Case study on digital library's user viscosity in Chongqing University Library
| Date | 17 February 2012 |
| Pages | 184-194 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/01435121211217234 |
| Published date | 17 February 2012 |
| Author | Xinya Yang,Hui Yuan,Huanwen Cheng,Pak‐sing Andrew Liu |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
Case study on digital library’s
user viscosity in Chongqing
University Library
Xinya Yang
College of Information Management, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou,
People’s Republic of China and Library of Chongqing University, Chongqing,
People’s Republic of China
Hui Yuan
Library of Chongqing University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China, and
Huanwen Cheng and Pak-sing Andrew Liu
College of Information Management, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou,
People’s Republic of China
Abstract
Purpose – It is important for digital library to attract users to be reliant on the library. Besides
providing research resources, the library still has many ways to achieve this goal. This article aims to
experiment on the library merit system which provides different ways to enhance users’ viscosity on
using library.
Design/methodology/approach – For the experiment, a merit system was developed and
implemented; users’ feedback was collected by a questionnaire survey for analysis.
Findings – The results showed that the degree of users’ viscosity on the digital library was increased
and several areas for a successful digital library portal should be paid more attention to.
Originality/value – The merit system can successfully increase users’ viscosity with digital library.
Keywords Digital libraries,Reader services, Information portal
Paper type Case study
1. Introduction
In the development of digital technologies, digital resources have become mor e popular
and important to university teachers and students who are the library users. However,
most of the users may think that a digital library is just a shortcut to accessing online
databases, only a few of them would like to use the services and information in digital
library. In the face of competition from commercial search engines, digital libraries
should take some action to engage the users’ attention. In the internet world, the most
popular may not be the best. For example Microsoft Windows is the most popular and
widely used operating system, however its reputation is far below Mac OS of Apple
Inc. In this project, a merit system has been developed and implemented to increase the
user viscosity with the digital library of a university. The main aim of the project was
to fascinate the user to lifetime digital library use.
The concept of user viscosity comes from the Social Networking Service (SNS); it is
an important idea of internet marketing and web site ranking (Wang and Wang, 2010).
The principle of SNS to realize is that one person as the center and forms a relationship
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0143-5124.htm
LM
33,3
184
Received 22 February 2011
Revised 18 April 2011
Accepted 25 June 2011
Library Management
Vol. 33 No. 3, 2012
pp. 184-194
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0143-5124
DOI 10.1108/01435121211217234
To continue reading
Request your trial