
  
Microblogging presents a newer blogging option as a platform for social interaction. The 
difference between blogging and microblogging is that while blogs allow librarians to 
contribute content like articles, news on topical issues, and expect instant reaction from 
users, microblogging limits users to short messages in not more than 140 characters. Wiki 
is a free online encyclopedia that gives a background knowledge and definition of concepts. 
It offers a platform for users to access, edit and contribute to content (Fernandez, 2009).  A 
study of wiki use among academic librarians shows wikis are rather more open to the public 
than blogs and microblogging tools. Librarians have an option to control this exclusiveness 
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by using private settings to indicate who to read and edit wikis. Xu and Chu (2009) indicate 
that 50 percent of wikis using such options are created by librarians. 
 
According to Kroski (2007), wikis are used by academic librarians to create collaborative 
subject guides. That is, “subject wikis can be created with links to resources on chosen 
topics, including information on databases and also on search tips”. Wiki-based subject 
guides allow effective collaboration among academic librarians and users, including 
students and faculty. A typical example of subject wikis is the Bis wiki of business 
resources of Ohio University.  
                                                                                                                                 
2.4.3 Twitter 
In the library environment Twitter utilizes microblogging application to interact with 
patrons. Staff as well as patrons can be kept updated on the library’s activities, new 
additions, databases, etc. Users may take advantage of this to send short messages for 
requests and receive instant responses. Bosque, Leif and Skarl (2012) posit that there are 
many features that make Twitter suitable and probably preferred to use in libraries. One 
such feature is that Twitter is free and thus eliminates cost implications for use. Again 
because Twitter utilizes microblogging, staff time involved is minimal. Moreover, because 
many patrons use Twitter, it is easy to forge connections with them using Twitter. 
 
Kim and Abass (2010) observe that though Twitter is relatively young, it has become one 
of the most innovative ways for libraries to reach their patrons and that librarians at Yale 
University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology make use of Twitter to link online 
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archives, provide short announcement on workshops, notices on classes/instructions, study 
group information, and other posts. Thomas (2010) also notes that libraries have already 
harnessed the use of Twitter in customer service and other external communications. 
Steiner (2009) observes that because it puts no restrictions on profile setting, libraries have 
taken advantage of Twitter as an outreach communication tool. Bosque, Leif and Skarl 
(2012) state that all types of libraries have embraced Twitter. While public libraries use 
Twitter to announce changes in hours, publicize teen events and upcoming programmes 
academic libraries tweet about service issues including answering users requests and 
sharing information with users both within and outside institutions. Fields (2010) provides 
accounts of the use of Twitter among reference staff of Koerner Library and the Humanities 
and Social Sciences Library at the University of British Columbia, and states that 
“KoeranerRef” is used to tweet reference questions and provide responses. 
 
According to Stuart (2010), 30 percent of 433 libraries studied made one post per day for 
the duration of their account’s life and 59 percent of the libraries were following fewer than 
a hundred Twitter accounts. Also in a survey conducted by Mahmood and Richardson 
(2011) involving one hundred academic libraries of the Association of Research Libraries, 
it was revealed that a total of 85 libraries were using Twitter for news, announcements and 
other user services. This does not imply that Twitter has been accepted by all academic 
libraries. In a survey by Cassidy et al. (2011) it was revealed that Twitter was not very 
popular with students of Sam Houston University as 69 percent of students surveyed had 
no interest in using Twitter for personal engagements and 75 percent had no interest in 
using Twitter for library services.  Del Bosque, Leif and Skarl (2012) indicate that 
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librarians that had Twitter accounts were more associated with private academic libraries. 
This was evidenced in their study in which 62 percent of private university libraries as 
against 27 percent of public academic libraries had Twitter accounts.  
 
 
In spite of its popularity, other studies suggest that Twitter has not yet caught up with some 
libraries. In a survey of over 6,200 student library users’ utilization and preference of 
popular online communication tools at Sam Houston State University, only 21 percent were 
users of Twitter. Mathews (2008), however, found out that libraries that use Twitter have 
many practical applications for it. These include assessment, communication, and 
collaboration with users. Thus, despite some negative revelations, it can generally be 
summed up from the literature that Twitter presents another new channel for reference 
librarianship.  
 
2.4.4 Other Social Media Tools Used in Libraries 
Other social media tools that have engaged both users and librarians include YouTube, 
RSS, and Delicious. YouTube and Flicker are social photo and video sharing tools. In the 
library setting, they are used for sharing and distributing new images of library collections. 
Thus librarians can share and distribute cover page of new arrivals of books and journals 
to users via Flickr. Chauhan (2013) indicates that in India not only do librarians share 
photos with users but also events such as important highlights of inaugural lectures, 
conferences and workshops are disseminated via YouTube. 
 
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Social bookmarking allows users to store their tagged bookmarks and also share them with 
other similar bookmarking websites. Gilmour and Strickland (2009) describe bookmarking 
as “collecting and labeling information sources for personal use and also for sharing with 
others.” The most popular bookmarking website, according to Dickson and Holley (2010) 
is Delicious, which allows users to share information resources that have been tagged with 
specific keywords. They intimate that academic librarians can create resource lists for 
various departments with keywords for the classes using delicious and users on the internet 
can just tap into them.  This is what happens at Pennsylvania State University where a 
university-based social bookmarking website has been created and linked to the library’s 
catalogue. Thus users from the university community can tag online resources from the 
catalogue and also view resources tagged by librarians, fellow students and faculty 
members. This idea is also shared by Kroski (2007) who indicates that reading lists and 
subject bibliography can be compiled by tagging resource lists from different departments. 
 
The popularity of social media tools differ from region to region, country to country and 
even among libraries. While Facebook and Twitter for instance can be said to be the most 
popular because of their capability in syndicating and disseminating information (Cahill, 
2009), Sina Weibo has been found to be one of the most popular in China’s libraries, 
capturing over 57 percent of China’s  microblogging. A similar thing can be said of the use 
of social media sites in the United States where Myspace and Twitter are the very popular 
ones, with Myspace alone having over 70 million users in the United States (Arango, 2009).  
Also, as many as 55 libraries in MIT alone make announcements using Twitter. These 
include announcements on the libraries’ resources, workshops, courses, etc.  
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The sheer numbers of social networking sites available today can be overwhelming, and 
the numbers keep increasing, meaning more and more innovative ways to deliver services 
are evolving. Thus only the major ones have been reviewed in this literature.  
 
2.5 Perception of Social Media in Reference and User services 
Social media is an innovation, therefore, perceptions of librarians on the use of social media 
in libraries is keen to its adoption. The literature reveals that social media use has become 
very popular with both librarians and patrons in the UK. Maness (2006) claims that the 
popularity stems from the fact that “social media is interactive, collaborative, user-
centered, socially rich, and community-innovative.” Many librarians are excited by the fact 
that it allows users to give feedback which can be used to improve services in real-time. 
 
Librarians over the world are getting hooked to the use of social media as personal norm 
and also as a means of engaging with patrons.  Thus they provide computers and free 
internet for patrons to use social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and 
Flickr in order to promote library services and resources in academic libraries.  Librarians’ 
perception of the use of social media also depends on the environment in which libraries 
are situated. Where social media use is prevalent on a university or college campus, it 
encourages communication among academics, students and also librarians. 
 
In most UK universities, Bell (2007) states that academic libraries do not only use social 
media as communication tool, but also for research and collaboration. Librarians, therefore, 
see the use of social media as good platform to accept reference queries, organize research 
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consultations, and inform users about events, announcements, and current services. This 
view is also shared by academics. For both librarians and academics, the potential benefits 
of social media in libraries are enormous because majority of undergraduate students are 
users of social media (Mack et al, 2007). 
 
Most Librarians in Asia have also embraced the integration of social media in reference 
and user services. Chauhan (2013) reports that social media has enhanced library services 
and this has improved the library profession tremendously in India. Social media tools like 
Facebook, Myspace, Blogs, Wikis, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Flicker, and Library thing 
are among the many social media tools that librarians in India perceive to be good for 
marketing reference service, promoting strategic dissemination of information and other 
services.  
 
In Choi’s (2012) study to assess the readiness of Australia’s academic librarians for social 
media use, it was found that 92 percent of 330 academic librarians thought that libraries 
should use social media to communicate with users, while 84.7 percent thought that social 
media should be used to communicate among themselves. This portrays a positive 
perception of Australia’s librarians on the use of social media in library services.  This 
positive perception of social media is key for librarians in general and for reference and 
user services librarians in particular to remain relevant in the ever changing digital 
landscape. Librarians have virtually no choice but to follow users’ posts, conversations, 
updates, and events in the academic environment so as to proactively improve on advice, 
assistance and instruction to users. 
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2.5.1 Perceived Benefits of Using Social Media Tools  
Social media appears to have lots of benefits for academic libraries yet according to 
Hendrix et al. (2009), the use of social media has not been pervasive and this is partly due 
to librarians’ perceived limitations in their abilities to set up profiles and maintain them.  
While librarians may deem the services rendered with social media as beneficial, the ability 
to set up, the technical know-how to maintain them, and the time needed to do these can 
be overwhelming. This could render the use of social media less beneficial. 
 
In a study by Chu and Du (2013), it was revealed that librarians perceived social 
networking tools to be very helpful in terms of information and knowledge sharing, 
enhancing reference services, and promoting other user services. This revelation denotes a 
shift in a previous study by Charnigo and Barnett-Ellis (2007) that found librarians to be 
indifferent towards the use of social media tools. But other aspects of Chu and Du’s study 
revealed that no specific benefits accrued from the integration of social media tools 
basically because students did not use them. Thus in terms of relative importance of social 
media, librarians were both hopeful and doubtful. 
 
In Chung and Hussain’s (2010) study it was revealed that the adoption a of new technology 
depends not only on the match of availability of technology and the task on hand but also 
personal experiences, preferences, costs and accessibility. This could be a reason why some 
social media tools are adopted only to be abandoned in a relatively short while. The social 
media tool Second Life had been used for some time and abandoned because it was deemed 
to be time consuming. Some libraries were also found to have experimented with blogs and 
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stopped using them because students rather preferred using other utilities in the university 
portal. In this case, the perceived importance or otherwise of social media tools in library 
services could not be attributed to only librarians but also users, majority of whom were 
students. 
 
Romero (2011) suggests three perceived benefits that the use of social media in libraries 
has over the traditional face-to-face method. First, it has potential for improving the image 
of libraries. This is mainly because library activities and services which were not valued 
because they were not known can be better publicized. Thus social media possesses greater 
image building potential than the traditional face-to-face method. 
 
Next, allowing collaboration, participation and sharing with users through comments on 
Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, etc. can result in product improvement. Finally and most 
importantly, the users’ experience with library services has the potential of being improved 
with the use of social media, and this in turn will enhance the relevance of academic 
librarians. 
 
2.5.2 Traditional Methods versus Social Media 
Fagan and Calloway (2002) reveals that the traditional reference desk has some advantages 
over the online services rendered by the use of social media. Respondents in that study, as 
part of their evaluation of traditional methods of reference and user services intimate that 
the services are direct; implying librarians can physically show where materials are, staff 
are readily available physically to attend to users, and services are devoid of technical 
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difficulties that are associated with online service delivery.  Librarians with this mind set 
hardly reckon social media as important relative to the traditional method of service 
delivery. 
 
Bradley & McDonald (2011) report that not all academic librarians are enthused about the 
use of social media in libraries. There are some librarians who reject the use of social media 
on the basis of triviality, the time it consumes, and security issues. Such librarians intimate 
that social media is generally inconsistent with library services. In a study by Charnigo & 
Barnett-Ellis (2007), 54 percent of 126 academic librarians surveyed did not believe that 
Facebook had academic purpose. They thought it was for interaction among the youth. 
Thus from the literature, the relative importance of social media from the perspective of 
academic librarians is not a straight forward issue. It differs among librarians.   
 
2.6 Challenges Associated with Use of Social Media 
Challenges are demanding or difficult situations which can become problems if they are 
not well managed. This section reviewed the literature on the challenges that are associated 
with integration of social media in reference and user services in particular, and library 
services in general. The challenges were found to be rather similar in most cases.  
 
2.6.1 Lack of Awareness and Low Patronage 
Chauhan (2013) intimates that most librarians, especially those in the developing countries 
are not aware of the array of social networking services available to libraries, and that some 
of those who are aware also see them to be inconsistent with library services.  Equally 
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guilty are some users, who are also not aware of the protocols associated with social 
communication. Thus most users as well as librarians do not concede the productive uses 
of social networking sites in library services. This lack of awareness leads to slow adoption 
and low patronage of social media in academic libraries.  
 
A study by Mathews (2008) reveals that out of messages sent to 1,500 undergraduate and 
graduate students on Facebook by an academic librarian, only 48 responded. In a related 
study on wiki use in academic libraries, it was found that six out of 24 academic libraries 
reported difficulties with low participation rates (Chu, 2009). Students and other users of 
academic libraries must be seen to be receptive of the use of social media in reference and 
other user services. 
 
2.6.2 Bandwidth Problem and Unreliable Power Supply 
The use of social media demands users to stay online. Several devices have been found to 
support social media use. These include desktop, laptop, palmtop, smartphones, android, 
apple, iPad, kindle fire etc. (Olajide & Oyenira, 2014). Irrespective of the device one uses 
to participate in social media, there is the need for adequate bandwidth and power to stay 
connected. Madden’s study (2013) reveals that ownership of smartphones in the United 
States surged from 35 percent to 56 percent between May, 2011 and May, 2013. This could 
be linked to the increase in the use of social networking sites. This however, is not peculiar 
to United States and other advanced countries. Earlier, it was indicated that Africa and 
Ghana in particular, had also been cited among regions and countries with the highest 
penetration of smartphones apparently due to the use of social media.  Inadequate 
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bandwidth implies internet based services that use these smartphones could delay 
unnecessarily.   
 
