Multiple Factors Influence Undergraduates’ Intent to Use Online Library Resources

A Review of: Joo, S., & Choi, N. (2015). Factors affecting undergraduates’ selection of online library resources in academic tasks. Library Hi Tech, 33(2), 272-291. doi: 10.1108/LHT-01-2015-0008 Objective – To investigate multiple factors that may affect undergraduate students’ selection...

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Main Author: Eamon C Tewell
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Alberta 2015-12-01
Series:Evidence Based Library and Information Practice
Online Access:https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/eblip/index.php/EBLIP/article/view/25585
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spelling doaj-3e5fce9baaaa4dd7bc11b3ea2ea686c82020-11-25T02:11:25ZengUniversity of AlbertaEvidence Based Library and Information Practice1715-720X2015-12-0110410.18438/B8XG7MMultiple Factors Influence Undergraduates’ Intent to Use Online Library ResourcesEamon C TewellA Review of: Joo, S., & Choi, N. (2015). Factors affecting undergraduates’ selection of online library resources in academic tasks. Library Hi Tech, 33(2), 272-291. doi: 10.1108/LHT-01-2015-0008 Objective – To investigate multiple factors that may affect undergraduate students’ selection of online library resources. Usefulness and ease of use, quality, and user differences were each explored as factors influencing undergraduates’ use intention. Design – Survey questionnaire. Setting – A state university located in the United States of America. Subjects – 332 randomly selected undergraduate students. Methods – A survey designed to measure the intent to utilize online library resources was administered to an undergraduate population. The results, including 11 factors of use intention, were analyzed quantitatively using inferential statistics such as structural equation modeling, multiple regression, t-tests, ANOVAs, and linear regression. Main Results – The factors of usefulness and ease of use were reported to have a positive relationship with undergraduates’ intent to use online library resources (regression weights = 0.473 and 0.408, p < 0.01). Respondents who answered that they were “very or extremely familiar” with online library resources had higher use intention of these sources (mean = 6.17) than other groups moderately or not at all familiar (mean = 5.74 and 4.95, respectively). Experience in a library instruction program was not found to influence use intention (t = -0.368, p > 0.05). Conclusions – The authors conclude that multiple factors influence online library resource selection behavior among undergraduates. The results indicate that usefulness and ease of use are important factors in use intention. The effect of “resource quality” factors, indicated by credibility, format, accessibility, currency, and coverage, suggested that all five factors positively impact use intention. Accessibility is most likely to increase the likelihood of online library resource selection while the credibility of a source has the weakest effect on selection. Familiarity with online library resources and self-reported strong search skills also positively influenced use intention.https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/eblip/index.php/EBLIP/article/view/25585
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Eamon C Tewell
spellingShingle Eamon C Tewell
Multiple Factors Influence Undergraduates’ Intent to Use Online Library Resources
Evidence Based Library and Information Practice
author_facet Eamon C Tewell
author_sort Eamon C Tewell
title Multiple Factors Influence Undergraduates’ Intent to Use Online Library Resources
title_short Multiple Factors Influence Undergraduates’ Intent to Use Online Library Resources
title_full Multiple Factors Influence Undergraduates’ Intent to Use Online Library Resources
title_fullStr Multiple Factors Influence Undergraduates’ Intent to Use Online Library Resources
title_full_unstemmed Multiple Factors Influence Undergraduates’ Intent to Use Online Library Resources
title_sort multiple factors influence undergraduates’ intent to use online library resources
publisher University of Alberta
series Evidence Based Library and Information Practice
issn 1715-720X
publishDate 2015-12-01
description A Review of: Joo, S., & Choi, N. (2015). Factors affecting undergraduates’ selection of online library resources in academic tasks. Library Hi Tech, 33(2), 272-291. doi: 10.1108/LHT-01-2015-0008 Objective – To investigate multiple factors that may affect undergraduate students’ selection of online library resources. Usefulness and ease of use, quality, and user differences were each explored as factors influencing undergraduates’ use intention. Design – Survey questionnaire. Setting – A state university located in the United States of America. Subjects – 332 randomly selected undergraduate students. Methods – A survey designed to measure the intent to utilize online library resources was administered to an undergraduate population. The results, including 11 factors of use intention, were analyzed quantitatively using inferential statistics such as structural equation modeling, multiple regression, t-tests, ANOVAs, and linear regression. Main Results – The factors of usefulness and ease of use were reported to have a positive relationship with undergraduates’ intent to use online library resources (regression weights = 0.473 and 0.408, p < 0.01). Respondents who answered that they were “very or extremely familiar” with online library resources had higher use intention of these sources (mean = 6.17) than other groups moderately or not at all familiar (mean = 5.74 and 4.95, respectively). Experience in a library instruction program was not found to influence use intention (t = -0.368, p > 0.05). Conclusions – The authors conclude that multiple factors influence online library resource selection behavior among undergraduates. The results indicate that usefulness and ease of use are important factors in use intention. The effect of “resource quality” factors, indicated by credibility, format, accessibility, currency, and coverage, suggested that all five factors positively impact use intention. Accessibility is most likely to increase the likelihood of online library resource selection while the credibility of a source has the weakest effect on selection. Familiarity with online library resources and self-reported strong search skills also positively influenced use intention.
url https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/eblip/index.php/EBLIP/article/view/25585
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