Access and use of digitised special collections at Midlands State University Library

Academic libraries have digitised their collections for easy access and effective utilisation by adopting institutional repositories. The study noted that there is seemingly limited utilisation of digitised special collections by users at Midlands State University although the library has been able...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Zimba, Macdonald
Language:English
Published: Midlands State University 2019
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11408/3639
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1779905339500527616
author Zimba, Macdonald
author_facet Zimba, Macdonald
author_sort Zimba, Macdonald
collection DSpace
description Academic libraries have digitised their collections for easy access and effective utilisation by adopting institutional repositories. The study noted that there is seemingly limited utilisation of digitised special collections by users at Midlands State University although the library has been able to digitise these collections and disseminate them on the Institutional Repository. Therefore, the research aimed to investigate the utilisation of digitised special collections at the Midlands State University Library. The study sought to explore how special collections are defined by the library and to what extent are they being utilised. It intended to determine and appraise the access tools provided by the library and to ascertain any challenges faced in the utilisation of these digitised special collections. The research was qualitative in nature were a phenomenological research design was used to explore how special collections are defined by the Midlands State University academic library and how frequently users are using the special collections. The study was able to explore how special collections are defined at Midlands State University Library. Positive remarks are given to the Midlands State University Library for collecting and digitising these special collections and providing effective access tools to digital information. However, it concluded that users are under-utilising these digitised special collections mainly because of lack of awareness over the availability of these collections and the institutional repository. Lack of awareness is coupled up with other variables that include lack of mobile data, availability of other online sources and hard copy information, in creating a barrier in accessing digitised special collections at Midlands State University Library.
id ir-11408-3639
institution My University
language English
publishDate 2019
publisher Midlands State University
record_format dspace
spelling ir-11408-36392022-06-27T13:49:04Z Access and use of digitised special collections at Midlands State University Library Zimba, Macdonald Academic libraries Digitisation Special collections Academic libraries have digitised their collections for easy access and effective utilisation by adopting institutional repositories. The study noted that there is seemingly limited utilisation of digitised special collections by users at Midlands State University although the library has been able to digitise these collections and disseminate them on the Institutional Repository. Therefore, the research aimed to investigate the utilisation of digitised special collections at the Midlands State University Library. The study sought to explore how special collections are defined by the library and to what extent are they being utilised. It intended to determine and appraise the access tools provided by the library and to ascertain any challenges faced in the utilisation of these digitised special collections. The research was qualitative in nature were a phenomenological research design was used to explore how special collections are defined by the Midlands State University academic library and how frequently users are using the special collections. The study was able to explore how special collections are defined at Midlands State University Library. Positive remarks are given to the Midlands State University Library for collecting and digitising these special collections and providing effective access tools to digital information. However, it concluded that users are under-utilising these digitised special collections mainly because of lack of awareness over the availability of these collections and the institutional repository. Lack of awareness is coupled up with other variables that include lack of mobile data, availability of other online sources and hard copy information, in creating a barrier in accessing digitised special collections at Midlands State University Library. 2019-05-15T14:16:31Z 2019-05-15T14:16:31Z 2018 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/3639 en open Midlands State University
spellingShingle Academic libraries
Digitisation
Special collections
Zimba, Macdonald
Access and use of digitised special collections at Midlands State University Library
title Access and use of digitised special collections at Midlands State University Library
title_full Access and use of digitised special collections at Midlands State University Library
title_fullStr Access and use of digitised special collections at Midlands State University Library
title_full_unstemmed Access and use of digitised special collections at Midlands State University Library
title_short Access and use of digitised special collections at Midlands State University Library
title_sort access and use of digitised special collections at midlands state university library
topic Academic libraries
Digitisation
Special collections
url http://hdl.handle.net/11408/3639
work_keys_str_mv AT zimbamacdonald accessanduseofdigitisedspecialcollectionsatmidlandsstateuniversitylibrary