Griffey (2010) observes that sometimes reasons for not granting access to social media in 
libraries could be legitimate, but further suggests that because the internet has become 
largely social, libraries have no choice but to be part of it.  Unfortunately most institutions, 
and for that matter their libraries, have limited bandwidth to support social media practices 
and this poor connectivity affect their online participation. Closely linked to this challenge 
is that some developing nations are bedeviled with low supply of electricity. This also 
affects negatively the use of all types of devices for social media. This has the tendency to 
discourage librarians and users from participating in internet based discussions using social 
media. 
 
2.6.3 Technophobia and Fear of Losing Control over Resources 
Social media tools involve innovation or the use of new technologies. As indicated by 
Roger (2005), the adoption of an innovation is influenced by varied factors including ease 
of use. Most librarians and users are perceived to be afraid of handling computers. This, 
according to Chauhan (2013) makes the traditional library services the comfort zone of 
such librarians as they lack the eagerness to accept and sustain change.  
 
Another challenge related to this is academic librarians’ fear of losing control over their 
resources if they use social networking tools that allow users’ participation in what 
traditionally used to be the preserve of librarians. For example “tools like folksonomy that 
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allow users to assign tags to resources that then replace the traditional subject headings 
established by librarians can result in lack of synonym control, lack of precision in subject 
terms, lack of hierarchy  among categories, and lower recall ability” (Kroski, 2007). 
 
2.6.4 Lack of Training and Data on Effectiveness of Social Media Use  
It is believed that many librarians and library staff were born before the advent of the 
internet and for that matter the associated technologies. They, however, have to 
communicate, collaborate and share information with users, mostly young students and 
faculty members belonging to the Google generation. The lack of 21st century skill to 
interact with today’s user on social media needs to be dealt with. This calls for effective, 
consistent and sustained continuing education programmes to equip librarians with the 
needed skill. 
 
Though studies abound in social media use in libraries, Dickson and Holley (2010) 
maintain that most of the concerns about social media application in libraries center on lack 
of quantitative data on the effectiveness of social media in student outreach. Boxen (2008) 
corroborates this by intimating that most of the discussions on social media use in libraries 
are anecdotal, making it difficult to determine if social networking approaches are worth 
engaging by the reference librarian. 
 
2.6.5 Multiplicity of Social Media Tools and Other Attendant Challenges 
The evolutionary tendencies of social media tools pose a big challenge to librarians and 
users alike. The sheer numbers of social media or social networking sites are 
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overwhelming. Before users got to know or acquaint themselves with one tool, several 
others would have evolved. They are increasingly becoming too many to learn and this 
poses a challenge. 
 
There is also the threat posed by lack of privacy or too much exclusiveness. Information 
communicated through social media cannot be said to be confidential. It can be intercepted 
and utilized by many including service providers and telecom companies.  Phillips (2010), 
however, reports that the advent of Facebook pages for dedicated organizations has taken 
care of this problem. A study by Charnigo and Barnett-Ellis (2007) suggests that 19 percent 
of librarians surveyed had concern over privacy related social media issues. Also in a 
similar study by Madden et al., (2005), 85 percent of adults surveyed expressed concern 
over privacy issues and suggested control over who has access to their personal 
information. Despite these concerns, Chad & Miller (2005) are of the view that librarians 
have little choice, and that libraries that reject the application of social media in their 
services risk losing their patrons. This is because patrons will seek information from other 
sources. 
 
Lack of time to set up and maintain social media has also been cited by some researchers 
to be a challenge. In a study by Hendrix et al. (2009), (36%, 22/61) respondents linked 
their inability to use Facebook to lack of time. In that same study most respondents who 
were users of Facebook indicated they spent up to 120 minutes a week in maintaining and 
updating their Facebook page.  Some librarians’ indifference towards the use of social 
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media is another challenge, and Charnigo and Barnett–Ellis (2002) corroborate this general 
attitude of librarians. 
 
Fernandez (2009) also outlines some of the challenges librarians face in using social media 
in reference services. These include “unsavory remarks that can sabotage the library’s 
social website, changes in websites that make it difficult for libraries to manage, and the 
tendency for users to unsubscribe at any time. He explains that when changes do not match 
design priorities of the libraries’ websites, it becomes a challenge for librarians who may 
not be technologically inclined to manage their own created websites. These often happen 
when social media providers change hands and for that matter, rules and design layouts 
subsequently change. It was found in Loudon & Hall’s (2010) study for instance that, some 
Library and Information Science staff found it difficult to integrate Twitter into library 
work. In a similar concern, Waiske (2013) notices that social media sites are not static and 
are subject to changes by their owners who have their own vested interest. When such 
changes become frequent, they present challenges for librarians. According to him, the 
challenges presented are in two-fold.  First is the potential tracking of profiles, finding out 
what information is used and how it is used. The second is the challenge they present for 
librarians who may not be adept in managing the accompanying technological changes.   
 
2.7 Chapter Summary 
In this chapter, the literature relating to the use of social media in reference and user 
services was reviewed. The review was done with the purpose of finding out findings in 
literature that are applicable to the current study. Reviewing the literature offered the 
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researcher the opportunity to recap the ideas, methodologies, theories, and findings of other 
scholars. This helped in finding and filling gaps, and eventually extending knowledge.  
Reviewing the literature helped not only to do the above but also to identify some notable 
researchers in the area of social media use in academic libraries in order to familiarize with 
their style of writing.  
  
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CHAPTER THREE 
METHODOLOGY 
3.1 Introduction  
The methodology of a study is generally referred to as the overall research process from 
the theoretical underpinning to the collection and analysis of data. Mouton (2006) refers to 
it as the means required for executing a certain stage in the research process, and that it 
includes methods of definition, sampling, measurements, data collection, and data analysis. 
This section, therefore, described the sample design, participants/subjects of the study, 
mode of data collection and data collection instruments, as well as analysis and procedures 
that were employed. 
 
3.2 Research Design  
A research design is a plan which is developed to achieve research objectives or answer 
research questions. It situates the structure or framework that will be used to solve the main 
research problem.   Traditionally, research designs are primarily based on experiments, 
surveys or case studies. Yin (2003) as cited in Mavodza (2010) states that the choice of a 
research design is influenced by “three conditions: the type of research questions posed, 
the extent of control the investigator has over actual behavioural events and the focus of 
contemporary as opposed to historical events.” Where a variable is manipulated and 
dependent variables are controlled, the tendency is towards employing experimental 
design. In this case, there is “cause” and “effect.” In a study where no such relationship 
exists and the design involves detailed study in a specific case, the tendency is towards a 
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case study. Lastly, in a situation where the research strategy involves asking questions of 
respondents in order to obtain data for the study, it is described as survey. It must be noted 
that a survey questionnaire can be used in a case study.  
 
The study employed the mixed methods approach. Thus qualitative and quantitative 
techniques were combined in collecting and analyzing the data for the study. In the view 
of Creswell (2012a), the “mixed methods approach increases the overall strength of a study 
more than using either of qualitative or quantitative.” Again a mixed methods approach 
expands the scope and breadth of research and offsets the weakness of either alone 
(Creswell & Plano, 2007). Also in mixed methods, qualitative data provides deep 
understanding of survey responses. According to Driscoll et al., (2007), mixed methods 
design provide pragmatic advantages, especially when exploring complex research 
questions. While the qualitative data provides deeper understanding of survey responses, 
the statistical analysis can also provide detailed assessment of patterns and responses. Thus 
they intimate that for a research that neither requires extensive analysis of qualitative data 
nor multivariate analysis of quantitative data, mixed methods is the most appropriate.  In 
Chen, Chu and Xu’s (2012) study to determine how librarians use social networking sites 
to interact with users, “the quantitative results generated from the analysis on the sampled 
post were supplemented by librarians’ perceptions and experiences in the use of social 
networking sites that were concluded from the interview. This helped to achieve more 
robust answers to the research questions. 
 
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3.3 Selection of Cases 
Six universities (three public and three private) were selected as cases for the study. The 
public universities included University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science 
& Technology, and University of Cape Coast. The private universities comprised Valley 
View University, Ashesi and Ghana Technology University Colleges. These universities 
were selected because they were the most highly ranked public and private universities in 
Ghana during the period that the study was conducted (www.webometrics.info/en/world, 
2014). The rankings of the selected universities and university colleges are shown in Table 
3.1 
Table 3.1: Ranking of universities 
Institution Ghana Ranking World Ranking 
UG 1 2063 
KNUST 2 3231 
UCC 3 5046 
AUC 5 5634 
VVU 6 6738 
GTUC 8 7006 
Source: University Web Ranking, 2014 
 
3.4 Selection of Subjects 
This section covers the choice of population, determination of the sample size and the 
sampling technique used. 
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3.4.1 Population 
A population refers generally to the group from which a sample is selected. It is a group of 
much interest to researchers and whose views eventually determine the outcome of a study. 
The target population for the study consisted of all reference and user services librarians in 
the six selected public and private universities numbering one hundred and five (105). 
These included professional and paraprofessional staff of Reference, Circulation, E-
resources, Development Information, and departments of other special collections. Table 
3.2 represents the population of the study.  
 
Table 3.2 : Population of Reference and User Services Librarians 
Public Academic Libraries Population Size 
 
UG 28 
 
KNUST 34 
 
UCC 25 
Private Academic Libraries  
 
AUC 3 
 
VVU 11 
 
GTUC 4 
Total 105 
Source: Balme Library Staff Directory (2014), KNUST Annual Report (2014), UCC Staff List (2014), 
AUC Staff list (2013), VVU Handbook (2014), GTUC Library staff list (2014) 
 
3.4.2 Sample Size 
A sample in a research is the group on which information is obtained (Fraenkel & Wallen, 
2008). One participant each from the three public and three private universities, totaling 
six were selected for interview.  Beyond this, all the remaining 99 professional and 
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paraprofessional staff participated in the quantitative component of the study to back the 
qualitative component.  
 
3.4.3 Sampling Technique 
Participants for the interview were selected by employing purposeful criterion sampling 
method (Creswell, 2012b). Heads of e-resources departments were purposely selected to 
participate in the interview. This was because they were responsible for the creation of 
social media platforms, regular updates, monitoring, and generation of usage statistics. 
There was no sampling for the quantitative component because the number 99 was 
relatively small and could be conveniently covered.   
 
3.5 Instrumentation  
The device a researcher uses to collect data is called an instrument. However, according to 
Fraenkel and Wallen (2008), instrumentation is the whole process of collecting data. It 
involves not only the selection or design of the instrument but also the condition under 
which the instrument is administered. The questionnaire and the interview instruments 
were employed in this study. 
 
3.5.1 Quantitative Instrument 
The questionnaire was used as the instrument in the quantitative component of the study. 
Koufogiannakis, Slater and Crumley (2004) in Mavodza (2010) state that questionnaires 
are arguably the most used data gathering methods in library and information science. The 
main advantages of the questionnaire according to Powell and Connaway (2004) are that 
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they are inexpensive, easy to collect and analyze in a relatively short period of time.  
Questionnaires may be either closed-ended in which case respondents have the option to 
select responses from given fixed choices. They may also be open-ended where 
respondents have the option to give their own unrestricted opinion about questions. Most 
of the questions were closed-ended and employed the five categories of the Likert scale 
namely, strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree and strongly disagree. 
 
The questions were guided by the theoretical framework and information from reviewed 
literature. The questions sought to gather information on librarians’ knowledge of social 
media, adopter categories of libraries on social media platform(s), the types of platforms, 
perceptions on use of social media and the challenges encountered in using social media.  
 
3.5.2 Pre-testing of Questionnaire 
The success of a research project largely depends on the quality of data that is gathered. A 
good research design and a representative sample will not guarantee a successful project if 
the analysis is based on inaccurate data.  
The survey instrument was pre-tested using reference and user services librarians of 
University of Education, Winneba-Kumasi campus and Garden City University College. 
This was to help: 
 Test the adequacy of the research instruments 
 Assess the feasibility of the full scale study 
 Establish whether the sampling frame and technique were effective 
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 Identify logistical problems which might occur (Teijlingen & Hundley, 2011) 
The selection of the two universities for the pilot study could be justified by their proximity 
to the researcher and also due to the fact that they have similar setting and mandate to the 
selected cases for the study. Out of the 50 copies of questionnaire sent out to the two 
institutions, 32 were completed and returned. This gave a response rate of 64%. 
Suggestions were made per the responses that helped to improve the quality of the 
questionnaire instrument. Some of the suggestions were that the categories of the Likert 
scale were too many and should be reduced from seven to five.  The questionnaire was 
therefore improved on the basis of the pilot study. 
 
3.5.3 Qualitative Component 
The interview method was used to collect qualitative data. The interview is a qualitative 
data gathering instrument which plays an important part of research. It offers the researcher 
the opportunity to gather data which otherwise may not be obtained with other instruments 
like the questionnaire. Interviews can take different forms and Yin (2008) gives three, 
which include open-ended, focused, and structured. Interviews can also add depth and 
validity to a study. Questionnaire, especially when it is closed-ended has a tendency to 
restrict the quality of data that can be collected, so relying on only this method to collect 
data can affect the outcome negatively. Again categorized questions can cause respondents 
to overlook or omit points which are not explicitly included in questionnaire though space 
may be provided for additional comments.  
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 A face-to-face interview was employed in this study. The interview protocol was semi-
structured. The questions were also based on the theoretical framework and information 
from the reviewed literature. This was to help adequately examine the research questions. 
The interview sought to find information on the following: 
 Management of the social media platforms 
 Policy issues on social media use 
 The role of social media in reference and user services 
 The readiness of libraries for integration of social media 
 Infrastructural and other challenges associated with use of social media 
 
3.6 Mode of Data Collection 
The survey instrument was administered live to the participants. Basically, there are four 
modes of data collection in a survey. These include live administration, administration by 
telephone, email, and face-to-face (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2008).  The choice of live 
administration was informed by its comparative low cost as well as fast response rate 
relative to other modes of administration. Synopsis of possible areas of the interview was 
also sent to six participants ahead of scheduled interview with participants. Each interview 
lasted a maximum period of 20 minutes. Earlier letters of introduction were taken from the 
Department of Information Studies to seek permission for the study to be conducted on the 
selected universities. 
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3.7 Method of Data Analysis  
Data analysis involves making sense out of the data collected from the questionnaire and 
other sources. According to Creswell (2012b), data analysis involves “preparing the data 
for analysis, conducting different analyses, moving deeper and deeper into understanding 
the data, representing the data, and making interpretation of the larger meaning of the data.”  
Data collected from the survey were screened for errors.  The SPSS was used to analyze 
the data collected from the questionnaire. It was a descriptive analysis where summaries 
were expressed in tabular form for adequate interpretation.  
 
