eReadiness of public university libraries in Malawi with special reference to the use of mobile phones in the provision of library and information services.

What is the current status of provision and access to library services and information through mobile phones in public university libraries in Malawi. What are the attitudes of library staff, academic staff and students towards the potential use of mobile phones in providing and accessing library and information services.

Introduction

In the context of Malawi, there are no studies available on the use of mobile phones to deliver library and information services. A number of factors have been found to influence mobile phone use in the provision of library and information services.

Public University Libraries in Malawi

Similarly, a study by Song and Lee (2012) indicated that handset costs and monthly data plans prevented some students from owning more than one mobile device in the College of Business at the University of Illinois. undergraduate and postgraduate) stay off campus and commute or walk to access the library, and therefore cannot use the library at night.

Statement of the Problem

Purpose of the Study

Objectives of the Study

To examine the level of preparedness of public university libraries in Malawi in terms of policy, infrastructure, human capacity and acceptance to adopt and use mobile phones in the provision of library and information services. To investigate the factors that are likely to both positively and negatively influence the potential adoption and use of mobile phones in the provision of library and information services.

Research Questions

What possible factors influence the acceptance and use of mobile phones by library staff, students or academic staff in providing and accessing library and information services.

Significance of the Study

In particular, the use of mobile phones in the provision of library and information services was still in its infancy, especially in developing countries. This study used a multiple case study design to investigate the use of mobile phones in the provision of library and information services.

Scope and Delimitations of the Study

Additionally, research is focused on developed and transition economies such as the US, Malaysia, China and Japan. The current study adds to the literature on the use of mobile phones in the provision of library and information services from a Third World perspective, particularly Africa.

Outline of the Thesis

The chapter discusses the findings in relation to the research questions, theory constructs and broader issues of the research problem using existing literature and theory. Further areas of research such as the originality and contribution of the study to policy, practice and theory are suggested.

Introduction

What is the preparedness level of public university libraries in Malawi in terms of ICT infrastructure, policy framework and human capacity for the adoption and use of mobile phones in the delivery of library and information services. What factors respectively influence the adoption and use of mobile phones by library staff, students and academic staff in providing and accessing library and information services?

The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)

Strengths of the TAM

Shortly after the introduction of the program and at the end of the semester, a questionnaire was administered to the students. According to Saricam (2014), the advantage of TAM is the model's ability to identify why a particular system is not accepted and to show how appropriate corrective action can be taken.

Weaknesses of TAM

DIFFUSION OF INNOVATION (DOI) THEORY

Innovation
Communication Channels
Time
The Social System/Context
Innovation Adoption Process
Strengths of the DOI Theory
Weaknesses of the DOI Theory

The late majority represents 34% of the population as does the early majority (Cheng et al., 2004). In the adoption phase, "the individual decides to continue the full use of the innovation".

Figure 2. 2: Diffusion Elements in the Rogers Framework (Source: Chaudhuri, 1994)

UNIFIED THEORY OF ACCEPTANCE AND USE OF TECHNOLOGY

Strengths of the UTAUT Model
Weaknesses of the UTAUT Model
Justification for the Use of UTAUT Model in the Present Study
Uses of UTAUT in Research

Finally, facilitating conditions are represented by three different constructs, namely perceived behavioral control (TPB/DTPB, C-TAM-TPB), facilitating conditions (MPCU) and compatibility (IDT) (Venkatesh et al. 2003). Effort expectancy is defined as the degree of ease associated with using the system (Venkatesh et al., 2003).

Figure 2. 3: UTAUT (Source: Venkatesh et al., 2003)

THE TECHNOLOGY–ORGANIZATION–ENVIRONMENT (TOE)

The Technological Context
Organisational Context
The Environmental Context
Strengths and Uses of the TOE Framework in Research

Although the studies cited above indicate that the UTAUT model has been widely used, the literature reviewed revealed the application of the model in the study of mobile phone use in libraries. In the case of the library and information field, the library may be forced to adopt technologies such as the use of mobile phones in the provision of library and information services in order to adequately meet the information needs of its customers.

