Library self‐service. Predicting user intentions related to self‐issue and return systems
| Published date | 13 November 2009 |
| Pages | 938-949 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/02640470911004048 |
| Date | 13 November 2009 |
| Author | Kuochung Chang,Chiao‐Chen Chang |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Library self-service
Predicting user intentions related to self-issue
and return systems
Kuochung Chang and Chiao-Chen Chang
Department of International Business, National Dong Hwa University,
Hualien, Taiwan
Abstract
Purpose – This paper aims to compare the effectiveness of the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the
technology acceptance model (TAM) and the integrated TPB/TAM model to understand acceptance of
library self-issue and return systems.
Design/methodology/approach – The study data come from a non-random convenience sample of
266 undergraduate students, age 18-25. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using AMOS
17.0 to identify causal relationships.
Findings – Findings show that the TPB/TAM integrated model is superior to the TPB and the TAM
alone in terms of the ability to explain user acceptance of self-issue and return systems. Although
subjective norm, perceived behavioral control and perceived usefulness have direct positive
relationships to behavioral intention to use self-issue and return systems, attitude plays the most
important role in explaining the intention to use self-issue and return systems.
Research limitations/implications – The study assesses self-reported behavioral intention as
part of the survey and, as a result, could have introduced inaccuracies.
Practical implications – Librarians should reinforce the efficiency of self-issue and return systems
to influence customers’ willingness to use such systems.
Originality/value – Little has been written on the intention to use self-issue and return systems. The
three models are novel and usable in predicting the intention of self-issue and return systems, and the
findings may also be generally applicable to librarians, users, and information systems professionals.
Keywords Library users, Self-service, Returns,Consumer behaviour, Taiwan
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Self-issue and return technologies for libraries were pioneered by 3M’s Australian
division and have been in use for about a decade. Recently, the self-return market has
become more established in Taiwan, and the use of self-issue and return systems to
discharge and reclaim library books is gaining popularity. Because user attitudes
toward technologies and related factors play a role in determining whether patrons will
actually use new technology, this study seeks to address and examine those factors.
Past empirical studies have compared the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the
technology acceptance model (TAM) to explain technology acceptance in a wide
variety of information systems (Chen et al., 2007; Kuo and Young, 2008). A self-issue
and return system is related to information technology, so we first propose integration
of the TPB/TAM model to explain the intention to use self-issue and return systems.
The goal of this study is to gain insights into the factors that affect user intentions
to use self-issue and return systems for library books, hypothesize a model that
explains such user adoption intentions, and subject this model to extensive empirical
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0264-0473.htm
EL
27,6
938
Received 24 November 2008
Revised 15 December 2008
Accepted 14 January 2009
The Electronic Library
Vol. 27 No. 6, 2009
pp. 938-949
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0264-0473
DOI 10.1108/02640470911004048
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