All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Qualitative content analysis was used 
to analyze the data that was gathered from the interview transcripts, and open-ended survey 
responses. Analysis of the qualitative and quantitative findings were done simultaneously. 
This was to enhance the interpretation of the study results. The findings were compared 
and contrasted with other findings in the literature. 
 
3.8 Ethical Issues and Consideration  
Ethical practices that regulate research of this nature were appropriately observed. A letter 
of introduction was taken from the Department of Information Studies to seek permission 
from the institutions to be involved before the study was conducted. Again informed 
consent was sought from the participants who were made aware that the study is purely an 
academic exercise and that their confidentiality was assured. All scholarly work and data 
consulted in any form or format were duly acknowledged. The University of Ghana code 
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of conduct for research was adhered to, and data was not manipulated to suit the research 
objectives. 
 
3.9 Chapter Summary 
This chapter focused on the research methods and methodology used for the research. The 
study employed the mixed methods approach. Thus, qualitative and quantitative methods 
were combined to collect and analyze data. Live administration of questionnaire and face-
to-face interviews were used in collecting data for the study. Also purposive sampling was 
employed to collect the qualitative data while census approach was used to collect the 
quantitative data. 
 
  
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References 
Chen, D.Y., Chu, S.K., & Xu, S. (2012). How do librarians use social media to interact 
with users? ASIST, October, 28-31. 
 
       Creswell, J. W. (2012a). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods,    
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. 
 
Creswell, J.W.  (2012b). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among the 
five approaches, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage 
 
Creswell, J.W., & Plano Clarke, V.L. (2007). Designing and conducting mixed methods 
research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage  
 
Driscoll, D. L., Appiah-Yeboah, A., Salib, P., & Rupert, D. J. (2007). Merging qualitative 
and quantitative data in mixed methods research: How to and why not. Ecological 
and Environmental Anthropology, 3(1), 19-28 
 
Fraenkel. J. R., & Wallen, N. E. (2000).  How to design and evaluate research in education, 
4th ed. Boston: McGraw – Hill, p. 4532. 
 
 
Koufogiannakis, D., Slater, L., & Crumley, E. (2004). A content analysis of librarianship 
research. Journal of Information Science, 30, 227-239. 
 
 
Mavodza, J. (2010). Knowledge management practices and role of an academic library in 
a changing information environment: The case of the Metropolitan College of 
New York. (PhD thesis), University of South Africa. 
 
 
Mouton, J. (2006). Understanding social research. Pretoria: Van Schaik 
 
Powell, R. R., & Connaway, L. S. (2004). Basic research methods for librarians. London: 
Libraries Unlimited.  
 
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Teijlingen, E. R. V., & Hundley, V. (2011). The importance of pilot studies. Social 
Research Update, 35 Available at: www.sru.soc.surrey.ac.uk/SRU35.html 
[Accessed: 17/01/2015] 
 
Web of University Ranking (2014). Available at: www.webometrics.info/en/world 
[Accessed: 17/01/2015] 
 
Williams, A., Guise, N., Koonce, T., Kou, Q., & Guise, D. (2004). Using knowledge 
management practices to develop a statute-of-the-art digital library. Medical 
Information, 11(1), 99-103.  
 
Yin, R.K. (2008). Case study research: Design and methods. Thousand Oaks, California: 
Sage  
 
Yin, R.K. (2003). Case study research: Design and methods. Thousand Oaks, California: 
Sage  
 
 
  
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CHAPTER FOUR 
DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS 
4.1 Introduction 
The data analysis and findings of the study presented in this chapter reflects the 
methodological approach of mixed methods. Descriptive statistics was used for the 
quantitative component of the study while the qualitative part which was mainly interview, 
was analyzed based on themes. The data analysis was thus presented in two parts – 
quantitative and qualitative components. 
4.2 Quantitative Analysis and Findings 
This first part of the data analysis and findings focused on the data gathered from the 
questionnaire. The Likert scale was interpreted in a manner that gave strongly agree – 1, 
agree – 2, neutral (undecided) – 3, disagree - 4 and strongly disagree – 5. However, 
weighted averages were calculated with SPSS to indicate the tendency towards agree, 
neutral, and disagree. Descriptive statistics was then used to analyze the data. These 
categories, according to O’Sullivan, Russel and Burner (2008) are the most commonly 
used.  These were also used because it was believed that respondents had a clear-out 
opinion on the topic considering their background. The analysis and presentation of the 
findings were based on themes derived from the research objectives. These included: 
  Knowledge and use of social media; 
 The adoption of social media in reference and user services; 
 The level of support offered by parent libraries; 
 The types of social media platforms used; 
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 The perception of social media use in reference services; and 
 Challenges associated with the use of social media. 
 
4.2.1 Background Information and Response Rate 
The respondents comprised reference and user services librarians from three public and 
three private universities in Ghana. A total of 87 out of 99 copies of questionnaire were 
fully completed and returned. This represents 87.8% response rate. Such a high response 
rate is characteristic of self-administered questionnaire, as intimated by Powell and 
Connaway (2004).   
 
Nineteen (19) out of 27 copies of questionnaire expected from the University of Ghana 
were returned. This represented 21.8% of the total respondents. Respondents from the 
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology returned 31 completed 
questionnaire. This was three short of the 34 copies administered and represented 35.6% 
of the total respondents. The University of Cape Coast returned 22 copies of questionnaire 
out of the expected 24, representing 25.3% of the total respondents. The private universities 
returned all questionnaires administered to them with 2(2.3%) coming from Ashesi 
University College, 10(11.5) from Valley View University and 3(3.4%) completed 
questionnaire from Ghana Technology University College. 
 
Librarians from the public universities constituted 72(82.8%) respondents and 15(17.2%) 
respondents came from their private counterparts. This was a true reflection of the sizes 
of the institutions involved in the study, their libraries and particularly their staff strength. 
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A total of 29(33.7%) respondents were professionals with the remaining 57(66.3%) being 
para-professionals. 
 
4.2.2 Knowledge and Use of Social Media 
This section analyzed the knowledge of respondents in social media, the level of 
knowledge, and their source of knowledge of social media. It focused on analyzing the use 
of social media by respondents and the extent to which respondents could apply social 
media in both personal and work-related activities. It finally analyzed the differences 
between respondents in private and public universities with respect to their knowledge in 
social media.  
  
4.2.2.1 Knowledge of Social Media 
The first objective the study sought to find out the knowledge of respondents in social 
media, they were asked to give their opinions on a number of definitions relating to social 
media. The responses received are presented in Table 4.1.  
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Table 4.1: Knowledge of the Social Media Concept  
 Responses 
 Agree Neutral Disagree No Response 
Concepts Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq % 
Group of professional with similar 
social life 
29 33.3 17 19.5 32 36.8 9 10.3 
Online platform for social workers 30 34.5 17 19.5 32 36.8 8 9.2 
Online platform for collaboration 
and communication 
76 87.4 6 6.9 2 2.3 3 3.4 
Internet-based tools for sharing and 
discussing information 
75 86.2 6 6.9 1 1.1 5 5.7 
Online platform for media activities 57 65.5 10 11.5 11 12.6 9 10.3 
Source: Field data, 2015      
 
It can be seen from the table that 29(33.3%) respondents affirmed social media as a group 
of professionals with similar social life, 17(19.5%) were undecided about this while 
32(36.8%) respondents disagreed. Thirty (34.5%) respondents saw social media as online 
platform for social workers but 32(36.8%) respondents disagreed. A majority of 76(87.4%) 
respondents knew social media to be online platform for collaboration and communication. 
Another 75(86.2%) respondents affirmed social media as internet based tools for sharing 
and discussion of information, 6(6.9%) were ambivalent with their responses while 
1(1.1%) respondent disagreed. A significant number of 57(65.5%) respondents indicated 
that social media is online platform for media activities. 
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4.2.2.2 Knowledge of Social Media by Institution Status 
The researcher probed further to find out possible differences in the knowledge of 
respondents by institution status. It was revealed that there was but little difference between 
respondents in private and public universities with respect to their knowledge of social 
media. This can be seen in Table 4.2.  
Table 4.2: Knowledge of Social Media by Institution Status 
  Institution Status 
  Public Private 
Social Media Concepts Responses Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage 
Online platform for 
collaboration and 
communication 
Agree 65 90.3 11 73.3 
Neutral 2 2.8 4 26.7 
Disagree 2 2.8 0 .0 
No Response 3 4.2 0 .0 
Online platform for social 
workers 
Agree 27 37.5 3 20.0 
Neutral 14 19.4 3 20.0 
Disagree 24 33.3 8 53.3 
No Response 7 9.7 1 6.7 
Source: Field data, 2015 
 
From the table, 65(90.3%) respondents in public universities saw social media as online 
platform for collaboration and communication while 2(2.8%) respondents disagreed. 
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Similarly, 11(73.3%) respondents from the private universities knew social media to be 
online platform for collaboration and communication while no respondent disagreed. In 
both cases, more respondents agreed while fewer disagreed. However, there were some 
differences concerning what social media is not.  More respondents from the public 
universities saw social media to be online platform for social workers than respondents 
from the private universities. Respondents from the private universities could, therefore, 
be said to have a better understanding of social media than those in the public universities 
because social media is not necessarily a platform for social workers. 
 
4.2.2.2 Level of Knowledge of Social Media 
The desire to use an innovation could be influenced by one’s level of knowledge of a 
specific innovation. Respondents were, therefore, asked to indicate the level of their 
knowledge of social media. The responses obtained are presented in Figure 4.1.  
Figure 4.1 Level of Knowledge of Social Media
 
Source: Field data, 2015 
Excellent
9.2%
Very good
31.0%
Good
40.2%
Fairly good
10.3%
Average
4.6%
No Response
4.6%
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As can be seen from the figure, 8(9.2%) indicated they had excellent knowledge of social 
media, 27(31%) respondents claimed to have very good knowledge, 9(10.3%) had fairly 
good knowledge while 4(4.6%) indicated they had average knowledge of social media. 
 
4.2.2.3 Source of Knowledge of Social Media 
Social media is not only an innovation but also an emerging area. Thus, new platforms 
keep emerging. Sources of knowledge of the different platforms could help librarians 
expand their knowledge and use of social media. The study sought to find out where 
reference and user services librarians acquired their knowledge of social media. This was 
necessary to help find ways of reaching out to librarians who still lacked the knowledge of 
the array of social media tools. The responses are represented in Figure 4.2.  
Figure 4.2: Sources of Knowledge of Social Media 
 
Source: Field data, 2015 
31.3%
38.6%
31.3%
47%
7.2%
0
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10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
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From the figure, 26(31.3%) respondents indicated they acquired their knowledge of social 
media from colleagues, 32(38.6%) respondents got to know about social media from their 
friends, and 26(31.3%) learnt about social media at conferences, workshops and seminars. 
Another 39(47.0%) respondents acquired their knowledge of social media from electronic 
sources while 6(7.2%) respondents acquired their knowledge of social media from print 
sources. This reflected a wide range of sources of knowledge.  
 
4.2.2.4 Extent of Use of Social Media 
A 21st Century librarian was earlier described as “a new brand name for a master of 
information age who strives to understand the power of the social media opportunities and 
not only practices it but is also able to connect users to expert discussions, conversations, 
and participation” (Waiske, 2011). Waiske intimates that “successful librarians in social 
media environment need to be aware of this emerging technology, understand the social 
paradigm and information contexts that are emerging within web 2.0, and play active role 
in facilitating online resources made available from social media”. The second objective 
sought to find out the extent to which respondents used social media. The responses 
received are represented in Figure 4.3.  
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Figure 4.3: Extent of Use of Social Media by Respondents 
 
Source: Field data, 2015 
It can be seen from the figure that 39(44.8%) respondents agreed using social media for 
only personal engagements, 12(13.8%) were undecided on the extent to which they could 
use social media.  A total of 64(73.6%) respondents used social media for both personal 
work and library services while 12(13.8%) used social media for only library services. A 
total of 47(54%) respondents agreed having the ability to manage profiles, 16(18.4%) were 
ambivalent on this and 15(17.2%) disagreed with having the ability to manage profiles. 
Thirty-six (41.4%) could connect to online conversations, expert discussions and 
participation while 21(24.1%) disagreed with the fact that they could do so. Most 
respondents saw themselves as social media fans as only 13(14.9%) agreed they were not. 
 
4.2.3 Adoption of Social Media in Reference and User Services 
Earlier studies in the United States suggest that library services had no business dealing 
with social media (De Rosa et al., 2007). Directors of libraries, librarians, and sponsors 
I use social
media for only
personal
engagements
I use social
media for both
personal work
and library
services
I use social
media for only
library services
I have a personal
profile which I
manage myself
I do connect
users to online
conversations,
expert
discussions and
participation
I am not a fan of
social media
Agree 44.8 73.6 13.8 54 41.4 14.9
Neutral 13.8 13.8 12.6 18.4 26.4 10.3
Disagree 35.6 6.9 66.7 17.2 24.1 69
No Response 5.7 5.7 6.9 10.3 8 5.7
44.8
73.6
13.8
54
41.4
14.913.8 13.8 12.6
18.4
26.4
10.3
35.6
6.9
66.7
17.2
24.1
69
5.7 5.7 6.9
10.3 8 5.7
P
er
ce
n
ta
g
e 
re
sp
o
n
se
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thought that social media was not consistent with library services and did not see the need 
to engage in their use. Later, however, “the possibility of using social networking sites in 
libraries were demonstrated by the use of Facebook and Myspace as many librarians were 
identified online and reached by patrons for synchronous services” (Chu & Nalani-
Meulemans, 2008).  Librarians adopt social media at different times and this puts them into 
different categories of adoption. This section thus analyzed the data on the adoption 
categories of respondents based on how long respondents had used social media. 
 
