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Changing the face of reference and user services: adoption of social media in top Ghanaian academic libraries

Changing the face of reference and user services: adoption of social media in top Ghanaian... PurposeSocial media allows collaboration, participation and sharing in libraries with users. The purpose of this research is to examine the response of academic librarians in Ghana to the use of social media in reference and user services. Design/methodology/approachIt is a quantitative study that employed the Likert type of questionnaire in soliciting the views of academic librarians from six public and private universities in Ghana on their knowledge and use of social media in providing reference and user services. FindingsThe findings of the study indicate that majority of academic librarians are knowledgeable and use social media for both personal and work-related purposes. They however, lack adequate skills to use the array of social media tools to make remarkable difference in service delivery. For this reason, they find the traditional mode of service delivery a comfort zone. Practical implicationsHigher education policy makers in Ghana and elsewhere would find the results useful in decisions on the types of social media tools to use in universities and colleges.Originality/valueThe study provides in-depth analysis of the impact of social media on reference and user services in Ghanaian libraries, which is deficient in literature. It also recommends change in policy direction and training to whip up interest in librarians to use social media. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Reference Services Review Emerald Publishing

Changing the face of reference and user services: adoption of social media in top Ghanaian academic libraries

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References (21)

Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © Emerald Group Publishing Limited
ISSN
0090-7324
DOI
10.1108/RSR-01-2016-0001
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

PurposeSocial media allows collaboration, participation and sharing in libraries with users. The purpose of this research is to examine the response of academic librarians in Ghana to the use of social media in reference and user services. Design/methodology/approachIt is a quantitative study that employed the Likert type of questionnaire in soliciting the views of academic librarians from six public and private universities in Ghana on their knowledge and use of social media in providing reference and user services. FindingsThe findings of the study indicate that majority of academic librarians are knowledgeable and use social media for both personal and work-related purposes. They however, lack adequate skills to use the array of social media tools to make remarkable difference in service delivery. For this reason, they find the traditional mode of service delivery a comfort zone. Practical implicationsHigher education policy makers in Ghana and elsewhere would find the results useful in decisions on the types of social media tools to use in universities and colleges.Originality/valueThe study provides in-depth analysis of the impact of social media on reference and user services in Ghanaian libraries, which is deficient in literature. It also recommends change in policy direction and training to whip up interest in librarians to use social media.

Journal

Reference Services Review – Emerald Publishing

Published: Aug 8, 2016

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