Figure 2. 4: The Technology – Organisation – Environment (TOE) Framework (Source:

Summary

Introduction

Sources of Literature

What electronic information resources and services are currently available in public university libraries in Malawi that could potentially be adopted and used through mobile phones. The chapter is organized as follows: 3.1 Introduction; 3.2 Literature sources; 3.3 Electronic readiness of public university libraries in Malawi in terms of ICT infrastructure, policy framework and human capacity for the adoption and use of mobile phones in the provision of library and information services; 3.4 Adoption and use of mobile phones by the university.

E-readiness of Public University Libraries in Malawi in Terms of ICT

The Concept of E-readiness
E-readiness Status of Public University Libraries in Relation to ICT

Mobile Telecommunications Sector in Malawi

E-readiness Status of Public University Libraries in Relation to Human
E-readiness Status of Public University Libraries in Relation to Availability of
E-readiness Measuring Tools

Policies, as already discussed, play a decisive role in the operations and activities of a library organization and are important in determining the e-readiness status of a library in relation to the presentation of library and information services through the use of mobile phones . This development is likely to help in the implementation of ICT projects, including library and information services through mobile phones.

Adoption and Use of Mobile Phones by University Students and Academic Staff 55

Adoption of Mobile Phones Amongst University Students in the USA
Adoption of Mobile Phones Amongst University Students in the Developed
Adoption of Mobile Phones Amongst University Students in Africa
Mobile Phone Ownership Among Academic Staff
Uses of Mobile Phones Among Students and Academic Staff

Uses of Mobile Phones Among Students
Uses of Mobile Phones Among Academic Staff

The majority of available studies on mobile phone adoption and use have been conducted in the US. One of the few available case studies on cell phone ownership among college students was conducted by Becker et al.

The Current Status of Providing and Accessing Library and Information Services

Service Offering

Quick Response (QR) Codes
Short Message Service (SMS)
Mobile Web-Based Library Services
Cloud Computing
Other Mobile Phone-Based Library Services

In general, a large number of respondents in the studies reviewed in this section do not seem to be aware of what QR codes are. A study by Wang et al. 2012) documented the use of the SMS service combined with the mobile web-based services at the Oriental Institute of Technology (OIT) Library in Taiwan.

Attitudes of Library Staff, Students and Academic Staff to the Use of Mobile

Attitudes of Students to the Use of Mobile Phones to Access Library Services

The results of the survey showed that 57% of respondents had not visited the library website using their mobile device. The results of this study showed that 66.3% of respondents never accessed library resources using their mobile devices, 15.1% accessed one resource, 7.8% accessed two resources, and 6.5%.

Attitudes of Academic Staff to the Use of Mobile Phones to Access Library

The limited use of library resources recorded in this study was attributed to a lack of awareness. In this study, QR codes were only accessed 33 times during the four-week period in which this project was conducted.

Attitudes of Library Staff towards the Use of Mobile Phones to Deliver

This could be interpreted as librarians having a positive attitude towards the use of mobile phones in the provision of library services, as they see them as a tool that would allow them to reach their customers. The use of mobile phones has enabled libraries to offer services to their patrons outside of normal business hours, helping to overcome barriers of time and space (Malik and Mahmood, 2013) and bringing convenience to library users (Ballard and Blaine, 2013). ).

Summary and Gaps in the Literature

The present study assessed the use of mobile phones in the provision of library services from the perspective of users and service providers. The present study was a multi-case study investigating the use of mobile phones for information service delivery in public university libraries in Malawi.

Introduction

This included choosing the right paradigm, research design, method, sampling techniques, data collection instruments and procedures, and data analysis techniques, among others. This chapter is organized as follows: 4.1 Introduction; 4.2 Research paradigms; 4.3 Research approaches/methods; 4.4 Research design; 4.5 Study population; 4.6 Sampling.