4.2.3.1 Adoption Categories of Respondents 
The study sought to find out when respondents adopted the social media innovation. Four 
adopter categories were identified: “laggards”, those who had used social media for less 
than a year; “late majority” - 1 to 3 years; “early majority” - 4 to 6 years; and “early 
adopters” – More than 7 years. The results are represented in Figure 4.4. 
Figure 4.4: Number of Years Respondents have used Social Media 
 
Less than 1 year
14%
1 to 3 years
29%
4 to 6 years
15%
More than 7 years
24%
No Response
18%
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Source: Field data, 2015 
From the figure, 12(13.8%) respondents indicated they had used social media for less than 
one year. Another 25(28.7%) respondents affirmed using social media for between one and 
three years, 13(14.9%) respondents had used it for between four and six years, while 
21(24.1%) respondents had used social media for more than seven years. Thus considering 
the fact that the application of social media in libraries started in 2005 (Kroski, 2007), 14% 
of respondents were classified as laggards, 29% as late majority, 15% as early majority and 
24% of respondents as early adopters.  
 
4.2.4 Support/Motivation from Libraries 
The section analyzed the levels of support respondents had enjoyed from their parent 
libraries and universities. Motivation from parent libraries is key to a successful adoption 
of social media. The third objective of the study sought to find out if respondents were 
motivated, and if so, how it was done. Responses received from respondents on support 
offered by parent libraries are represented in Table 4.3.  
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Table 4.3: Support/Motivation from Libraries  
 
Responses 
 
Agree Neutral Disagree 
No 
Response 
Type of Support/Motivation Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq % 
The library offers in-house training and the use of 
social media 
33 37.9 17 19.5 32 36.8 5 5.7 
There exist informal help among librarians on the 
use of social media 
44 50.6 21 24.1 16 18.4 6 6.9 
The library has guidelines for responding to 
queries through social media 
34 39.1 21 24.1 28 32.2 4 4.6 
There are different guidelines for specific media 
tools 
31 35.6 30 34.5 20 23.0 6 6.9 
The library does nothing to motivate the use of 
social media 
22 25.3 12 13.8 48 55.2 5 5.7 
Source: Field data, 2015      
 
From the table, 33(37.9%) respondents indicated that their libraries offered in-house 
training in the use of social media. Another 32(36.8%) respondents disagreed with this fact. 
On informal help among colleagues, 44(50.6%) respondents agreed to the existence of such 
help, 21(24.1%) respondents were ambivalent while 16(18.4%) respondents disagreed with 
existence of informal help. Thirty four (39.1%) respondents indicated that their libraries 
had guidelines for responding to queries that came through social media and another 
31(35.6%) affirmed that their libraries had different guidelines for specific social media 
tools. However, 20(23%) respondents disagreed with the existence of such guidelines. In a 
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situation where there existed no support and guidelines, individual interests and decisions 
were bound to dictate the use of social media tools. Forty-eight (55.2%) respondents 
disagreed with the fact that their libraries did nothing to motivate the use of social media, 
22(25.3%) affirmed this and 12(13.8%) offered non-committal responses on this fact.  
 
4.2.4.1 Support offered to Librarians by Institutions 
There was a significant difference between respondents from public universities and those 
from private universities with respect to support to librarians. This can be seen from the 
cross-tabulation in Table 4.4 
  
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Table 4.4: Support from Libraries by Institutions 
The table shows that 26(36.1%) respondents from public universities agreed with receiving 
support by way of in-house training, while 29(40.3%) respondents disagreed. The same 
trend could not be seen of the private universities where on the other hand more 
respondents agreed and fewer disagreed with receiving support by way of in-house 
training. Obviously, the private universities were inclined to offer more support through 
  
Institution Status 
  
Public Private 
Variables Responses 
Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage 
The library offers in-house 
training in the use of social 
media 
Agree 26 36.1 7 46.7 
Neutral 12 16.7 5 33.3 
Disagree 29 40.3 3 20.0 
No Response 5 6.9 0 .0 
There exists informal help 
among librarians in the use of 
social media 
Agree 35 48.6 9 60.0 
Neutral 19 26.4 2 13.3 
Disagree 12 16.7 4 26.7 
No Response 6 8.3 0 .0 
The library does nothing to 
motivate the use of social media 
Agree 20 27.8 2 13.3 
Neutral 10 13.9 2 13.3 
Disagree 37 51.4 11 73.3 
No Response 5 6.9 0 .0 
Source: Field data, 2015 
 
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in-house training than the public universities. Thirty five (48.6%) respondents agreed while 
12(16.7%) disagreed from public universities on support by way of informal help. The 
trend was same for respondents from private universities. In both private and public 
universities, more respondents agreed on informal help than those who disagreed. 
 
4.2.5 Major Social Media Tools Used  
The commonly used social media platforms in the library include Facebook, Twitter, 
Wikis, YouTube, RSS (Xie & Stevenson, 2014). The fourth objective of the study sought 
to find out which social media platforms were used in reference and user services. In this 
direction, questions were asked to find out how often respondents used specific social 
media tools for work-related purposes. The responses are represented in Table 4.5.  
Table 4.5: Use of Social Media by Respondents 
 Daily Weekly Monthly Occasionally Never No Response 
Types of SM Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq % 
Facebook 
28 32.2 16 18.4 3 3.4 16 18.4 20 23.0 4 4.6 
Twitter 
8 9.2 7 8.0 2 2.3 25 28.7 37 42.5 8 9.2 
Blogs 
2 2.3 11 12.6 5 5.7 26 29.9 35 40.2 8 9.2 
YouTube 
12 13.8 8 9.2 3 3.4 35 40.2 21 24.1 8 9.2 
RSS 
3 3.4 4 4.6 2 2.3 24 27.6 45 51.7 9 10.3 
Delicious 
- - 3 3.4 2 2.3 14 16.1 60 69.0 8 9.2 
Source: Field data, 2015 
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It can be seen from the table that Facebook was the most popular social media tool used. 
On daily basis, 28(32.2%) respondents used Facebook and 16(18.4%) respondents used it 
weekly. Only 8(9.2%) respondents used Twitter on daily basis while 37 (42.5%) 
respondents never used it. Blogs, RSS feeds and Delicious had woefully low patronage as 
indicated by 35(40.2%), 45(51.7%), and 60(69%) respondents respectively who never used 
them.  
 
4.2.5.1 Use of Social Media Tools by Type of Institution 
 The researcher further compared the trends in use of the individual social media tools by 
institution status and the analysis and findings are given below. 
4.2.5.1.1 Facebook 
Facebook is a type of social media site that allows users to interact by adding friends, 
joining groups, commenting on profiles, and having discussions. Libraries can embed 
subject guides within Facebook pages so as to provide reference services such as “ask a 
librarian’, ‘chat’ and instant messaging.  Comparatively, the trends in the use of Facebook 
in both private and public universities were same for “daily” up to “occasionally”. These 
are shown in the cross-tabulations in Table 4.6. 
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Table 4.6: Use of Facebook by Type of Institution 
  Institution Status 
  Public Private 
Variable Responses Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage 
Facebook Daily 24 33.3 4 26.7 
Weekly 14 19.4 2 13.3 
Monthly 3 4.2 - - 
Occasionally 14 19.4 2 13.3 
Never 13 18.1 7 46.7 
No Response 4 5.6 - - 
Source: Field data, 2015 
 
 Responses for frequencies of use decreased from “daily” to “weekly”, decreased further 
from “weekly” to “monthly”, and increased from “monthly” to “occasionally” Relatively, 
more respondents from the private universities never used Facebook, an indication that 
respondents from the public universities had the tendency to use Facebook more than those 
from the private universities.  
 
4.2.5.1.2 Twitter 
Twitter is a type social media tool that utilizes microblogging application to interact with 
patrons. It can keep librarians and users updated on the library’s collections. This is because 
users can send short messages to librarians and receive instant responses. Analysis of data 
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gathered also indicate that there were inconsistencies in the trends of use of Twitter 
between respondents from private and public universities. This can be seen from Table 4.7.  
Table 4.7: Use of Twitter by Type of Institution 
  Institution Status 
  Public Private 
Variable Responses Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage 
Twitter Daily 5 6.9 3 20.0 
Weekly 7 9.7 - - 
Monthly - - 2 13.3 
Occasionally 20 27.8 5 33.3 
Never 33 45.8 4 26.7 
 No Response 7 9.7 1 6.7 
Source: Field data, 2015 
 
For the public universities, the data revealed that 5(6.9%) respondents used Twitter daily, 
7(9.7%) used it weekly, and no respondent used Twitter monthly. It was an increase in use 
from “daily” to “weekly” and a decrease from “weekly” to “monthly”. The trend was 
different for respondents from private universities where 3(20%) respondents used Twitter 
daily, no respondent used it weekly and 2(13.3%) respondents used Twitter monthly. In 
this case, it was a decrease in use from “daily” to “weekly” and an increase from “weekly” 
to “monthly”. A relatively low figure of 4(26.7%) respondents from the private universities 
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never used Twitter. Obviously, there was a difference in the use of Twitter among 
respondents by virtue of the type of university they belonged to. 
 
4.2.5.1.3 Blogs 
Blogs consist of web pages with user supplied content in chronological order. Libraries can 
post messages, share information on a particular subject and expect instant reaction from 
their users. The researcher probed further by comparing private and public universities with 
respect to trends in the use of Blogs. The cross-tabulations on this are represented in Table 
4.8.  
Table 4.8: Use of Blogs by Type of Institution 
  Institution Status 
  Public Private 
Variable Responses Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage 
Blogs Daily - - 2 13.3 
Weekly 7 9.7 4 26.7 
Monthly 5 6.9 - - 
Occasionally 24 33.3 2 13.3 
Never 30 41.7 5 33.3 
No Response 6 8.3 2 13.3 
Source: Field data, 2015 
 
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It can be seen from the table that no respondent from the public universities used blogs 
daily while 2 (13.3%) respondents from the private universities used it. On the other hand, 
no respondent from the private universities used blogs monthly while 5(33.3%) 
respondents from the public universities used it.  More respondents from the public 
universities never used blogs. Respondents from the private universities had the tendency 
to use blogs more than those from the public universities. 
 
4.2.5.1.4 YouTube 
YouTube is a social photo and video sharing tool. It allows users to interact by sharing 
photos or videos and commenting on user submissions. They can be used for sharing and 
distributing new images of library collections. Cross-tabulations on the use of YouTube 
within private and public universities revealed mixed indicators. These are depicted in 
Table 4.9.  
Table 4.9: Use of YouTube by Type of Institution 
  Institution Status 
  Public Private 
Variable Responses Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage 
YouTube Daily 6 8.3 6 40.0 
Weekly 8 11.1 - - 
Monthly 3 4.2 - - 
Occasionally 31 43.1 4 26.7 
Never 16 22.2 5 33.3 
No Response 8 11.1 - - 
Source: Field data, 2015 
 
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From the table, it can be seen that responses from the public universities indicate an “up-
and-down” trend from “daily” through “never”. The table also indicates that 6(40%) 
respondents from the private universities used YouTube daily while no respondent used it 
either weekly or monthly. Relatively, more respondents from the private universities never 
used YouTube. Obviously the trends were different. 
  
4.2.5.1.5 Really Simple Syndication (RSS) 
RSS is a web content syndication format used to publish frequently updated works such as 
blog entering and news bulletins in a standardized format (Mohammed, Reshma & Manu, 
2014). RSS can benefit readers who may want to subscribe to timely update from favourite 
websites or to aggregate feeds from many sites into one place. The researcher again 
compared the trends in the use of RSS. The detailed cross-tabulations on the use of RSS 
are shown in Table 4.10.  
Table 4.10: Use of RSS by Type of Institution 
  
Institution Status 
  
Public Private 
Variable Responses Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage 
RSS Daily 3 4.2 0 .0 
Weekly 2 2.8 2 13.3 
Monthly 2 2.8 0 .0 
Occasionally 20 27.8 4 26.7 
Never 37 51.4 8 53.3 
No Response 8 11.1 1 6.7 
Source: Field data, 2015 
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While 3 (4.2%) respondents from the public universities used RSS, no respondent from the 
private universities used it. Again, while responses for “daily “to weekly” reduced from 3 
(4.2%) to 2 (2.8%) in public universities. There was an increase from zero to 2 (13.3%) in 
private universities. Trends in use between librarians in public and private universities 
clearly differed. 
 
4.2.5.1.6 Delicious 
Delicious is a social bookmarking site. Users interact by tagging websites and searching 
through websites bookmarked by others for information on specific subjects. There was 
virtually nothing to choose between the respondents from private and public universities 
with respect to the use of Delicious as both had very little to do with Delicious. This was 
the revelation of the cross-tabulations shown in Table 4.11.  
Table 4.11: Use of Delicious by Type of Institution 
  Institution Status 
  Public Private 
Variables Responses Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage 
Delicious Daily - - - - 
Weekly 2 2.8 1 6.7 
Monthly 2 2.8 - - 
Occasionally 12 16.7 2 13.3 
Never 49 68.1 11 73.3 
No Response 7 9.7 1 6.7 
Source: Field data, 2015 
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The table shows that 49(68.1%) respondents from public universities never used Delicious 
and 11(73.3%) respondents from the private universities also never used it. On daily basis 
no respondent, whether from public or private universities, used Delicious. 
 
