User and service provider assessment of technology readiness of library commons in selected universities in Ghana
| Date | 29 May 2024 |
| Pages | 331-361 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/LM-12-2023-0132 |
| Published date | 29 May 2024 |
| Author | Dinah Koteikor Baidoo,Williams E. Nwagwu |
User and service provider
assessment of technology
readiness of library commons
in selected universities in Ghana
Dinah Koteikor Baidoo
The Library, Ashesi University College, Berekuso, Ghana, and
Williams E. Nwagwu
Department of Information Science, University of South Africa- Muckleneuk Campus,
Pretoria, South Africa and
Department of Data and Information Science, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
Abstract
Purpose –This study assessed the technology readiness of library commons in selected universitiesin Ghana
from the perspectives of both clients and service providers.
Design/methodology/approach–A sample survey researchdesign was used to carryout the study, andthe
study consisted of quantitative and qualitative approaches. The data were collected from 157 of the 430
commons’users and six library directors/commons librarians, using a questionnaire and an interview schedule
respectively. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential analysis with
SPSS Ver. 22, and structural equation modelling with AMOS Ver. 23.
Findings –The study found significant relationships between the availability of learning resources and users’
experience, use and satisfaction with the commons. Additionally, there were significant relationships between the
readiness ofthe c ommons,users’perceptions and their satisfaction levels. The library/commons managers identified
key preparedness issues, including inadequate planning and poor space allocation. Furthermore, the study revealed
negative feelings among library/commons managers, such as insecurity, resistance and low confidence.
Practical implications –The academic libraries in Ghana should evaluate their commons following the
findings of this study, and use other readiness implementation tools to identify and address the gaps in their
implementation of the commons.
Originality/value –This study was based on the opinions of the users and operators of the commons and
focused primarily on technology-related factors. However, it is essential to evaluate other readiness factors,
such as change and services, and institutional factors, using frameworks such as Hess and Ostrom’s (2005)
Institutional Development Framework, to provide complementary results that can guide better implementation
of the commons and improve the quality of services.
Keywords Technology readiness, Library commons, Ashesi university, Ghana, CARLIGH
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The academic libraries in Ghana have been rapidly expanding their implementation of ICT
resourcesand services to bettermeet the informationneeds of their clients.The libraries arealso
expanding the physical spaces to promote modern information and service creation and
deliverypractices (Adzobu,2014;Asamoah-Hassan and Bannerman,2018;Bilson and Markwei,
Library
Management
331
© Dinah Koteikor Baidoo and Williams E. Nwagwu. Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This
article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may
reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-
commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of
this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
This paper was developed from the doctoral thesis of Dinal K. Baidoo, funded by the University of
South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa.
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/0143-5124.htm
Received 29 December 2023
Revised 28 March 2024
Accepted 7 April 2024
Library Management
Vol. 45 No. 5, 2024
pp. 331-361
Emerald Publishing Limited
0143-5124
DOI 10.1108/LM-12-2023-0132
2019;Chaddha and Kanjilal, 2022). The libraries are walking away from the individual
workstationsettings that characterized the conventional libraries;rather they are transforming
into social work settings that involve integrated support systems instead of single-support
delivery systems. Some of the universities havealready implemented the use ofwhiteboards,
and other technologies to foster interaction. They have created lectures and conference rooms
where library users engage in personaland group work, seminars and others.
There are new efforts towards creating instructional rooms for lecturing, information
technology pools and multi-media laboratories using projector screens; there are cafe stands, as
well as soft sitting areas (Asamoah-Hassan and Bannerman, 2018;Bilson and Markwei, 2019).
The new services include assistance with teaching and learning, writing, library research,
numeracy and academic advisory support for students; instructionaldevelopment assistance for
faculty, technology-related services and media support services for both students and instructors
(Antwi and Mensah, 2018;Amekuedee, 2005). This development has been studied by Garoufali
and Garoufallou (2022),Perini and Roszkowski (2015) and Bettivia and Stainforth (2023).
The University of Ghana has designated three different spaces as knowledge commons
for undergraduates, research commons for postgraduates and faculty commons for the
faculty. The University of Cape Coast has a research commons space for postgraduates, a
learning commons space for undergraduates, and a senior members space for the faculty and
other senior members of the university community. The Kwame Nkrumah University of
Science and Technology (KNUST) had separate spaces as research commons for
postgraduates, faculty commons and learning commons for undergraduates. At the time
of this investigation, the KNUST had collapsed two of these spaces into a single space known
as research commons, leaving only the faculty commons as a separate space. It can therefore
be observed that the idea of library commons has been developing, but most crucially, the
institutions are using their discretions to experiment with the new development.
Besides the general embrace of information and communication technologies by libraries
(Nwagwu and Matobako, 2021;Oliveira, 2 018;Lihn, 2008;Lippincott and Skinner, 2022), the
sproutingof commons in Ghanaianacademic librariesis partly being promotedby the activities
of the Consortiumof Academic and ResearchLibraries in Ghana(CARLIGH) through itsrole of
facilitatingthe implementationof information technologyexpansion in the libraries.CARLIGH
was formed in 2004 by heads of higher institutions and a group of Vice-Chancellors of the
universitiesin Ghana who had visionsof their universitiesbecoming centresof excellence. The
mission of CARLIGH is to make collective global information resources accessibleto member
libraries and to improve capabilities for teaching, learning and research through information
technologies. The consortium organizes professional development training, international
conferences,seminars, meetings and symposiumsfor knowledge, ideas and resource sharing;
innovation and capacity building of its members. CARLIGH also plays therole of raising the
awarenessof the staff of the libraries aboutthe current trends of information technologyuse in
the libraries (Asamoah-Hassan and Bannerman, 2018).
According to Asamoah-Hassan and Bannerman (2018), CARLIGH has assisted member
institutions in Ghana in negotiating for proprietary databases and organising training on the
use of the databases. Asamoah-Hassan (2011) also observed evidence that members of the
consortium are becoming more aware of technology developments, and are continuously
working towards the achievement of total integration of information technologies into their
activities. The consortium subscribes to electronic resources at consortium prices and does
advocacy and marketing for electronic resource use. The consortium members also
collaborate to learn from one another the new trends of the library profession and engage on
how to upgrade their facilities, resources and services to meet the clients’needs more
efficiently. Also, the consortium has spurred individual universities to exploit the growing
presence of information technologies according to their understanding and the personnel
capacity available.
LM
45,5
332
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