Research Paradigm

Positivist/Post-Positivist Paradigm
Social Constructivist/Constructionism/Interpretive Paradigm
Advocacy/Participatory/Critical Paradigm
The Pragmatic Paradigm

Due to the nature of this study, which involved examining policies and identifying available infrastructure, the use of a positivist paradigm was inappropriate. This means that both the agenda and the methodological approach of the critical paradigm run parallel to those used in this study.

Research Approaches/Method

Quantitative Methods

The nature of quantitative studies is that they quantify the variables of a phenomenon, situation, problem or issue and collect information using predominantly quantitative variables, while the analysis is geared to ascertain the magnitude of the variation (Kumar, 2005). In this particular context, the pragmatic paradigm has been chosen for use in this study.

Qualitative Methods

Therefore, the quantitative methodology was not considered appropriate for use in this study as it alone could not have helped adequately answer the research questions addressed in this study. The research questions posed in this study could not have been adequately answered through the use of purely qualitative methods, as they also required the collection of quantitative data.

Mixed Methodology

Types of Mixed Research Design

The quantitative data is prioritized and the two methods are integrated in the interpretation phase of the study. The present study made use of the simultaneous triangulation design (methodological triangulation), where both quantitative and qualitative methods were equally weighted.

Research Design

The multi-case study design has been used by other previous researchers in various fields. Evaluative case studies are another form of case study undertaken to examine the value of a specific program.

Population of the Study

Sampling Technique and Research Sample

Types of Sampling Techniques

Simple Random Sampling
Stratified Random Sampling
Purposive Sampling Technique
Sampling Tables

Table 4.2 published below as provided by Israel (2013) was used to sample the academic staff and student population that was administered the questionnaire. Using a precision level of ±5%, the researcher drew a sample of 370 for the student population and 255 for the academic staff.

Table 4. 2: Table for Selecting Sample Sizes [An Abridged Version] (Source: Israel 2013)

Data Collection Instruments

Questionnaires

Mailed questionnaires were not used in this study because of the poor response rates mentioned above, and also because of other logistical challenges. Self-completed questionnaires were considered a valuable tool because they guarantee a higher response rate of as much as 100 % in certain cases.

Interview Guides/Protocols

According to Smith (1995), tape recorders can allow the researcher to capture a more complete record of the interview than the notes taken during the interview process. The other advantage of using a tape recorder is that the researcher can always play back the recording to clarify the notes the researcher took during the interview.

Instrument Validation and Reliability Testing

Adapting Questions from Well-Established Researchers
Pilot-Testing
Triangulation
Cronbach’s Alpha
Member Checking

Therefore, the discussion in this section focuses on the measures the researcher used to ensure the validity and reliability of the research findings. Similarly, interviewee comments and researcher observations were used to improve the format and content of the interview guides.

Data Collection Procedures

Structured Interviews
Un-structured Interviews
Semi-Structured Interviews
Questionnaires

It is a commonly used technique in qualitative studies, and has been described by Lincoln and Guba (1985, p.314) as "the most critical technique for establishing credibility". The researcher used this type of interview technique in conducting interviews with the university/college librarians and ICT directors.

Data Analysis

The researcher analyzed the data collected in this study mainly using data analysis software. As previously mentioned, the questionnaires used in this study contained a combination of closed and open-ended questions.

Ethical Consideration

In that case, the researcher is obliged to obtain the participant's voluntary informed consent to participate in the study. Anonymity means that the names and other unique identifiers of the subjects are never linked to the data or known to the researcher (Sieber, 2009).

Summary

Adequate acknowledgment of reference sources, truthfulness in the way the researcher deals with various aspects of the study and unbiased interpretation of data have been recognized as signs of ethical good conduct in research (Walliman, 2011). In addition, the researcher strove to be truthful at all times in order to maintain the integrity of the study.

Introduction

Data collected through questionnaires were analyzed using IBM SPSS Version 23 to generate tables, graphs, pie charts and other statistics.

Response Rate

However, response rates at the institutional level show that the survey achieved a 100% response rate at Kamuzu College of Nursing and College of Medicine respectively. Kamuzu College of Nursing and College of Medicine respectively recorded the lowest response rates among academic staff.