4.2.5.2 Functions Performed with Social Media  
Earlier studies indicate that some social media platforms were not consistent with library 
services. It was imperative to find out which functions of reference and user services were 
consistent with social media. The responses are shown in Table 4.12.  
Table 4.12: Functions Performed with Social Media  
 
Responses 
 
Agree Neutral Disagree 
No 
Response 
Functions performed with 
social media Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq % 
Responding to reference 
queries 
38 43.7 15 17.2 25 28.7 9 10.3 
Commenting on users' post 24 27.6 15 17.2 37 42.5 11 12.6 
Sharing pictures 25 28.7 12 13.8 38 43.7 12 13.8 
Notification on new arrivals 32 36.8 20 23.0 30 34.5 5 5.7 
Client enquiries and feedback 41 47.1 16 18.4 24 27.6 6 6.9 
Social bookmarking 18 20.7 26 29.9 35 40.2 8 9.2 
Source: Field data, 2015      
 
It can be seen from the table that 38(43.7%) respondents affirmed using social media to 
respond to reference queries, 15(17.2%) respondents gave non-committal responses on this 
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but 25(28.7%) respondents disagreed. Another 37(42.5%) respondents disagreed with 
using social media to comment on user’s post though 24(27.6%) indicated they used social 
media for that purpose.  Thirty-eight (43.7%) respondents did not share pictures with social 
media but 25(28.7%) saw sharing pictures with social media to be consistent with reference 
services. Thirty-two (36.8%) respondents used social media to notify users of new arrivals 
but 30(34.5%) respondents indicated they did not. A total of 41(47.1%) respondents agreed 
with responding to client enquires and receiving feedback through social media though 
24(27.6%) disagreed with the consistency of social media for this function. Social 
bookmarking was unpopular with respondents and this was indicated by 35(40.2%) 
respondents who disagreed that it is consistent with reference services. 
 
4.2.6 Perception of Social Media in Reference and User Services 
The adoption of an innovation is influenced by the degree to which an innovation is 
perceived to be better than the existing one; how consistent the innovation is with existing 
values, experiences and needs; the extent to which the innovation can be tested; the extent 
to which it provides tangible results; and how difficult the innovation is (Rogers, 2005). 
Because of the different settings, experiences and needs of librarians, it was imperative to 
find out their perception on use of social media in reference and user services. Responses 
to questions asked are represented in Table 4.13.  
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Table 4.13: Perception of Respondents on Use of Social Media  
 Responses 
 Agree Neutral Disagree No Response 
Perceptions of Social Media Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq % 
Social media is preferred to 
traditional methods of service 
delivery 
42 48.3 12 13.8 26 29.9 7 8.0 
Social media cannot be a 
better alternative to the 
traditional services 
37 42.5 14 16.1 33 37.9 3 3.4 
Social media has been 
introduced but has not 
brought any tangible 
difference 
15 17.2 21 24.1 45 51.7 6 6.9 
Social media is not consistent 
with library services 
21 24.1 13 14.9 49 56.3 4 4.6 
Social media is too trivial to 
reference and user services 
10 11.5 26 29.9 46 52.9 5 5.7 
Source: Field data, 2015      
 
From the table, it can be seen that 42(48.3%) respondents had the perception that social 
media was preferred to traditional services but 26(29.9%) disagreed. Thirty-seven (42.5%) 
respondents had the perception that social media could not be a better alternative to 
traditional service while 33(37.9%) respondents disagreed. Only 15(17.2%) respondents 
agreed that social media had been introduced but had not brought any tangible difference. 
Ten (11.5%) affirmed that social media is trivial to reference and user services. Another 
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26(29.9%) were non-committal on this while 46(52.9%) disagreed with the fact that social 
media is trivial to reference services. 
 
4.2.6.1 Ease of Use of Social Media Platforms 
According to the technology acceptance model, the adoption of an innovation is influenced 
by the perceived ease of use of the innovation (Venkatesh & Davis, 2000). Rogers (2005) 
also theorizes that the adoption of a new technology is influenced by factors such as the 
perceived difficulty involved in using the technology. There was the need to find out from 
respondents how easy they found the use of social media tools in reference services. 
Attempts were, therefore, made to find out the perceived ease of use of the individual social 
media platforms. The responses are represented in Figure 4.5.  
Figure 4.5: Ease of Use of Social Media 
 
Source: Field data, 2015 
 
50.6
23
11.5
25.3
5.7
26.4
31
23
35.6
17.2
9.2
16.1
26.4
17.2
21.8
4.6
9.2
14.9
6.9
24.1
9.2
20.7
24.1
14.9
31
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Facebook Twitter Blogs YouTube RSS Feeds
p
er
ce
n
ta
g
e 
re
sp
o
n
se
Very Easy Easy Appreciably Easy Not Easy No Response
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It can be seen from the figure that 44(50.6%) respondents indicated they found Facebook 
characteristically very easy to use while only 4(4.6%) respondents found Facebook not 
easy to use. Twenty-seven (31%) respondents found Twitter easy and another 20(23%) 
respondents found it very easy to use. Twenty (23%) respondents indicated that Blogging 
was easy, while 13(14.9%) respondents did not find it easy. YouTube seemed to be 
appreciably popular with respondents as a significant number of 31(35.6%) respondents 
claimed it was easy. Again, only 5(5.7%) respondents affirmed RSS to be very easy.  
 
4.2.6.2 Usefulness of Social Media Tools 
Librarians might not want to adopt an innovation simply because it is a norm. They may 
rather want to put it into their own context to know its value before deciding on adoption 
and use. Respondents were asked to indicate the perceived level of usefulness of some 
specific social media tools in their services. The responses received are presented in Table 
4.14.  
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Table 4.14: Level of usefulness of Social Media  
 Very 
Useful Useful 
Somewhat 
Useful Little Useful Not Useful 
No 
Response 
Type of Social Media Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq % 
Facebook 
33 37.9 25 28.7 14 16.1 4 4.6 5 5.7 6 6.9 
Twitter 
20 23.0 29 33.3 18 20.7 3 3.4 6 6.9 11 12.6 
Blogs 
15 17.2 26 29.9 18 20.7 8 9.2 4 4.6 16 18.4 
YouTube 
21 24.1 28 32.2 15 17.2 8 9.2 5 5.7 10 11.5 
RSS 
10 11.5 21 24.1 14 16.1 10 11.5 9 10.3 23 26.4 
Delicious 
7 8.0 12 13.8 17 19.5 12 13.8 15 17.2 24 27.6 
Source: Field data, 2015  
 
From the table, opinion of 33(37.9%) respondents indicated Facebook as very useful and 
another 25(28.7%) as useful. Only 5(5.7%) respondents indicated that Facebook was not 
useful in reference and user services. Twenty-nine (33.3%) respondents found Twitter to 
be useful, 20(23%) respondents found it very useful and 6(6.9%) respondents indicated 
that it was not useful. Though respondents could not be said to be in love with YouTube 
and Blogs, the usefulness of the two tools could not be taken for granted. This was revealed 
by the fact that only 4(4.6%) and 5(5.7%) indicated respectively that Blogs and YouTube 
were not useful. Twenty-one (24.1%) respondents perceived RSS feeds to be useful in 
reference and user services but 9(10.3%) respondents found RSS not useful. Again, only 
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7(8%) respondents found Delicious very useful. Majority did not see Delicious to have so 
much role in reference services and only perceived it to be somewhat useful. 
  
4.2.7 Challenges Associated with Use of Social Media 
The challenges of using social media could be many and varied. The study sought to find 
out the opinion of respondents on them. The responses are represented in Figure 4.6.  
Figure 4.6: Challenges of Using Social Media  
 
Source: Field data, 2015 
 
As can be seen from the figure, 50(57.5%) respondents agreed that lack of technical skills 
to manage profiles was a challenge but 20(23%) respondents disagreed with this fact. The 
literature revealed that lack of awareness of the array of services that can be provided with 
social media is a challenge. Respondents were therefore asked to give their opinion on this 
Lack of
technical
skills to
manage
profiles
Lack of
awareness of
what social
media offers
Lack of
training in the
use of social
media
Erratic power
supply and
poor
connectivity
due to low
bandwith
Lack of
privacy over
the internet
Lack of time
to manage the
platforms
Low
patronage by
users
Agree 57.5 59.8 59.8 74.7 49.4 37.9 37.9
Neutral 10.3 11.5 10.3 10.3 18.4 23 18.4
Disagree 23 20.7 20.7 10.3 25.3 29.9 36.8
No Response 9.2 8 9.2 4.6 6.9 9.2 6.9
57.5
59.8 59.8
74.7
49.4
37.9 37.9
10.3 11.5 10.3 10.3
18.4
23
18.4
23
20.7 20.7
10.3
25.3
29.9
36.8
9.2 8 9.2
4.6
6.9
9.2
6.9
P
er
ce
n
ta
g
e 
re
sp
o
n
se
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too. Again, 52(59.8%) respondents agreed with this, 10(11.5%) respondents were 
ambivalent while 18(20.7%) disagreed. 
 
Training is key to the use of social media. This could be mainly because it is an emerging 
area. Fifty-two (59.8%) respondents agreed with the fact, 9(10.3%) respondents remained 
neutral on that and 18(20.7%) disagreed. Majority of respondents totaling 65(74.7%) 
affirmed that erratic power supply with its attendant poor internet connectivity remained a 
challenge. Lack of privacy over the internet was seen by 43(49.4%) respondents as a 
challenge. Another challenge from the review of the literature was the lack of time to 
practise social media in libraries. Again, 33(37.9%) respondents agreed to this fact but 
26(29.9%) respondents disagreed. 
  
Patronage also plays a key role in the success of the adoption of social media in user 
services. It was therefore necessary to find out the opinion of respondents on the impact of 
patronage on the adoption of social media. To 33(37.9%) respondents, low patronage was 
a challenge. Another 32(36.8%) disagreed, while 16(18.4%) respondents were non-
committal. 
 
4.2.7.1 Ranking of Challenges 
By far the highly ranked challenge erratic power supply and poor connectivity due to low 
bandwidth. This can be seen from Table 4.15.  
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Table 4.15: Ranking of Challenges  
Challenges Mean 
Std. 
Deviation Rank 
Erratic power supply and poor connectivity due to low 
bandwidth 1.65 1.33 1st  
Lack of training in the use of social media 2.14 1.69 2nd  
Lack of awareness of what social media offers 2.15 1.68 3rd 
Lack of technical skills to manage profiles 2.24 1.73 4th 
Lack of privacy over the internet 2.48 1.73 5th 
Lack of time to manage the platforms 2.82 1.73 6th 
Low patronage by users 2.98 1.8 7th  
Source: Field data, 2015  
 
Erratic power supply and poor connectivity appears to be a pervasive and serious 
challenge in all the universities. Lack of training in the use of social media was also 
identified as the next highly ranked challenge. Meanwhile, low patronage by users was 
the least ranked challenge faced in the universities.  
 
4.3 Qualitative Analysis and Findings  
As indicated earlier, the researcher sought to conduct interviews for some segment of the 
sample. The interviews were intended to compliment the questionnaire to determine the 
perception of librarians on the integration of social media in the area of reference and user 
services. In order to achieve this, face-to-face interviews were conducted in addition to the 
use of questionnaire. 
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There were six interviews in all, five of them were conducted in the offices of interviewees 
within their libraries and one was conducted through video call by the use of skype. All 
interviews were audio-taped and could therefore not be anonymous. In order to keep the 
confidentiality of responses, the personal information on participants with regards to their 
names, designation, and other details were not recorded. The interviews yielded very 
important qualitative results. It is important to note that though some quotations are 
highlighted in this work, they are not linked or identified with respondents. In all cases, 
only the ideas and opinions were expressed and analyzed as data. The interview transcript 
was analysed based on the themes listed below: 
 Management of social media platforms 
 Policy issues on social media use 
 The role of social media in reference and user services 
 The readiness of libraries for integration of social media 
 Infrastructural and other challenges associated with use of social media. 
 
4.3.1 Management of Social Media Platforms 
Respondents of the questionnaire were not in senior management positions and hence were 
not capable of providing information on the management of social media platforms. There 
was the need, therefore, to compliment data from the questionnaire with data from 
interviews with regards to oversight responsibilities and procedures of website 
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management. This section covers the responses of interviewees on the management of 
social media platforms in the public and private universities in Ghana.  
 
All the public libraries involved in the study were on at least two social media platforms. 
They had Facebook pages and Twitter feeds which were active according to interviewees. 
They also had Blogs and LinkedIn accounts though the latter was not included in the study. 
Two of the three private universities were also on social media platforms. Unlike the public 
universities that had their own webpages, the private universities made use of the university 
links. This was due to the small size of the institutions as was explained by one of the 
participants. In such situations, the librarians had no option but to use only those platforms 
that the institutions were active on. One participant in a private university had this to say 
about their platform: 
“The guy who does our PR does a lot of the publicity for the institution as a whole 
and he is overly active on Twitter and Facebook and so I don’t know about 
LinkedIn…. I’m not sure about Instagram but definitely on those two. But he 
basically does it for the institution because we are very small and so the library has 
a Twitter feed.”  
The sentiments expressed were not different from those of another participant from a 
private university who expressed that: 
“The library itself doesn’t have its own website. It depends on the school’s one --- 
and since it’s linked to the school’s website they [the platforms] are regularly 
updated.” 
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Obviously, the type of platform used and how regularly it was updated depended on who 
managed it, whether a librarian or another member of university staff. 
 
4.3.2 The Role of Social Media in Reference and User Services  
Respondents had their own interests, preferences, and choices, and these had the tendency 
to influence their perception on the integration of social media in libraries. The library’s 
setting, mandate, expectations, resources, and the role social media could play were 
perceived by the researcher to be better appreciated by heads of sections. Interviews were, 
therefore, used to gather data on the role of social media in reference and user services. 
Opinions expressed by participants on the place of social media in reference and user 
services were quite interesting. For participants in public universities, social media is very 
good because it offers them the opportunity of getting feedback from users on how best the 
library was performing so they could improve. A participant from a public university had 
this to say: 
“Well I think that we have to be where the users are….  So we don’t have a choice. 
So we have to be there as librarians, even if we might have our personal…. But I 
think that the users are in the social media so we have to be there.” 
A similar expression by another public university participant went as follows: 
“Honestly, my observation is that it [social media] is the best thing that we really 
have to use. When you go outside the country, a lot of universities are using social 
media. For example Facebook, thousands or hundreds of people like it. Once you 
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see users liking them, it could be that they like the content or the libraries and 
whatever they are doing” 
Some private universities saw social media as one of the many ways of engaging users. 
This was mainly because a lot of users, especially students stayed on social media. A 
participant did not mince words as he candidly stated that: 
 “Well my perception is that it [social media] is a platform where you can get a lot 
of ideas, views, and suggestions from users. When an issue [content] is posted, a 
lot of ideas from all angles will come…… so my perception is that it is a good thing 
to use in reference service.” 
 
