INFORUM 2010

E-resources – Value Added by Libraries to Enhance Usage

Author

Marzena Marcinek, Cracow University of Technology Library, Poland

Co-authors

Urszula Matoga, Dorota Lipińska, Cracow University of Technology Library, Poland

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Abstract

Key-words: academic library, e-resources, users expectations, users satisfaction, users training, learning organization, Poland, Cracow University of Technology Library, survey

The purpose of this paper is to present web and other tools which academic libraries use to enhance the usage of e-resources offered. An indirect purpose is to show a necessity for applying marketing methods in library management. They often require some organizational changes to make the library more flexible and adaptable to changing environment, but they usually result in strengthening the role and perception of the library within the community.

Design/methodo­logy/approach: Web pages of selected Polish academic libraries have been examined for the way of presentation of e-resources and web tools to enhance their usage. Parallel survey conducted at these libraries reveals other methods used by libraries to promote e-resources Several tools adding value to e-resources provided by libraries have been addressed. Special attention has been paid to the organization of access, communication with users and training offered both on-line and on-site. The research was conducted in spring 2010.

Findings: The results of web searching, presented in tables and charts, have been enriched with additional information provided by librarians surveyed. Users’ surveys on their expectations towards e-resources, users’ satisfaction measures and means of communication with end-users have been discussed. To illustrate library’s efforts to enhance usage of e-resources some examples of promotional activities and results of surveys conducted at the Library of Cracow University of Technology within a ten-year period have been described. In conclusion some value-adding activities that might be applied by libraries to enhance usage of e-resources have been proposed.

Findings of the survey can be useful for libraries to enhance their services and to assess their flexibility and readiness to fulfill explicit and latten changing needs of their users. The results can also form the basis for further, more comprehensive studies.

Author's professional CV

Marzena Marcinek, MSc, Charted Librarian, Head of Information Services at the Library of Cracow University of Technology, member of PLA, editor of the EBIB Electronic Library – e-service for librarians and information professionals: http://www.ebib.info. Author and translator of professional publications, participated with papers in many national and international LIS conferences incl. the IATUL conferences (1999, 2004, 2005), IFLA Congresses (2003, 2005), CASLIN Seminar (2006) and QQML 2009.