Design effectiveness of academic library web sites. A comparison of university, polytechnic, and college sites in Nigeria

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/EL-08-2018-0159
Date03 June 2019
Pages577-591
Published date03 June 2019
AuthorFasola P. Abifarin,Shaka Apodoghe Imavah,Ayodele S. Olobashola
Subject MatterInformation & knowledge management
Design eectiveness of academic
library web sites
A comparison of university, polytechnic,
and college sites in Nigeria
Fasola P. Abifarin,Shaka Apodoghe Imavah and
Ayodele S. Olobashola
Department of Library and Information Technology,
Federal University of Technology Minna, Minna, Nigeria
Abstract
Purpose Academic library websites need evaluation to determine whether users can derive useful
experiences while visiting them to perform tasks. This is more so because visiting an academic library
websiteisbyvoluntaryactionrather than compulsion as is the case with university, polytechnic and
college sites where students must conduct academic transactions that cannot be reasonably avoided.
The result of such an evaluation provides signposts for improvement so that academic library websites
can continue to be useful to their users. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to assess the structural
effectiveness of academic library websites in Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach The case study, research strategy and survey research approach
were adopted for the study. Through a Web search, 14 universities, one polytechnic and one college of
education were identied while three academic library websites were selected for the study. The
evaluation of the websites was un-moderated and conducted remotely by user participants who were
recruited across the three tertiary institutions under study. A ve-point scale questionnaire served as
the research instrument while data were presented in tables and analyzed using the median score.
The KruskallWallis test by ranks was used to test the null hypothesis at a ve per cent level of
signicance.
Findings Out of the 20 items presented for assessment, Group 1 and 2 disagreed to 11 (55 per cent)
while agreeing on the re maining 9 (45 per cent) on Lib 1 and Lib 2 website s. Group 3 agreed to 11 (55 per
cent) while disagreeing on 9 (45 per cent) on the Lib 3 website. The null hypothesis proposed for the study
was rejected as the p-value of 0.04 was signicant at p0.05. This indicated that most of the critical
issues pertaining to design effectiveness were perceived to be ineffective.
Originality/value The ndings from this study call for a review of the design of academic library
websitesin Nigeria so that users can identify which websitesare easier to use.
Keywords User studies, Nigeria, User perceptions, Academic libraries, Websites, Website usability,
Academic library websites, Design effectiveness
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The internet has revolutionized the way information is collected, processed, stored,
disseminated and accessed in various domains. Web presence, therefore, assumes a very
high priority for organizations that desire to be reached easily, readily, instantly and
unrestrainedly.These days, clients take interest in verifying the existence of an organization
through its Web presence as well as its physical geographical location. Education
institutions have reacted to this new user requirement by building expensive and all-
embracing websitesto publish their course offerings and activities.
Design
eectiveness of
academic
library
577
Received15 August 2018
Revised27 December 2018
21April 2019
Accepted8 May 2019
TheElectronic Library
Vol.37 No. 3, 2019
pp. 577-591
© Emerald Publishing Limited
0264-0473
DOI 10.1108/EL-08-2018-0159
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0264-0473.htm

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