4.3.3 Policy on Use of Social Media  
Gallivan, Spitler and Koufaris (2005), advancing the social process approach to the social 
network theory, suggests support or informal help either from parent organization or 
colleagues for a successful adoption of innovation like social media. This implies policies 
must be in place to support and guide the use of social media. The researcher, therefore 
sought to find out whether there were policy guidelines that regulated and supported the 
use of social media in the libraries.  
 
The opinions expressed by both public and private universities were mixed and sometimes 
varied concerning policy and support. A participant maintained that efforts at learning and 
implementing social media rather had been through individual efforts and believed policy 
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on support from library management could go a long way to help librarians. In response to 
whether the libraries had policy on social media, a participant intimated that:  
“Not that I’m aware of. A lot is done by individuals. Those who are manning the 
social media…….It is personal interest, reading and developing themselves” 
On the same policy on social media, a similar voice said the following:  
“ But even though the library could help, there should be some personal interest 
that the library can identify and then explore and send the interested people ……… 
because this is an area that if the person is not interested, no matter how much 
training you give the person, the person will not deliver” 
For the private universities, policy for social media was not exclusively for libraries. It was 
general for the institutions, which the libraries were integral part. 
 
4.3.4 Readiness of Libraries for Integration of Social Media 
A question was posed to participants that sought to find out their reaction to the general 
statement that “Libraries are not ready for social media.” This statement received 
interesting responses that seemed to confirm to a large extent that the notion is true.  An 
interviewee expressed an observation in respect of the fact that librarians were not ready 
for social media as:  
“I think it is true.  The older librarians are not. I think it is a generational thing. 
…….. So it is true to a certain extent. The young ones are more interested in social 
media than the older ones. So I think it is true to some extent.” 
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The sentiments expressed by another participant from a private university corroborated this 
when asked to react to the same statement. She said that: 
 “That is probably true, especially in Ghana. I don’t think they like it [social media] 
that much. Everybody does Facebook but they do it for themselves, not for academic 
stuff. It is quite difficult to find people’s Twitter accounts, even people doing 
blogging ……. Maybe I am not looking at the right place……. But it is difficult.”  
Others were of the view that the situation used to be so but the same could not be said of 
the current generation of librarians. An interviewee lamented as expressed in the following:  
“When you go out of the country, this perception is not there. But when you come 
to Africa, especially Ghana that is where you hear this. They [librarians] may not 
be naive, just that majority know about it but they are not conversant with it …….. 
But when you introduce them to the platforms, they begin to flow” 
Participants held different opinions as to whether the use of social media was the way 
modern libraries were unavoidably heading towards and if they thought libraries could be 
better off with social media. A participant from a public university had the following to 
say: 
 “Yes, I think so. I believe so because even now you can have EBSCO on your phone 
………. On the go once you have the plug-in. So you should be able to ask a 
librarian everywhere. The use of library without walls is coming ……… People 
shouldn’t come to the library before they access information……… wherever you 
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are ………. Information on the go. The turn-around time for users in receiving 
information is very important so the way to go is social media” 
This view was shared by one of the participants whose opinion was also expressly carried 
in the following: 
“Definitely social media will make a lot of difference. Because the truth is that we 
are here for our users and if we are not where our users are, then we are not making 
the impact we need to make……… Yes we will be better off.” 
This was not to say librarians were inclined to easily do away with the traditional methods 
of service delivery. There were those who had the notion that traditional service should not 
be sacrificed on the altar of social media. This view was candidly expressed by a participant 
from a private institution as follows: 
 “It will be better but the traditional way of doing things must not be taken off. It 
should     run hand-in-hand with social media.”  
However, some participants felt that social media was a sure way of staying interactive 
with users. They could not understand why platforms would be created and not used. One 
participant had this to say: 
 “If we really want to get to our users, we don’t just have to create the Facebook 
or Twitter and sit back. It has to be a whole department on its own.”  
Another who could not hide his intentions also had this to say:  
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“It is very good ...….. But if you create the platforms and you don’t get someone to 
be using it often, then there is no need creating it. The best thing is to create and 
get someone to be interacting with users.” 
 
4.3.5 Infrastructure and other challenges 
The interviews revealed some challenges with infrastructure that confronted libraries and 
librarians with regard to integration of social media. A number of them were put together 
in a statement from an interviewee who said that:  
“Power (dumso-dumso) and……. Some librarians are skeptical about it……. Also 
bandwidth ……… but the bandwidth should not be a major problem with mobile 
phones.”  
Some interviewees also bemoaned the lack of computers, internet access and inadequate 
space due to the fact that social media was not a priority of library management. This was 
to indicate that social media was not part of the library’s policy and that though 
institutionalized, it all started with individual efforts. The following was how the frustration 
of one participant was poured:  
“One big challenge is that it [social media] is not really pushed from the top. I 
think social media has been successful in this library because of one individual who 
saw it as important and pushed it and it’s been kind of institutionalized. It doesn’t 
have the buying from everybody, especially the top. That is why we have challenges 
with infrastructure.” 
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Other major challenges strongly revealed by participants besides infrastructure bothered 
on lack of time and interest to practice social media, and the fact that some librarians were 
conservative and did not appreciate the value of social media in reference and user services. 
    
4.4 Chapter Summary 
The chapter covered the analysis of data gathered and presentation of findings that emerged 
from it. The findings were presented according to themes aimed at answering the research 
questions. Interviewees were not identified with their statements in order to preserve their 
confidentiality (Babbie, 2010). The questionnaire revealed that though some respondents 
displayed lack of knowledge in social media, majority of respondents were knowledgeable 
in social media and used it. Both questionnaire and interviews revealed that majority of 
participants had used social media for a period between 3-7 years, and that most of the 
parent libraries offered support or incentives by way of seminars, workshops, and 
conferences. Most of the public libraries, however, lacked policy guidelines on the use of 
social media in libraries. 
 
  
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References 
Ayiah, E. M., & Kumah, C. H. (2011). Social networking: A tool to use for effective service 
delivery to clients by African libraries. Proceedings of IFLA Conference, 13 – 18 
August, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Available at: http/conference.ifla.org/ifla77 
[Accessed: 10/12/2014] 
 
Babbie, E. (2010). The practice of social research. 12th ed. Belmont, AC: Wadsworth 
 
Chu, M., & Nalani-Meulemans, Y. (2008). The problems and potential of MySpace and 
Facebook usage in academic libraries. Internet Reference Services Quarterly, 
13(1), 69-85  
 
De Rosa, C., Cantrell, J., Havens, A., Hawk, J., Jenkins, L., Gauder, B., Limes, R., & 
Celleni, D. (2007). Sharing, privacy and trust in our network world. OCLC 
Membership Report, Dublin, OH 
 
Gallivan, M. J., Spitler, V. K., & Koufaris, M. (2005). Does information technology really 
matter? A social information processing analysis of coworkers’ influence on IT 
usage in the work place. Journal of Management Information Systems, 22(1), 
153-192. 
 
Kroski, E. (2007). The social tools of web 2.0: Opportunities for academic libraries. 
Choice, 44(12), 2011-2021 
 
Mohammed, H. K., Reshma, S.R. & Manu, C. (2014). Available at 
www.slideshare.net/ManuChembrakuzhi/use-of-RSS [Accessed 29/09/2015] 
 
O’Sullivan, E., Russel, G. R., & Burner, M. (2008). Research methods for public 
administrators. New York: Pearson. 
 
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Powell, R. R. & Connaway, L. S. (2004). Basic research methods for librarians. London: 
Libraries Unlimited 
 
Rogers, E. M. (2005). Diffusion of innovations, 5th ed., New York: Free Press 
 
Venkatesh V., & Davis, F. D. (2000). Final version of Technology Acceptance Model 
(TAM). Management Science, 46(2), 186-204. 
 
Xie, I., & Stevenson, J. (2014). Social media application in digital libraries. Online        
Information Review, 38(4), 502-523. 
  
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CHAPTER 5 
DISCUSSION OF MAJOR FINDINGS 
5.1 Introduction 
This chapter covers the discussion of analysis and findings presented in Chapter Four. Just 
as in Chapter Four, the discussion followed the themes derived from the research objectives 
and questions and they included: 
 Knowledge and use of social media; 
 Adoption of social media in reference and user services; 
 The level of support offered by parent libraries; 
 The types of social media used; 
 The perception of social media in reference and user services; and 
 Challenges associated with the use of social media in reference services. 
The triangulation involved in the mixed methods approach made it imperative to integrate 
and compare findings that were made available through the qualitative and quantitative 
data analyses. This was to facilitate simultaneous discussion of the findings. In some 
instances, opinions and ideas expressed by respondents and interviewees were convergent 
while in other instances, there were inconsistencies. All these were fully discussed under 
their appropriate themes. 
 
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5.2 Knowledge and Use of Social Media 
Earlier in this work, social media had been defined to be “internet-based or mobile 
application which operates for the purpose of collaboration, where participants [not 
necessarily social workers, professionals with similar social life or media men] can  
connect, create, comment, view, share, rate, discover, profile and exchange user-generated 
content.” Another definition was “Internet based tools designed for collaboration and 
communication.” These two definitions were confirmed by large proportions of librarians. 
This attested to the fact that majority of librarians knew very well what social media could 
be used for. The revelation was reflective of the study by Chu and Du (2013) which found 
out that 71.1% of librarians in the UK were knowledgeable and used social media while 
13.1% planned to use it later. But for many of the librarians to see social media as online 
platform for media activities was worrying. Just about half of the librarians could manage 
personal profiles, less than half of them could connect others to online conversations, 
expert discussions and participation and, therefore, could be described as Librarian 2.0. 
These librarians could bring their expertise to bear on the practice of social media in the 
universities.  
 
The study also revealed that only a third of the librarians got their knowledge of social 
media from seminars, workshops and conferences. This does not support the result of 
Olajide and Oyenira’s (2014) study in which about 90% of Nigerian academic librarians 
had their knowledge of social media from seminars, workshops, and conferences. 
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5.3 Adoption of Social Media in Reference and User Services 
Social media has been practised in library services since 2005 (Kroski, 2007). The adopter 
categories of librarians in Ghana’s private and public universities presented a couple of 
implications. Most of the librarians belonged to either early adopters, early majority or late 
majority. This implies that most librarians had some level of experience with social media 
if not for library services, for personal engagements. This had the tendency to render 
training in social media less difficult. Also in a situation where only few of the librarians 
were laggards, majority of librarians could easily extend their experience in social media 
use to reference and user services with a little motivation. 
 