Demographic Profile of the Respondents

Faculty Affiliation of the Respondents

Further analysis of the data shows that the respondents were selected from the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences and Health Professions, the Faculty of Pedagogical and Media Studies, and the Faculty of Commerce. Analysis of the data collected from the academic staff shows that the majority of the respondents come from the Faculty of Education.

Table 5. 1: Distribution of the Student Respondents by Institution and Faculty (N=316)

Gender, Age Range and Year of Study of Students

Gender, Age Range and Year of Study of Academic Staff

Findings

ICT Infrastructure

Mobile Phone/Mobile Device Ownership
Mobile Phone Use
ICT Infrastructure Necessary for Adoption and Use of Library and
Mzuzu University
Kamuzu College of Nursing
The Polytechnic
College of Medicine
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR)

The ICT director further emphasized the readiness of the institution to provide library and information services through mobile phones. He expressed concern that the lack of institutional policy could affect the implementation of library and information services through mobile phones.

Figure 5. 3: Mobile Phone Ownership among Students (N=314) Source: Survey data, 2016

Availability of Relevant Human Capacity for the Adoption and Use of Mobile

Mzuzu University
The Polytechnic

He also stated that staff have the knowledge and skills to oversee the implementation and management of library and information services offered through mobile phones. He also stated that the available staff have all the necessary skills to manage library and information services using mobile phones.

Electronic Information Resources and Services that are Currently Available in

Mzuzu University
The Polytechnic

CL also observed that the e-resources were used more by both academic staff and students. Asked if he saw the possibility that the e-resources could be accessed by students and academic staff using mobile phones, CL replied in the affirmative.

The Current Status of Providing and Accessing Library and Information Services

Mzuzu University

Kamuzu College of Nursing

The Polytechnic

College of Medicine

Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR)

Access to Information Resources Using Mobile Phones

Attitudes of Library Staff, Academic Staff and Students towards the Potential Use

Mzuzu University

The Polytechnic

College of Medicine

Factors that influence the adoption and use of mobile phones by library staff,

Mzuzu University

The Polytechnic

College of Medicine

Summary

Introduction

Response Rates

E-readiness of Public University Libraries in Malawi in Terms of ICT

E-readiness of Public University Libraries in Malawi in Terms of ICT
E-readiness of Public University Libraries in Malawi in Terms of Policy

Electronic Information Resources and Services Available in Public University

The Current Status of Providing and Accessing Library and Information Services

Attitudes of Library Staff, Academic Staff and Students towards the Potential Use

Factors that Influence the Adoption and Use of Mobile Phones by Library Staff,

Summary

Introduction

Summary of findings

E-readiness of public university libraries in Malawi in terms of ICT

E-readiness of Public University Libraries in Malawi in Terms of ICT
E-readiness of public university libraries in Malawi in terms of policy
E-readiness of public university libraries in Malawi in terms of human

Electronic information resources and services currently available in public
Current Status of Providing and Accessing Library and Information Services
Attitudes of library staff, academic staff and students towards the potential
Possible factors that influence the adoption and use of mobile phones by

Conclusions

E-readiness of public university libraries in Malawi in terms of ICT
Electronic information resources and services currently available in public
Current Status of Providing and Accessing Library and Information Services
Attitudes of Library Staff, Academic Staff and Students towards the Potential
Factors Influencing the Adoption and Use of Mobile Phones by Library Staff,
Overall Conclusion of the Study

Recommendations

Originality of the Study

Contributions of the Study

Areas for Further Research

Informed Consent Form for Interviewees

Informed Consent Form for Respondents Completing Questionnaires

Interview guide for University/College ICT Directors

Interview guide for University/College Librarians

Questionnaire for students

Questionnaire for Academic Staff

Introductory letter to the research institutions

Permission to conduct research at Mzuzu University

Permission to conduct research at Kamuzu College of Nursing

Permission to Conduct Research at the Polytechnic

Permission to conduct research at College of Medicine

Permission to conduct research at Lilongwe University of Agriculture

University of KwaZulu-Natal Ethics approval