5.4 Support from Parent Libraries   
In expounding the application of the social network theory in organizations such as the 
library, Frank, Zaho and Borman (2004) indicate that social pressure and informal help 
from the library could influence either the adoption or rejection of an innovation. Social 
pressure, characterized by provision of training in the use of social media, communication 
of notices, and collaborating with colleague librarians has the tendency to influence 
librarians to adopt social media. 
It emerged from the data analysis that support was massive for some librarians, especially 
those in the private university libraries. In libraries where social media practice was 
initiated through individual efforts, they lacked the needed policy, budget and even 
infrastructure to sustain it. This was a complete deviation from the outcome of the study 
by Maness (2006) which indicates that libraries in the UK provided training for librarians 
as well as computers and free internet for patrons to use social media tools in order to 
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promote library services and resources in academic libraries. Though some efforts had been 
made by the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Ghana (CARLIGH) at 
training librarians in the use of social media, it lacked publicity and sensitization. Moreover 
CARLIGH might not be able to fully address the management and infrastructural 
challenges of individual libraries in private and public universities. The involvement of 
library management in integrating social media had the tendency to influence the level of 
support. This could be a good lesson for libraries that relied on personal and individual 
efforts. Management must necessarily be deeply involved in social media issues. 
Data analysis also showed that informal help was rife among librarians in both private and 
public universities. This accounted for the reason why though some librarians had not 
attended any training by way of seminars, workshops and conferences, they were 
knowledgeable in social media issues. This was a positive development which needs to be 
exploited extensively. 
5.5 Types of Social Media Used in Reference and User Services 
Facebook was the toast of reference and user services librarians in Ghana. The interviews 
and questionnaire responses attested to the fact that Facebook was the number one 
platform. Most librarians who used Facebook for work-related purposes did so on daily 
basis or at most weekly. This corroborates a finding from the study conducted by Dickson 
and Holley (2010) that the most used social media platform in libraries is Facebook. The 
popularity of Facebook could be attributed to its ease of use. The fact that most of the 
librarians found Facebook easy to use, and used it daily was an indication that there was a 
positive correlation between the ease of use and the perceived usefulness of Facebook. This 
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supports the technology acceptance model which states in part that the perceived usefulness 
of a system is influenced by the perceived ease of use (Venkatesh & Davis, 2000). 
The application of Twitter in the libraries supports the results of earlier studies which 
indicate that Twitter was popular with librarians and next only to Facebook in popularity 
(Steiner, 2009; Kim & Abass, 2010; Thomas, 2010; Fields, 2010; Bosque, Leif & Skarl, 
2012). The result is, however, relatively low compared with Mahmood and Richardson’s 
(2011) study which revealed that 85% of academic libraries of the Association of Research 
Libraries were using Twitter for news, announcements and other user services.  
There could be varying reasons for this. In the case of the private universities, it could be 
attributed to the fact that they did not have their own webpages. If their universities decided 
not to be active on Twitter feeds, the librarians had no option but to resort to the active 
ones which in most cases included Facebook. On the part of librarians from public 
universities, it could be deduced that Twitter was relatively young compared with 
Facebook (Kim & Abass, 2010) and majority of librarians were not conversant with it. 
Librarians from public academic libraries used Facebook slightly more than those in 
private universities while the contrary was true for Twitter. The difference in the trends of 
use could be attributed to the support offered by parent libraries. 
Data gathered indicate that most librarians were not doing so much of blogging. This is 
attributed to lack of interest on the part of librarians, non-existence of the needed social 
pressure from mother libraries and inadequate informal help from colleagues (Frank, Zaho 
& Borman, 2004; Galivan, Spitler & Koufaris, 2005). This also supports the social network 
theory which explains that the diffusion of innovation in an organization is influenced by 
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social pressure and informal help among colleagues. There was, however, no evidence for 
the researcher to suggest that blogging was inconsistent with reference services. Librarians 
who were using Blogs, RSS and Diigio to engage users were driven by individual efforts 
rather than library policy. Most librarians indicated they had never used RSS and Delicious. 
The perceived difficulty of the platforms accounted for their little use, and this calls for 
retraining of librarians in the use of those platforms. 
About half of the librarians shared pictures through social media, a function that is usually 
performed with YouTube. This is also a deviation from a study by Chauhan (2013) which 
indicates that most academic librarians share photos with users on events such inaugural 
lectures, conferences, and workshops using YouTube. The fact that about half of the 
librarians in public and private universities in Ghana used social media to respond to client 
enquires and receive feedback was refreshing. This is a core function of reference and user 
services and is to be encouraged. Beyond that the finding supports the study by Bell (2007) 
which indicates that librarians in United Kingdom use social media to accept reference 
queries. 
Though the literature indicates that Delicious is popular with librarians (Dickson & Holley, 
2010), this study revealed otherwise because librarians were not using it. This finding is 
the reverse of what happens in Pennsylvania State University where Delicious allows users 
to share information resources that have been tagged with specific keywords. A university-
based social bookmarking website has been created and linked to the library’s catalogue 
so users from the university community can tag online resources from the catalogue and 
also view resources tagged by librarians. 
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5.6 Perception on Social Media in Reference and User services 
From Roger’s (2005) point of view, perception is critical in adopting an innovation, and 
that an individual or a group of people would adopt an innovation only if they perceived it 
to be better than the existing one. Majority of academic librarians in Ghana’s private and 
public universities held the perception that social media could be used to render better 
services than the traditional methods. Though this was demonstrated by most librarians, 
the perception was not as strong as the finding of a study by Choi (2012) which indicates 
that 92% academic librarians in Australia’s libraries had the perception that libraries should 
use social media to engage users and 84.7% thought that social media should be the means 
of engagement among librarians.  It was, therefore, not strange that others strongly felt that 
social media was just one of the many ways of engaging users. The latter thought social 
media was good but it could not completely take the place of traditional methods. So from 
the data analysis, it could be deduced that the perception of social media in reference 
services differed much among librarians. While some librarians could not imagine how 
social media could take the place of the traditional services, others thought that social 
media could take the place of the existing methods.  
One of the sentiments that expressed the need for complete overhaul of the existing 
methods came from a librarian in a public university who advocated for “information on 
the go” irrespective of where users find themselves. Opposing views on the use of social 
media where some librarians were indifferent towards the use of social media and others 
hailed it could thwart every effort to institutionalize social media in reference services and 
must be addressed by library administration. 
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Generally, it could be intimated that the introduction of social media in reference and user 
services in Ghana’s libraries had made some difference but it had not been that pervasive.  
This finding corroborates that of Hendrix et al., (2009) and also Du and Chu (2012) which 
revealed that the use of social media had not been that pervasive in libraries, making it 
difficult to identify specific benefits that had accrued from the application of social media.  
Many librarians perceived social media to be consistent with reference and user services. 
This finding did not support an earlier reviewed one in which some academic librarians 
rejected the use of social media on the basis of triviality and inconsistency (Bradley & 
McDonald, 2011). It was interesting to find out that the perception of social media was not 
arbitrary but rather linked to perceived usefulness of the platforms. Librarians in Ghana 
did not just adopt or use social media because it was a social norm. They want to 
contextualize before finally deciding to institutionalize it. This was the perception of some 
interviewees and it was in consonance with the beliefs of the technology acceptance model. 
That is, “the behavior intention to use a system is determined by the perceived usefulness 
or the extent to which a person believes that using the system will enhance his job 
performance.” Librarians had the perception that social media should be experimented with 
before commitment to adoption was made. This perception also affirmed one of the factors 
that influence adoption of innovation as expounded in the diffusion of innovations theory. 
Some librarians thought they should be with the users. This perception of librarians also 
corroborates the findings by Mack et al., (2007) whose study revealed that since majority 
of undergraduate students were users of social media, potential benefits of social media in 
libraries were enormous. Others, however, saw social media as just one of the many ways 
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of engaging users. The latter were of the opinion that social media should not be adopted 
just because everyone else was using it. It is, therefore, intimated that librarians prefer 
social media but they might want to be sure it was better than the existing methods they 
were familiar with. Librarians were strong in their advocacy for social media and thought 
that the much anticipated “library without walls” could be achieved with the adoption of 
social media in academic libraries. But others were of the opinion that social media should 
always run hand-in-hand with traditional methods, especially in this part of the world 
where most users might not be technologically inclined. To such librarians, social media 
was just one of the many ways of engaging users. 
5.7 Challenges Associated with Use of Social Media 
Many librarians in Ghana’s public and private universities lacked the skill to manage 
profiles. As a result, they had made the traditional service their comfort zone. Though 
majority of librarians were knowledgeable in social media they lacked the knowledge of 
the array of social media platforms that were available. This finding supports Chauhan’s 
(2013) intimation that most academic librarians, especially those in developing countries, 
are not aware of the array of social networking services available to libraries, and  some of 
those who are aware find them to be inconsistent with reference services.  
Social media is an emerging field of knowledge and has evolutionary tendencies. Before a 
user became very conversant with one tool new ones would have emerged. Though training 
was believed to be key, most librarians indicated it was lacking in their universities. In a 
situation where social media was not “pushed from the top”, and was driven by individual 
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efforts, sponsorship for training through seminars, workshops and conferences could be 
lacking.  
A major challenge that librarians grappled with was erratic power supply (locally termed 
dumsor). Erratic power supply as well as poor internet connectivity had the tendency to 
disrupt any online service. It can discourage any social media fan from participating in 
online platform.   The findings also support the issue of privacy that had been identified to 
scare patrons off the use of Facebook in earlier studies (Madden et al., 2005; Charnigo & 
Barnett-Ellis, 2007). Chad and Miller (2005), however, suggests that despite this challenge 
librarians had little choice but to use social media since they risked losing their patrons if 
they chose not to.  
Lack of interest on the part of academic librarians in the use of social media was a worrying 
challenge. The fact was that most academic librarians were interested in only a few social 
media platforms that they were comfortable with. These few platforms, however, could not 
be used to cater for all reference and user services functions, and what is more worrying, 
they wanted to use them for their own personal engagements. The researcher, therefore 
agrees with a librarian on his suggestion that librarians with interest in social media should 
be identified and trained so that they could make greater impact by helping their colleagues.  
The challenge of low patronage also explains why in some libraries social media had been 
introduced yet no tangible difference in service delivery was witnessed. Other challenges 
were conservative attitudes of some librarians and their reluctance to change with current 
trends. Such librarians might not appreciate the value of social media and the difference it 
could make in reference and user services. 
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5.8 Chapter summary 
The discussion of findings was done with continuous reference to the reviewed literature. 
It emerged from the discussion of the findings that librarians in public and private 
universities had knowledge of social media but were limited in their application of the array 
of platforms available mainly due to lack of personal interest and skill to manage the 
platforms. Facts gathered from interview participants attested to the fact that the new 
generation of librarians were more interested and willing to use social media than their 
older counterparts. Though training in the use of the social media platforms was 
acknowledged to be key, it was not rigorously pursued by all academic libraries. Thus only 
a few platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and occasionally Blogs and YouTube were used 
to the neglect of other platforms such as Delicious and RSS. Only few of the librarians 
belonged to laggards and though they were not very conversant with social media 
platforms, they easily grabbed the tenets once they were introduced. 
 
Librarians grappled with some challenges in using social media for reference and user 
services. Some of the challenges were lack of skill to manage profile, lack of training, with 
the commonly acknowledged challenge being erratic power supply and poor internet 
connectivity, which is capable of frustrating any online participation.  
 
 
 
  
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References 
Bell, S.J. (2007). Building better academic libraries with web 2.0 technology tools.    
Library Issues, 28(2), 1-4. 
 
Bosque, D.D., Leif S.A, & Skarl, S. (2012). Libraries atwitter: Trends in academic library 
tweeting. Reference Services Review, 40(2), 199-213. DOI: 
10.110800907321211228246 
 
Bradley, A., & MacDonald, M. (2011). The social organization. Boston, Massachusetts: 
Harvard Business Review Press. 
 
Chad, K., & Miller, P. (2005). Do libraries matter? The rise of library 2.0 in Waiske, J., 
Social media ethical issues: Role of a librarian. Library Hi Tech News, 30(1), 8-6. 
 
Charnigo, L., & Barnett–Ellis, P. (2007). Checking out facebook.com: The impact of a 
digital trend on academic libraries. Information Technology Library, 26(1), 23-34. 
 
Chauhan, M. (2013). Use of Social media in libraries. Available at: 
www.alibnet.org/bookofpaper/ppts [Accessed: 10/01/2015] 
 
 
Chu S.K.W. & Du, H. (2013). Social networking tools for academic libraries. Journal of 
Library & Information Science, 15(1), 64-75 
 
Chung, K.S.K., & Hussain, L. (2010). Towards a social network model for understanding 
communication technology use for general practitioners in rural Australia. 
Computers in Human Behaviour, 26(4), 562-571  
 
Dickson A., & Holley, R. P. (2010). Social networking in academic libraries: the 
possibilities and the concerns. New Library World, 111(11/12), 468-479.  
Available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/03.034 801011094840. 01/10/2014 
[Accessed: 10/01/2015] 
 
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Fagan, J., & Calloway, M. (2002). Creating an instant messaging reference system. 
Information Technology and Libraries, 20(4), 202-212 
 
Fields, E. (2010). A unique use for reference services. Library Hi Tech News, 27(6/7), 14-
15. 
 
Frank, K. A., Zhao, Y. & Borman, K. (2004). Social capital and the diffusion of innovation 
within an organization: The case of computer technology in schools. Sociology of 
Education, 77(2), 148-171. 
 
Gallivan, M. J., Spitler, V. K., & Koufaris, M. (2005). Does information technology really 
matter? A social information processing analysis of coworkers’ influence on IT 
usage in the work place. Journal of Management Information Systems, 22(1), 153-
192. 
 
Graham, J.M., Faix, A., & Hartman, L. (2009). Crashing the Facebook party: One library’s 
experiences in the students’ domain. Library Review, 58(3), 226-236 
 
Hendrix, D., Chiarella, D., Murphy, S., & Zafron, M.L. (2009). Use of Facebook in health 
sciences libraries. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 97(1), 44-47 
 
Kim, Y.M., & Abass, J. (2010). Adoption of Library 2.0 functionalities by academic 
libraries and users: A knowledge management perspective. The Journal of 
Academic Librarianship, 36(3), 211-218 
 
Kroski, E. (2007). The social tools of web 2.0: Opportunities for academic libraries. 
Choice, 44(12), 2011-2021 
 
Mack, D., Behler, A., Roberts, B., & Rimland, E. (2007). Reaching students with Facebook 
data and best practices. Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship, 
8(2) Available at: 
http://southernlibrarianship.icaap.org/content/v08n02/mack_d01.html. [Accessed: 
29/09/2015] 
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Madden, M., Fox, S. Smith, A., & Vitak, J. (2007). Digital footprints: Online identity 
management and search in the age of transparency, in Waiske, J., Social media 
ethical issues: Role of a librarian. Library Hi Tech News, 30(1), 8-6. 
 
Mahmood, K., & Richardson, J.V. (2011). Adoption of Web 2.0 in US academic libraries: 
A survey of ARL libraries. Program: Electronic Library and Information Systems, 
45(4), 365-375. 
 
Maness, J. (2006). Library 2.0 theory: Web 2.0 and its implication for libraries. 
Webology, 3(2) 
 
Matthews, B. (2007). Moving beyond the reference desk: Being where users need us. The 
Reference Librarian, 48(2), 9-13 
 
Olajide, A.A., & Oyeniran, K. G. (2014). Knowledge and use of social media among 
Nigerian librarians. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal), 1145. 
Available at: http://digitalcommons.uni.edu/libphilprac/1145 [Accessed: 
10/12/2015] 
 
Rogers, E. M. (2005). Diffusion of innovations, 5th ed., New York: Free Press 
 
Steiner, H. (2009). Reference utility of social networking sites: Options and functionality. 
Library Hi Tech News, 26(5/6), 4-6. 
 
Thomas, L.C. (2010). Twitter at the office? Journal of Web Librarianship, 4(1), 79-82. 
 
Venkatesh V., & Davis, F. D. (2000). Final version of Technology Acceptance Model 
(TAM). Management Science, 46(2), 186-204. 
 
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CHAPTER SIX  
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 
6.1 Introduction 
The chapter gives a summary of findings based on the objectives of the study outlined in 
Chapter One. It also provides conclusion and recommendations made based on the findings 
to address the challenges associated with the use of social media by reference and user 
services librarians in Ghana’s public and private universities.  
  
6.2 Summary of Findings  
This study investigated the knowledge and use of social media by reference and user 
services librarians in Ghana’s public and private universities and also determined 
librarians’ appreciation of the importance of social media in reference and user services. 
Some of the major findings are presented in this section of the chapter. 
 
6.2.1 Knowledge of Social Media Tools 
The first objective was to determine the level of knowledge of librarians in the use of social 
media. The findings of the study revealed that majority of librarians generally had 
knowledge of social media and knew what it could be used for. They were, however, 
deficient in the skills to use some of the social media tools. As a result, they were limited 
in their application of social media to a few platforms. Quite a number also confused the 
words “social” and “media”. They misinterpreted social media to be the preserve of social 
workers and media activities. The level of knowledge from the librarians’ own perspectives 
was generally good yet only a few claimed to have excellent knowledge of social media. 
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Moreover, librarians in the public universities generally had a better understanding of 
social media than those in the private universities. 
 
6.2.2 Extent of Adoption and Support for Use of social media 
The findings of the study revealed that only a few librarians were laggards and that majority 
of reference and user services librarians belonged to either late majority, early majority, or 
early adopters.  Some of the parent libraries offered massive support or incentives by way 
of seminars, workshops, and conferences. Others did very little to support their librarians, 
in which case personal interest drove the librarians to use social media for both personal 
and professional engagements. 
 
6.2.3 Major Social Media Platforms Used in Reference and User Services 
The findings indicate that the major social media platforms used were Facebook and 
Twitter and occasionally, YouTube and Blogs. Other platforms that were occasionally used 
but which were not part of this study were instant messaging, LinkedIn and Diigio. The 
two major functions that social media was used for were responding to reference queries, 
client enquires and feedback.  
 
6.2.4 Perception of Social Media in Reference and User Services  
The findings revealed that though librarians perceived social media to be useful in 
reference and user services, they still loved the traditional reference services. The perceived 
usefulness of social media was influenced by perceived ease of use. For this reason, 
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platforms such as Delicious, RSS, YouTube and Blogs were not used frequently due to 
their perceived difficulty in use. 
 
6.2.5 Challenges Associated with Use of Social Media 
As part of the objectives, the study sought to find out the challenges that confronted 
libraries in their bid to introduce social media in reference and user services. Erratic power 
supply, low bandwidth and poor internet connectivity constituted major challenges. Lack 
of time and more importantly lack of interest on the part of academic librarians were also 
major challenges. Other challenges included lack of technical skill to manage profiles, lack 
of awareness of the array of social media platforms, lack of training in the use of social 
media and lack of “push” from library administration. 
 
6.3 Conclusion 
The role of social media in information provision in libraries has become critical as a result 
of the mobile agility of today’s users of the library. It is even more critical for reference 
and user services librarians because they are deeply involved in assistance, advice and 
instruction to users of the library. Users of academic libraries should necessarily have the 
luxury of “getting information on the go” without being physically present in the libraries. 
For this reason, it has become imperative for all staff of the library to be on board. 
Unfortunately, the integration of social media in libraries had been characterized with 
challenges such as erratic power supply, apathy, lack of interest and “push” from librarians 
and library management. As a result, its impact is minimal. The paradox is that most 
librarians highly appreciate the importance of social media in libraries yet they love the 
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traditional mode of service delivery. It is, therefore, incumbent on library 
management/administration to put in place measures that will ensure the success of social 
media practice in the libraries. 
 
6.4 Recommendations 
The study established some factors which affected the application of social media in 
reference and user services in Ghana’s public and private universities. It has, therefore, 
made some recommendations based on the findings to address them. 
 
Re-orientation and re-training of librarians in the use of social media will be helpful. This 
should be done through the collaboration of the heads of e-resources and other user services 
departments.  Budgets should be developed by heads and incorporated into the annual 
budgets of libraries to ensure that training is continuous and sustainable. This is because 
social media is an emerging area and more platforms keep emerging. Every effort should 
be made to ensure that librarians are adept at using all emerging platforms that have the 
potential to improve reference and user services.  
 
Formal training also has a role to play in this. Departments responsible for the training of 
information professionals could incorporate social media studies in their curriculum.  This 
way, their products will not only have very good perception of social media but also be 
able to use it effectively.  The older generation who may not necessarily have their way 
back in school, should be retrained through continuous professional development.  
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Publicity and sensitization workshops should be organized by GLA/CARLIGH to whip up 
interest in librarians to use social media. The Ghana Library Association in collaboration 
with CARLIGH can organize such seminars/workshops on the application of new social 
media platforms as soon as they emerge. Preliminary study should be done to find out all 
libraries that are not on social media so that they could be invited to participate in the 
seminars/workshops. Experienced resource persons should be invited and motivated to 
sensitize participants on the use of social media.  Informal help among librarians is strongly 
advised to ensure that all librarians become comfortable with, and appreciate the use of social 
media. 
 
Effective in-house training, specifically in the use of the lesser-used platforms such RSS, 
Blogs and YouTube be organized by parent libraries. The library as a matter of policy 
should communicate and collaborate with staff, faculty and users through social media 
platforms. For example, announcements, notice of meetings, notice of new arrivals, sharing 
of art works, comments, etc should be done through social media. This way, librarians 
would develop more interest in using the platforms. 
  
Users must also be aware of the protocols associated with social communication through 
library user education and if possible, through existing information literary courses. This 
will ensure that users concede the productive uses of social networking sites in library 
services.  During orientation for new users of the library, awareness of the library’s online 
presence should be highlighted by librarians in order to boost patronage of social media.  
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Webmasters in private universities should be advised by librarians to provide access to 
feeds like Twitter which may not be active on their campuses. It is also recommended that 
since social media takes much time, more attention should be given to it. It would not help 
to create social media platforms if they will not be updated or used. In the words of the 
interviewee, “a whole department should be responsible……by way of monitoring the 
activities on social media …….. And librarians with interest should be made to manage 
such departments.”  
 
Some parent libraries did very little to support their librarians, in which case personal 
interest drove the librarians to use social media for both personal and professional 
engagements. It is recommended that policy on social media be put in place. A committee 
of heads of all user services departments or their representatives should be tasked with the 
responsibility of developing such policies. A top-down approach is recommended because 
of the skill and technical knowledge that may be need in developing policies. Heads of 
departments should make strong cases on the importance of social media in the delivery of 
their services to university library administration. Library administration needs to be part 
of the social media campaign. There should be “a push from the top”. This should be done 
by incorporating social media issues in libraries’ strategic plans; issues on infrastructure 
such as the number of computers that will be needed, the bandwidth that should be procured 
in order to have stable internet service, and the level of investment in power supply. When 
this is done budgets could be allocated for infrastructure as well as training in the use of 
specific platforms with oversight responsibility of e-resources librarians. 
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Compulsory continuing professional education should be instituted by the Ghana Library 
Association for all professional librarians in the first instance, and later when successful, 
para-professionals should be included. Parent libraries should be made to sponsor such 
training to ensure that librarians are abreast of current trends in social media.  
 
6.5 Suggestions for Future Research 
The suggestion by earlier researches to use mixed methods approach in social media 
research remains relevant. The ambivalent responses of questionnaire respondents would 
have been difficult to analyze without qualitative supplementary data. 
 
Qualitative approach of studies of this nature should not be limited to interviews. Future 
researchers could explore the websites of libraries involved in the studies for information 
on how libraries use social media. This could go a long way to produce more revealing 
findings. Social media research is still in its infancy in the Ghanaian situation. Further 
studies in this area is suggested by this study. 
 
 
  
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APPENDIX 1 
 
KNOWLEDGE AND USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA BY REFERENCE AND USER 
SERVICES LIBRARIANS IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN 
GHANA 
Dear participant: 
This questionnaire has been designed by an MPhil student of the Department of 
Information Studies, University of Ghana. You have been purposely selected to 
participate in this study because by virtue of your institution’s high ranking among 
universities/ colleges in Ghana, your library fits into the methodological approach of the 
study. It will, therefore, be appreciated if you could give your candid responses to the 
questions. This is an academic exercise and the data collected will be kept strictly 
confidential. 
Thank you. I can be reached by email at mahenko@yahoo.com or by phone on 
0266846782. 
Please tick as applicable unless otherwise stated.  
 
BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
1. The name of my institution is 
 
UG KNUST UCC AUC VVU GTUC 
  2.  Please indicate your department 
Reference E-resources Circulation Serials Other Special Collection 
 
3. Age (years) 
 
Less than 30 31-40 41-50 51-60 More than 60 
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4. What professional membership category do you belong to?  
 
Professional Para-professional 
 
 KNOWLEDGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 
 
5. Which of the following best describes the social media concept?  
 
 
Strongl
y agree 
Agre
e 
Neutr
al 
Disagre
e 
Strongl
y 
disagre
e 
Group of professionals with 
similar social life 
     
Online.platform.for.social.wo
rkers 
     
Online.platform.for.collaborat
ion. and communication 
     
Internet-based tools for 
sharing and discussing 
information 
     
Online platform for media 
activities 
     
 
6. How will you describe your knowledge of social media?  
 
Excellent Very good Good Fairly good Average 
 
7. Where did you acquire your knowledge of social media?  
 
Colleagu
es 
Friend
s 
Conference/Worksh
op/ Seminars 
Electroni
c 
resource
s 
Print 
resourc
e 
Other, 
Please 
specify…
… 
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8. How often do you read, view or participate in the  following social media 
platforms for personal engagements? 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Daily Weekly Monthly Occasionally Never 
Facebook      
Twitter      
Blogs      
YouTube      
RSS      
Delicious      
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140 
 
9. To what extent do you use social media? 
 
 
Strongly 
agree 
Agree Neutral Disagree 
Strongly 
disagree 
I use social media for 
only personal 
engagements 
     
I use social media for 
both personal work and 
library services 
     
I use social media for 
only library services 
     
I have a personal 
profile which I manage 
myself 
     
I connect users to 
online conversations, 
expert discussions and 
participation 
     
I am not a fan of social 
media 
     
 
 
  ADOPTION OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN LIBRARIES 
 
  10. For how long have you used social media in library services?  
 
Less than 1year Up to 3years Up to 5years Up to 7years 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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11. Does your library offer any support to motivate the use of social media?  
         
 
Strongly 
agree 
Agree Neutral Disagree 
Strongly 
disagree 
The library offers in-
house training on the 
use of social media 
     
There exists informal 
help among librarians 
on the use of social 
media 
     
The library has 
guidelines for 
responding to queries 
through social media 
     
There are different 
guidelines for specific 
social media tools 
     
The library does 
nothing to motivate the 
use of social media 
     
 
 
12. I am not enthused about social media in library services for the following reasons 
 
 
Strongly 
agree 
Agree Neutral Disagree 
Strongly 
disagree 
Social media is perceived to 
be difficult to use 
     
I am more comfortable with 
traditional face-to-face service 
     
Lack of skill to use social 
media 
     
My library does not recognize 
the role of social media in 
reference and user services 
     
The library intends to adopt 
social media later 
     
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142 
 
TYPES OF SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS USED IN USER     
SERVICES 
 
13. How often do you read, view or participate in the following social media   
platforms for work related purposes? 
 
  
14. How easy do you find the use of these social media tools for work related purposes? 
 Very easy Easy Appreciably easy Not easy 
Facebook     
Twitter     
Blogs     
YouTube     
RSS feeds     
 
 
 
 
 
 Daily Weekly Monthly Occasionally Never 
Facebook      
Twitter      
Blogs      
YouTube      
RSS      
Delicious      
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
143 
 
15. The following functions are performed in my department with social 
media tools? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Strongly 
agree 
Agree Neutral Disagree 
Strongly 
disagree 
Responding to reference 
queries 
     
Commenting on users’ post       
Sharing pictures      
Notification on new arrivals      
Client enquiries and 
feedback 
     
Social bookmarking      
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144 
 
PERCEPTION OF SOCIAL MEDIA USE IN USER SERVICES 
 
16. What is your perception of social media use in reference and user 
services? 
 
 
Strongly 
agree 
Agree Neutral Disagree 
Strongly 
disagree 
Social media is 
preferred to traditional 
face-to face service 
delivery 
     
Social media cannot be 
a better alternative to 
face-to-face service 
     
Social.media.has.been.i
ntroduced but has not 
brought any tangible 
difference 
     
Social media is not 
consistent with library 
services 
     
Social media is too 
trivial to reference and 
user services 
     
 
 
17. What is the level of usefulness of the following in reference and user services? 
 
 Very useful Useful Somewhat useful Little useful Not useful 
Facebook      
Twitter      
Blogs      
YouTube      
RSS      
Delicious      
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
145 
 
 
18.  Do you see social media as appropriate substitute for the traditional face-to-face 
reference and user services? 
 
 
Strongly 
agree 
Agree Neutral Disagree 
Strongly 
disagree 
Social media is a preferred 
substitute but difficult to use 
     
I will use social media instead of 
face-to-face because it is 
collaborative 
     
Social media is the way modern 
libraries are unavoidably heading 
towards 
     
Library users are still in love with 
face-to-face services 
     
My library is not yet ready for 
social media services 
     
 
   
  
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
146 
 
 CHALLENGES INVOLVED IN USING SOCIAL MEDIA 
 
 19. The following constitute challenge(s) in using social media platforms in my                            
department 
 
 
Strongly 
agree 
Agree Neutral Disagree 
Strongly 
disagree 
Lack of technical skill to 
manage profiles 
     
Lack of awareness of what 
social media offers 
     
Lack of training in the use of 
social media 
     
Erratic power supply and poor 
connectivity due to low 
bandwidth 
     
Lack of privacy over the 
internet 
     
Lack of time to manage the 
platforms 
     
Low patronage by users      
 
 
 
20. Kindly provide any additional information or comments about the 
application of social media in your 
library………………………………………………………………... 
          
…..……………………………………………………………………………………….. 
 
Thank you for completing the questionnaire. Your contribution to this study is highly 
appreciated. 
  
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
147 
 
APPENDIX 2 
INTERVIEW SYNOPSIS 
Time of interview: 
Date: 
Place: 
Interviewee’s position: 
Research topic: Knowledge and use of social media by reference and user services 
librarians in public and private universities in Ghana 
Questions: 
1. For how long has the library used social media in its services? 
2. Which social media platforms have you been using and how often are they updated? 
3. Who is in charge of managing the library’s social media profiles? 
4. Does the e-resource department give technical support to librarians on management 
of social media profile? 
5. How prepared is the library for the integration of social media in reference and user 
services? 
6. Will you intimate that academic libraries would be better off with the use of social 
media? 
7. Does your department have documented statistics/data on social media usage? 
8. What infrastructural challenges are you faced with when using social media in 
reference and user services? 
9. What suggestions would you make to overcome these challenges? 
10. Does the library have policy on the use of social media in reference and user 
services? 
 
 
 
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